Who Invented the Cell Phone?

Doctor Martin Cooper invented the modern cell phone. He invented the technology responsible for the cell phone when he was the Director of Research and Development at Motorola. Dr. Martin Cooper is also known as the first person to make a call on a cell phone. His revolutionary call took place in April of 1973 in New York. He is currently the CEO of an antenna corporation.

The Cell Phone’s Ancestors

The modern cell phone originated with Martin Cooper. However, in order to completely understand the invention of the cell phone, one has to revisit the year 1947. It was then that the underlying technology that makes cell phones possible was invented. Known as hexagonal cells for mobile phone base stations, cell phones were invented through a joint effort between AT&T and Bell Labs. They were not actually used until the late 1950s.

Before the invention of hexagonal cells, the military (and some wealthy individuals and businesses) relied on radiophones. These phones required a large backpack device to transmit the phone’s signal to a nearby station. With the invention of hexagonal cells in the late 1940s, radiophones were rendered almost completely useless.

The Cell Phone’s Competitors

There was another network competing for the title of being the portable handset’s inventors. The 0G network devised a “phone for the road,” but this phone never became a true mobile phone because it was limited to a single cell. It was not until the hexagonal cells and a feature called handover were invented in 1970 that the phone became truly mobile. People could now take mobile phones on long trips that required moving in and out of cells.

Mobile Cell Phones

Once the handover feature was implemented, it was only a matter of time before the cell phone was miniaturized sufficiently to be mobile. Yes, there were mobile phones before Martin Cooper’s invention in 1973, but they all required some sort of backpack or car-mounted unit to be used effectively. It was not until Martin Cooper came along that the mobile phone was turned into something that was actually truly mobile.

After 1973, cell phones took off slowly due to their large size, high cost, and relative uselessness for most individuals. The mid 1980s brought about fully automated cellular networks that mildly decreased the price and increased the amount of people using cell phones in their cars. It was not until the early to mid 1990s that cell phones were made small enough and cheap enough to appeal to the average consumer.

Additional Reading on Who Invented the Cell Phone

• Who Invented the Cell Phone
• Who Invented the Cell Phone