On April 3rd, 1973, the very first wireless phone call was made. Nowadays, it’s hard to think about a life where people were restricted to telephone boxes and landlines, and so it’s no surprise that mobile phones have become the most popular electronic device on the planet. Let’s take a look at its fifty-year journey.
Where it all began
The first mobile phone call was made by Motorola engineer, Dr. Martin Cooper, as he walked down the streets of Midtown Manhattan in 1973. For the first moment in mobile phone history, Dr Cooper called his rival nemesis, Dr. Joel S. Engel, who was on a mission to also make the first mobile phone call at Bell Labs.
The mobile phone used by Dr. Cooper measured 23 by 13 by 4.5 centimeters and weighed a total of 2 kilograms. The prototype offered a talk time of just 30 minutes and took 10 hours to recharge.
From mobile to smartphone
20 years after the first mobile phone call was made, the first smartphone was released. Named the IBM Simon, it was an analog cellular phone that had a touch screen, calendar, email, and fax functions. The phone was visibly very different from the smartphones we know today.
In 2007, Apple launched its very first iPhone, changing the industry forever. Compared to its smartphone counterparts, with clunky devices, small screens, and a keyboard, the iPhone featured a complete touchscreen with mobile apps.
Shaking up the industry
The iPhone wasn’t the only breakthrough in the tech industry in the noughties. From 2000-2009, other developments included social media with the launch of Facebook in 2004, games consoles, and a new way of reading with Kindle. It was a decade of technological advancement and as a result, it began to shake up the stock market.
It couldn’t have been better timed too. The very same year the first mobile phone call was made, so was the U.S. Dollar Index. Often referred to as DXY, the index provides the value of the U.S. dollar against global players. Helping investors monitor when the U.S. dollar gains value, DXY is a useful tool to understand when it is best to buy and sell stock. With a ‘look first then leap’ strategy, the platform allows investors to spot opportunities across global markets and prepare ahead of investment. With a technological awakening happening from the very first mobile phone call to the launch of social media, DXY meant that investors could navigate the tech industry before buying shares in a company.
It’s clear that the noughties was an era of tech advancement. But, the mobile phone still takes the lead as it is named one of the most important inventions in history thanks to improved human communication and global connectivity. Apple is a key industry player that proves this as it takes the title of the world’s most valuable company, towering at a $2.3 trillion valuation.
The Future of the Phone
After fifty years, the telephone, or smartphone, is used more than ever before. Portable and durable, it acts as a pocket camera, constant contact with loved ones, and makes communication easier than ever before. Mobile phones have progressed massively over the past 50 years. From a heavy device capable of making a phone call for no longer than 30 minutes to phones that can last for days, it’s clear that they are a vital part of most people’s lives. From communicating to working, mobile phone technology will continue to develop, and people will continue to invest
