This is what the first mobile phone looked like. The inspiration was among others Star Trek

Scientific fantasy often inspires inventors. It was no different with the first mobile phone. Martin Cooper, Motoroli engineer, admitted that the idea for a portable phone was taken directly from the messenger of Captain Kirk from Star Trek, although Motorola worked on the concept of a mobile phone before.

A decade has passed from the idea to the premiere

Motorola needed all a decade to refine her invention. In April 1973, Martin Cooper, standing on New York Street, made the first phone call from the portable prototype of the “cell”. He did not fail to call the head of the competitive Bell Labs company to tell him his success. The conversation was short, but its meaning – huge.

Over the years, Motorola improved its technology. Then the crossing with officials began. The American Communications Commission in September 1983 awarded the longed -for FCC certificate, and on October 13, 1983, the first commercial connection was made. Device price? Space for those and present times $ 3,995. Today it is about PLN 35-40 thousand.

Phone like brick

Dynatac weighed almost a kilo and measured 25 centimeters. No wonder he quickly gained the nickname “shoe” or “brick”. The creamy, angular housing covered a three -row keyboard with red numbers and small LED display. A characteristic antenna protruded at the top of the device.

There was no question of text messages or games – The phone was only used for calling. The battery allowed for 30 minutes of talks, but its charge took up to 10 hours. A maximum of 30 numbers could be saved in memory.

Only for the chosen ones

Initially, Dynatac operated only in the center of Chicago, but the network was developing very quickly. Despite the astronomical price and technical restrictions, 12,000 units were sold in the first year. Having a “cell” became a symbol of status and success – the phone often appeared in films and series as an attribute of business people.

Rapid evolution

The successors of Dynatac quickly began to lose weight. Already in 1989, Motorola introduced a microtac model weighing “only” 300 grams. It was the first phone with a flap that could be hidden in your pocket.

However, the real revolution came in 1992when IBM presented Simon – the first smartphone with a touch screen. He was able to send emails and faxes, he had a calendar and a notebook. The same functions can be found today in every phone, only in a much smaller housing.