People using cellphones.
The history of cell phones is a long one, spanning several decades and hundreds of different varieties of phones. Mobile telecommunication began with the SCR-194 produced by the US army in 1938, and weighed about 25 pounds. The SCR-300 came out in 1940 weighing 38 pounds but having a 3 mile range. It was developed by Motorola, who would then come out with the handy-talkie, which made up for its limited one mile range for being only five pounds. The first mobile phone for civilians was the Mobile Telephone Service, developed by Bell system and used the AT&T network. It weighed 80 pounds and costed $30 ($330 in modern times), so it was mostly used by trucker and reporters. The first one truly accessible to the average joe was the Nokia Mobile Senator in 1982 (shown below), weighing 22 pounds and came with a box, which was disappointing compared to the DynaTAC, an prototype developed earlier that was not yet mass produced.
The Mobile Senator (left) and the DynaTAC with its creator
The DynaTAC (shown above) was released to the public just a year after the Mobile Senator, and it was a completely wireless handheld, it was still heavy though, being approximately 5 pounds. Motorola continued to make strides in 1989 with the MicroTAC, the first flip phone, then the StarTAC in 1996, which was the first clamshell style phone (inspired by the
Star Trek communicators). Going a few years back to 1993, IBM introduced the first PDA with mobile capabilities, which would cost approximately $1,300 in modern times. Then in 1997 the Nokia 9000 was the first phone to be considered a mini-computer, with (limited) internet access. That helped create the T-Mobile Sidekick (2002), the first phone to have access to AIM. 2007 introduced the iPhone, not the first smartphone, but the one that perfected its model. Which brings us to the current era of phones, Apple and Android being the main competitors with so many micro-innovations its impossible to list them all.
Early iPhones
The initial intent for the mobile telephone still holds true for the current generation. Cellular telephones remain to be an accessible mobile way to keep in contact with each other. In fact through the years they have become favored by most people over home phones, and used by some as a business hub. Though I doubt anyone would predict that people would use it a often as they do. Or that the the phone part would be used as a secondary function to other methods of communication, like texting or video chat. Nor do I think that people could have predicted how small and powerful the smartphone could end up being.
modern iPhones
What?
Cell phones are not a proper invention but an object born of different technologies like the radio which was known since 1920. Cell phones use electromagnetic waves like TV, radio and other ways of communications, the one dedicated to the police and the emergency. The first demonstration of a Cell phone was made in the street of New-York in 1973.
The first public cell phone was officially sold in March the 6th 1983 by an american brand named Motorola. This phone like all the first ones were using the AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) but now all our phones use the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) or the LTE (Long Term Evolution) for the last one.
Nokia 101, the first GSM mobile
Who?
Doctor Martin Cooper is generally regarded as the cell phone’s inventor. He was the first one to give a call with a cell phone in April the third 1973 in a street of New-York. By that time, he was director of research and development at Motorola Corp. And it’s the same brand which 10 years later sold the first really carriable cell phone (The original phone weighed 30 ounces, and was referred to as the “Brick.”). The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X which was also a brick but less heavy and better looking. The army during the world war 1 also developed ways to communicate without having to carry a wire. This was mainly to use in the first planes when they were not fighting but giving informations about the enemy troops. 
The Motorola Dyna TAC 8000X
Why?
The most obvious reason is the need to communicate from everywhere, allowing people to talk together even if they are at 6 000 miles of distance. What would be our society if the only way to communicate would be the wire telephone or the radio? In a society where you can get any information you want instantly that was an obligation and this is the base of all the 3G and the 4G. But at the origin, being able to communicate wirelessly was an advantage in the war. At a period when soldiers used to carry really long wires for their communications, that was an exceptional discovery mainly with planes which couldn’t obviously communicate by wires.
The FF-33 was developed in 1933 and built for the army until the end of the second world war
Technology:
Cellular phones use technology similar to radios, putting themselves on the same waves that radio transmissions are carried by, the difference is that their waves are carried by cell towers which are strategically placed to cover as much area as possible. Radio transmissions are also a one way connection, one transmitter and however many receivers. You cannot talk to a radio station, you can only listen because you are a receiver. When using a walkie talkie you can either talk or listen but not both at the same time. Cell phones on the other hand, while using the same waves, talk and listen without stopping constantly. This is also different from a regular cordless phone because even with a cordless, you can only stray a certain distance from a single private base station.
Used Until
Cellular phones are still being used today, more in fact than ever before. Cell phones have evolved dramatically from their origination. Today there are loads of operators and manufacturers. They have grown past just being able to make and receive calls and can send SMS or text messages as well as emails. Smart phones are the popular thing now which connect to the internet. Only 20% of the developing world have accepted these phones.
Conclusion
The evolution of phones is important to understand because cell phones are similar to other technologies. For instance, computers started off as singular-purpose boxes and have become so much more. Studying the evolution of phones you can detect patterns for other technologies like tablets, you can easily see how they will evolve.
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