Antecedents & Evolution
1922: Pioneer
The police in Chicago experiment with a radio telephone which broadcasts at a frequency just above the AM radio band.
(PIC 1)
1940s: Horseback
The US Army Signal Corps communicate via radio in the field during wartime.
(PIC 2)
1959: Commercial Model
Reginald Blevins, the Postmaster General of the UK, inaugurates the first radio telephone service for motorists.
(PIC 3)
(PIC 4)
1983: Inventory
Martin Cooper is credited with developing the first cell phone approved for commercial use.
(PIC 5)
1988: In the Field
Frenchman Frank Piccard calls in after taking Gold in the Super G at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
(PIC 6)
1997: Ahead of its Time
Philips introduces an early attempt at a digital “smart phone.” The unit, called “The Synergy” provided wireless access to e-mail, internet and faxes.
(PIC 7)
1999: In Fashion
Mattel’s Barbie is outfitted with pearls, a business suit and a cell phone.
(PIC 8 )
2000: High Tech
A concept product from Panasonic combines a game machine with a detachable hand unit which serves as a mobile phone and game control device.
(PIC 9)
2005: Multiplicity
Fans at a Live 8 concert in Edinburgh brandish their phones.
(PIC 10)
2006: Simple
A tourist uses his phone to photograph volcanoes in Indonesia.
(PIC 11)
2006: Historic Moment
Palestinian students at a Ramallah University photograph physicist Steven Hawking, who has arrived to give a lecture.
(PIC 12)
2007: Text is Next!
Morgan Pozgar, 13, of Claysburgh, Pennsylvania, competes in the LG National Texting Championship at the Roseland Ballroom in New York.
(PIC 13)
2008-Present: The iPhone 3G
Steve Jobs unveils the latest generation of his revolutionary product. The 3G is faster and less expensive than its predecessor.
(PIC 14)