Happy birthday, cell phone! Can you believe it’s been 40 years since the first cell phone call was made? Motorola’s Marty Cooper had the honor of being the modern day Alexander Graham Bell. Using the company’s DynaTAC — similar in size to the oh-so-famous Zack Morris stashed-in-the-locker phone — he dialed Bell Labs and delivered the message, “I’m ringing you just to see if my call sounds good at your end.” It wasn’t clear, but it was the first cell phone call, reports Sky News.
The phone was a prototype that would later be introduced to the market as the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x. Weighing “just” 2.5 pounds, it could also double as a weight for a user’s morning powerwalk. The best part about this phone – which sported an LED screen capable of a one-line, text-only display – was that it was available for the low price of $4,000.
All kidding aside, the introduction of this phone paved the way for the modern, ultra-thin, super-light smartphones of today. We do so much with our phones nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a time when cell phones were exclusive symbols of wealth and importance.
We can remember a time when we were plopped down on our couches, watching TV, and someone pulled out their giant cell phone, and we stared in awe as they were able to make a phone call…walking down the street! How could it be? What sorcery is this?!
Oh how we longed to get our hands on one.
Fast forward to today, and instead of being in awe, we hardly notice. Except, of course, when someone is talking exceptionally loud in a restaurant or on a crowded train…
Yes, the times certainly have changed, and we’ve come a long, long way.
In honor of this day, we ask you: when did you get your first cell phone? Do you remember the model? The size? The cost? Share with us in the comments below.
