Here is wishing the mobile “cellular” phone a hearty 44th birthday. It was on this day, April 3, 1973, that Martin “Marty” Cooper made the world’s first cellular demonstration. The phone, the DynaTAC, weighing in just under 32 ounces and standing tall at 13 inches, was as released in 1983.
They DynaTAC's inflation adjusted price was $9,366 (it sold for $3,995). It had a 1 hour talk time and took 10 hours to charge. It stored 30 numbers, and there was no camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, SMS, email, voice activation or any of the other bells and whistles we’ve become dependent on.
Since the launch of the DynaTAC, we have seen a tsunamis of scientific, economic, political and social change wash over the world. Now, forty years later, there are over 7 billion mobile phones in use around the world, and many more billions of mobile-connected devices. The mobile phone and its supporting cast of the internet, cloud computing, databases, micro sensors and more have irrevocably changed human evolution and behavior.
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”
Isaac Newton, 1676
So, here is a hearty thanks to Marty Cooper, the teams at Motorola, Intel and the countless of unknowns that have contributed and shaped the world of mobility that we have before us today.
It’s now upon us to use it all responsibly and to ensure we focus on creating value for those we serve.
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