Mobile Phone Technology: The History Of Mobile Technology

The History of Mobile Technology

Cell phone technology is based on radio technology. Most early cell phones could only be used in cars because of the enormous battery power requirement. They were also large, heavy, and bulky. For example, the first mobile phone designed by Ericsson in 1956 weighed 88 pounds!

By 1967, mobile phone technology was available. However, the mobile phone would work in one cell phone calling area only. It stopped working once the user moved a certain distance away from the assigned calling area. In 1970, Amos Edward Joel, an engineer at Bell Labs, developed the call handoff system. This technology made it possible for a user to move from one calling area to another without dropping the call. On April 3,1973, Martin

These had obvious improvements over the (1G) analog networks: improved sound quality, better security, and higher total capacity. Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is one such digital network. It remains the network standard for much of the world. Most 2G phones were much smaller than the brick-like telephones of the 1980s. Advancements in batteries and computer chip technology made 2G cell phones much smaller and truly portable.

The demand for data services to go with cell phones led to the development of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). GPRS allowed phones to seamlessly connect to the internet, but this technology wasn 't fast enough to be considered 3G. Phones that used GPRS technology were known as 2.5G phones. (Ziegler, 2011)

Third Generation Cell Phones (3G) (2000s)

Third generation technology is not exactly a standard. To be considered "3G," networks and cell phone providers must meet a set of requirements defined by the UN 's International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The IMT-2000 standard is an official list of specifications that a "true" 3G technology had to meet. The two main requirements of 3G: 2 Mbps of maximum data rate while stationary and 384 kbps for while mobile. (Ziegler, 2011)

Unlike previous generations, 3G technology was designed to transmit data.

Fourth Generation Phones

Tablets have been around for decades. In 1972, Alan Kay, a researcher at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center came up with a design for a tablet called the Dynabook. He published a paper describing its specifications: 12 inches by 9 inches, with a keyboard, a stylus, and a graphics user interface (GUI). His vision was to develop a "personal computer for children of all ages." Children around the world would be able to use this dynamic book (Dynabook) to further their education. The Dynabook was never made because technology in the 1970s was not advanced enough. (Steele,