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The History of Cell Phones

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Samuel Morse was a man of vision. His vision, his dreams, have become the paving stones for what is now known as the information superhighway. The leading technology in the creation and progress of this telecommunication spectacle is the cell phone and its derivatives. So you may wonder how we got from Samuel Morse to where we are today…and where we’re going tomorrow. To ease your curiosity, following is a history of cell phones. Sit back, relax and enjoy. Samuel Morse invents the telegraph: Any history of cell phones starts with Samuel Morse. He conceived of an electromagnetic telegraph in 1832 and constructed an experimental version in 1835. Then, on October 18, 1842, Morse laid wires between Governor 's Island and Castle Garden, New …show more content…

Cooper and Motorola took the phone technology to New York to show the public. On April 3, 1973, at a public demonstration and using a heavy 30-ounce phone, Martin Cooper placed the first cell phone call to his rival at AT&T Bell Labs from the streets of New York City. Mr. Cooper commented, "As I walked down the street while talking on the phone, sophisticated New Yorkers gaped at the sight of someone actually moving around while making a phone call. Remember that in 1973, there weren 't cordless telephones or cellular phones. I made numerous calls, including one where I crossed the street while talking to a New York radio reporter - probably one of the more dangerous things I have ever done in my life." First Cell Phone (1973): Motorola Dyna-Tac Size: 9 x 5 x 1.75 inches Weight: 2.5 pounds Display: None Number of Circuit Boards: 30 Talk time: 35 minutes Recharge Time: 10 hours Features: Talk, listen, dial This first cell phone call caused a fundamental technology and communications market shift toward the person and away from the place. It also created another vision for Martin Cooper. His vision was for personal wireless communications. "People want to talk to other people - not a house, or an office, or a car. Given a choice, people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever they are, unfettered by the infamous copper wire. It is that freedom we sought to vividly demonstrate in 1973," he said. Martin Cooper

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