25 years ago, the mobile phone made its very first appearance and the first phone call was made. Weighing a hefty (and unportable) 2.5 pounds, and measuring 13 inches long, the Motorola DynaTAC handset, aka The Brick, was the start of the mobile phone movement which has paved the way for portable convenience and of course happy slapping, talking loudly and playing music obnoxiously on public transport.
It wasn't just the phone that had behemoth like qualities - the network service carried a hefty charge too. In 1983 it would have cost you $50 USD a month for line rental, 40 cents per minute peak time and 24 cents for off peak calls, which may sound pretty decent to us, but was a lot of moolah which went a long way back in the day. Portable convenience had a rather large price tag too - $3,995. 25 years ago the mobile phone was a tool for rich folk, now look at it - there's mobiles for the rich, the poor and the in-between.
I wonder if Bob Barnett, the president of Ameritech communications could have predicted the direction mobile phones have taken today when making the first call to Alexander Graham Bell's nephew. Some of us can't even function properly if we're without our phones for too long, which can even lead to stress!
Mobile phones today are an amalgamation of real portable convenience, state of the art technology, affordability, luxurious and budget designs, special offers and services, and with a range of well over 500 handsets to choose from we're spoilt for choice. The mobile phone has come a long way since the days of having to hold up a hefty bit of plastic to your face. How cool did we all think Zack from Saved By The Bell was chatting away on his brick-like mobile? Look at us now.
A quest for mobile communication started with a brick and has ultimately ended with the iPhone, with only more cool, exciting and innovative handsets to reveal themselves in the future, that'll no doubt be smaller, packed with more technology and more impressive than ever.
Do something special for your phone today and show your appreciation. I'm taking mine to lunch.
[via Product Reviews]
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