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The First Telephone
In 1876 the first telephone was invented. It is in the air right now who the really first inventor of it was because both Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray submitted patent applications on February 14th, 1876. The telephone was invented to transport sound over a distance to other telephones. This invention would change the world and take massive leaps over time. Now the telephone has evolved into something millions use on a daily basis. -
The First Rotary Phone
Patented in 1891 and released in 1892 the first rotary phone became available to the public. This was an innovation on the original telephone making it easier to use and more assessable. This telephone was built around Almon Brown Strowger's design and patent. It was first installed in La Porte, Indiana. -
The First Wireless Phone
On April 3rd, 1973 the first wireless phone was made and released. This was a massive step in the evolution of the telephone and paved the path for all the mobile phones we have today. Fun fact, it weighed 2 and 1/2 pounds. -
The First Smart Phone (Simon Personal Communicator)
Although many believe Apple came out with the first smartphone that is simply untrue. The first smartphone actually came out 15 years early than the first Apple phone in 1992. The Simon Personal Communicator is considered the first real smartphone but got very little attention. The Simon Personal Communicator also included a full touchscreen. -
The First Phone With Messaging (Nokia 9000i Communicator)
In 1993 Nokia invented the first phone that was able to send SMS texts to other phones. The phone became the first phone available to the public that could send texts on its release in 1997. This of course was a massive innovation as being able to text on a phone seems more like a right than a privilege in this age. -
First Phone Able to Use Internet (Nokia 9000 Communicator)
Nokia once again innovated the phone and technology industry by creating a phone with the ability to use the internet. First launched in Finland in 1996 the Nokia 9000 Communicator was able to use the internet, but for a very hefty price. Although it was wasn't common to use the internet on your phone at first this Nokia did innovate the game by allowing phones to access the web. -
The First Flip Phone (StarTac)
Invented in 1996 the first flip phone was a huge innovation in not only the phone world but the whole tech world. The StarTac invented by Motorola on January 3rd, 1996 and it was one of the first phones to use a keypad. It also made phones way easier and more convenient to carry around. -
The First Cellphone With a Built in Camera (Nokia 7650)
Nokia built the first cellphone with a built-in camera in 2002, it was later released to the public. The Nokia 7650 set a new standard for other cellphones with its addition of a built-in camera. Today it is way harder to find a phone without a camera in it than finding one with a camera. -
Face ID (iPhone X)
On November 3rd, 2017 Apple made a huge leap in technology when they added face ID onto their phones. This allowed phones to be locked and only opened when your face is shown in the camera. Since then Apple has used face ID in all of their phones and something that was once seen as fiction is now a reality. -
Present
Now that we've gone over all the major innovations in the phone let's reflect. The telephone first started out as a device that only severed one use, to transmit sound across a distance to another telephone, but now it's so much more. We've turned the phone into the perfect right-hand man that can take calls, texts, notes, photos, and so much more. I wonder what innovations we will see in the next few years as what might seem like fiction now may become a reality later.
