Telecommunications have changed the way we live our lives. In fact, it’s a multi-billion pound industry. People love to communicate and telecommunications is what makes the world tick by. I bet you couldn’t imagine the world without a telephone let alone a mobile phone. Nevertheless, the one company that made everything possible is Motorola. Motorola introduced the first commercial mobile phone and without this invention, I doubt telecommunications would be as advanced as they are today.

Commercial mobile phone

Although Motorola was the real driving force of the commercial mobile phone, the invention stems back to 1832 when Samuel Morse created the electromagnetic telegraph. Samuel Morse proved the concept of wireless by conduction. Without going into too much detail about the theory of wireless by conduction, it is simply showing that a device can send messages by electricity. Do you get where I’m going? I bet you’re thinking SMS and txt messaging as well, but wait that wasn’t invented in 1832!

Since the introduction of the electromagnetic telegraph by Samuel Morse, more and more ideas came about. People now knew that you could send messages and that water could conduct electricity. Many other physicians, chemists and dentists tried proving their own theories from researching whether space could conduct electricity; whether you could communicate wirelessly through the atmosphere and so on.

Although we have not discussed how mobile phones came into play yet, many inventors focused their efforts on wire line telegraphy, in essence, telephone poles. Although telegraphy showed a grasp of wire line technology, it did show an understanding of wireless and how electromagnetic messages could travel through the air.

Portable communication device

Once everything was established how to send messages, a man named Martin Cooper was hired by Motorola with a vision to develop a portable product. The first product or device Martin Cooper developed was a handheld police radio. Once this was developed, he looked into creating a mobile device for the mass market.

Dr Martin Cooper with the Motorola DynaTAC

Motorola were in a race with AT&T to develop the mobile, portable communication device but thankfully, Martin Cooper who worked for Motorola found the solution before AT&T. Motorola then tested the concept and showed the general public the new technology on a huge phone we laugh and joke about today. Nevertheless, in the public demonstration, Motorola called AT&T boasting that they have found the solution.

The first commercial mobile phone was the Motorola Dyna-Tac. It weighed 2.5 lbs and the overall size of it was 9 x 5 x 1.75 inches. The talk time was only 35 minutes but the battery lasted 10 hours. The only features that this Motorola mobile phone could do were dial, talk and listen. You can clearly see how much mobile phones have evolved over time!

Motorola Promotional Video From the Early 1980′s

The introduction of the commercial mobile phone by Motorola really did change the way we lived our lives. Motorola discovered that people love choice and freedom. People love to do what they want and when they want, so the introduction of mobile communication devices such as the Motorola Dyna-Tac created a real shift in the way we lived our lives. Instead of waiting to go home to call someone or go to the office to communicate with a supplier or customer, people could communicate and collaborate using on the move.

The Motorola Dyna-Tac came at a hefty price of approximately $3,500. Nowadays, there are more mobile phone devices than landlines throughout the world. Concluding this article, you can see the role Motorola played in inventing and manufacturing the commercial mobile phone. Without Motorola and in particular, Martin Cooper, mobile phones as we know it today would not be the same today.

A Big Thanks has to go to the Author:Daniel Barr for researching this topic and providing the article!

Do you know anything about the history of Motorola and the mobile phone? If you do please feel free to comment and share your knowledge with our readers!