It’s almost hard to believe that landline telephones used to be the only way of making phone calls. The mobile phone hasn’t even been around that long – as far as mainstream mobile phones go – yet they have completely taken over the way we communicate, and even now, phone calls are being replaced with text conversations – whether through text messaging, email and social media.
The modern mobile phone has completely revolutionized the way we communicate. So while we are coming up on National Telephone Day on April 25, this post is more of a nod to the modern phone – the wireless.
From humble beginnings
The first commercial mobile phone was made in 1973. It didn’t hit the market until 1984 and when it did, it cost a pretty penny. The DynaTAC cost nearly $4,000. Adjusting for inflation, it would cost $9,000 today.
You would think that the smartphone didn’t come into the scene until the 2000s, but actually the very first smartphone debuted in 1993. The Simon was advertised as not just a cell phone, but rather a crafty electronic that could use it as a wireless machine, pager, e-mail device, calendar, appointment schedular, address book, calculator and stylus-based sketchpad – for only $900!
The smartphone continued to develop throughout the years but still had its limitations. Remember when text messages could only be 160 characters long? Or how about how unbelievably expensive it was to connect to the Internet? This amazing feature first appeared on the 1996 Nokia 9000 Communicator, but you had to be ready to pay the price to connect!
Mobile phones become the standard
Now smartphones can basically do just about anything and are a common fixture for pretty much everyone. Check out these interesting facts about the modern cell phone:
- Present-day cellphones have more computing power than the computer used to land Apollo 11 on the moon.
- Around 80 percent of the world’s population has a cell phone.
- More than 90 percent of adults have their phone within arm’s reach at all times.
- There are more cell phones than PCs. The rate is 5:1.
- The cell phone industry is the fastest growing industry in the world.
- Apple’s iPhone has higher sales than everything Microsoft sells.
- Noomophobia is the fear of being without your mobile phone or losing your signal.
- The average person unlocks their smartphone 110 times per day.
And the landline dwindles
It’s hard to believe that the culture that has developed around the cellphone has boomed in less than 50 years. Especially considering that mobile phones have only been on the market for 35 years. By comparison, the landline telephone has been around for nearly 150 years and only just started the slow march toward obsoletion beginning in the 1980s with the rise of the mobile phone.
What does the future hold?
Some studies predict that the smartphone will eventually be replaced by a higher form of technology. Whether that’s virtual reality, artificial intelligence or wearable electronics, it’s hard to guess. And it’s hard to imagine that one day the smartphone will be considered antiquated. But one thing will remain and that’s the power of voice. Whether it’s through a smartphone, a VR headset or a wearable device, people still want to connect with people, especially when it comes to consumers interacting with businesses. And that’s what we do and live for at VoiceNation. Want to learn more about why human interaction is vital to your business? Give us a call at 877.679.3777.