Cell phones first came out with a working prototype created by Motorola engineer Dr. Martin Cooper in 1973. The first ever cell phone call was made during that year in New York City. However, the first commercially available cell phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, was approved and released in 1983. It was a large, heavy device with a 30-minute battery life and came with a high price tag of around $3,995 at the time.
The first smartphone, which combined telephone features with some computing functions like email and a touchscreen, was announced by IBM in 1992 and came to market as the IBM Simon Personal Communicator in 1994.
In summary:
- 1973: First prototype and cell phone call made
- 1983: First commercial cell phone released (Motorola DynaTAC 8000X)
- 1992/1994: First smartphone (IBM Simon) announced and sold to consumers
This timeline outlines the initial emergence of cell phones and the subsequent introduction of smartphones.
