Did you know that the average person unlocks their smartphone 110 times a day? It’s fair to say that we’re absolutely addicted to the computer in our pocket, but where did it all begin? In this article we’ll explore the past, present and future of mobile phones and how mobile phones have evolved over recent years.

Past

Starting with the distant past and the first mobile phone call was made on April 3rd 1973 using a cumbersome device developed by Martin Cooper, a senior engineer at Motorola. This 1.1kg device took 10 hours to fully charge and gave you only 30 minutes of talk time, but did pave the way for Motorola’s first commercial handset in 1983, which sold for a staggering $3995 apiece.

It wasn’t until the late 1990s when mobile phones started to become more portable, better designed and most of all, cheaper. Nokia had great success with early mobile phones, with the most iconic of their line being the 1100, which sold over 250 million units worldwide.

The next ten years saw mobile phones undergo a period of great evolution and make their way into everybody’s back pocket. Nokia continued to shine with new stars also being born in BlackBerry and Samsung, as handsets started to include colour displays, cameras and other functionality. The mobile phone was quickly becoming a lot more than just a phone.

Present

Apple kick-started the present era of mobile phones in 2007 with the release of the first iPhone. This marked the start of a great rivalry between Apple and Google and the smartphone was born. These new phones are internet connected with touch screen displays and do an awful lot more than the humble Nokia 3310.

The likes of Apple, Samsung and LG are currently thriving in the smartphone industry, selling devices with displays over 5 inches in size. Much like with older mobile phone models, smartphones are now becoming more and more affordable. 56% of American adults are now believed to own a smartphone, with the large majority of those running either Apple’s iOS software or Google’s Android. Meanwhile, computer giant Microsoft have tried and failed to adapt their operating system for the mobile crowd.

Future

The future of mobile phones is guaranteed to continue with the great smartphone rivalry between Apple and Google. Android and iOS platforms will continue to grow and at the same time, the number of people owning smartphones will grow also.

Mobile phones are also susceptible to new changes in technology, as virtual reality promises to bring new change in the industry. Google Glass technology has already promised to put the functionality of a smartphone in front of your eyes throughout the day and it isn’t likely going to stop there. What’s more, with the surge of smart watch devices, smartphones look to be heading further towards wearable technology, as they integrate their way into our everyday lives.

In conclusion, the history of the mobile phone is an incredibly interesting one, but the future is really where mobile phones sit. Mobile phones are certainly going to become an even larger put of our lives and that can only be a good thing, right?