The 10 Most Important Moments in Mobile Phone History

Our lives are increasingly mobile and our cell phonesservices. Ah, digital. We're talking faster, leaner, cleaner,
are not only a way to contact anyone, anytime,uses less battery power, gives enhanced user privacy.
anywhere but also our calendars, cameras, photoIt also brought the term "dropped call" into popular
albums, inboxes, maps, weather reports, dictionaries,lexicon while putting an end to cloned cell numbers. It
and entertainment. Payphones are disappearing aswas a short stop from 2G to 2.5G (bundling brings
business users edit documents on their Blackberries,WAP, MMS, email and web access) then a hop, skip
kids text each other furiously in class instead ofand a jump to 2.75G/EDGE (allowing backward
passing notes and celebrities partner with handsetcompatible technology, hence, faster data transmission
manufacturers. We take our cell phones for grantedrates). Users begin to expect 2G (at least) in their
now but it wasn't that long ago that a cell phone washandsets.
much like a snow leopard - rare, expensive and exotic. 
So what happened? What were the technologies that5．2003 – Mobile business users get treated to
really changed the playing field for mobile? How havethe Palm Treo 600.
our systems of communication changed over the pastRemarked upon for being the most integrated PDA
three decades?mobile phone combo of its time, this feature rich
 handset had a 640 X 480 VGA camera, 32MB of
Let us take you on a tour of the most noteworthyinternal memory (and expansion slot), Wi-Fi adapter,
mobile moments - from telecomm inventions toUSB, SMS, MMS, email, P-Tunes MP3 player, Kinoma
handset debuts to appearances in popular culture,video player, resistive touchscreen, and Palm's own
we've found the top 20 Moments in Mobile PhoneOS and HTML browser (Blazer) and a backlit
History. From must-have handsets to advancementskeyboard. Users could check their calendar while on
that moved mobile forward, we're hightlightingthe phone and dial direct from the contacts list.  The
watershed occassions, developments and adaptationsfive-way navigation button was heralded as being a
that made mobile phones an indispensible addition tosizeable innovation as it enabled users to operate the
our lives.Treo using only one hand, easily solidifying Palm's place
 in business users hearts.
10．1999 – Working Woman magazine and 
Barbie partner to release the Working Woman Barbie.4．2001 – NTT DoCoMo launches the first
Complete with file organizer, large purse, laptop andcommercial 3G network
coffee mug Barbie's notable accessory here is herAnother first for NTT DoCoMo - using WCDMA
included mobile phone. Also comes with a CDROMtechnology, branded FOMA, DoCoMo's 3G allowed
that allows girls to make business cards, stationary andmobile users simultaneous use of speech and data
calendars, WWBarbie says slogans such as "Going toservices and higher data rates. 3G also offered
work is fun!" Working Woman Barbie helped to brokerincreased security by allowing the handset to
the deal between toys and technology, and made theauthenticate networks it was attaching to, addressing
cell phone an in-demand must-have by a whole newconcerns about vulnerabilities while mobile browsing.
generation of young girls. Current children's toys includeVerizon and Monet Mobile Networks helped bring the
a bevy of play cell phones, but Barbie broke thefirst commercial 3G to the US in 2003. By 2007 there
barrier.were 190 3G networks operating in 40 countries, with
 154 HSDPA networks in 71 countries, cutting the path
9．2002 – Danger Hiptop/TMobile Sidekick isfor mobile TV, video conferencing and location-based
released.services.
The Hiptop/Sidekick appears with full HTML support 
and online connectivity, a 240 X 160 LCD screen, USB,3．2009 – Palm Pre brings Palm back.
POP3, a camera connector and a slick 180 flip screenMuch like the Razr did for Motorola, the Pre helped
that revealed a full QWERTY keyboard. Although itboost Palm back into the modern mobile word. After
wasn't exactly super-slim, it was the only mobile of itsgetting left in the dust, Palm picked itself up and
time to factory integrate an IM client making it veryshimmied right into a smooth pebble-type design.
popular with deaf users. In 2003, the Sidekick was theFeaturing background notification, 3.1 inch multitouch
first mobile that could place unassisted TTY and Relayscreen, 320 X 480 display, integrated IM, SMS, MMS,
Operator calls via the web browser. It was, as theyWi-Fi, built-in GPS, a 3mp camera with LED flash, USB,
say, hip with the kids. Even Veronica Mars had one,80g of memory and a freshly redesigned UI in webOS,
and if it's good enough for a fictional teen sleuth thenthe Pre also remembered its customer base and
it's definitely good enough for the cool kids on the bus.offered a customizable inbox and calendar/contact
 integration. The first mobile to use a TI OMAP 3430
8．1996 – Motorola StarTAC appears.processor, and the first to have a wireless charging
A flip handset remarked upon for its small size (enterbase, the Touchstone.
obligatory chuckle here), the StarTAC could receive 
SMS text messages, used a lithium-ion battery and2．2008 – HTC releases the Dream - first
had the first vibrating alert feature on a phone. ThisAndroid-based handset.
was to telephony what color was to television. InitiallyThe first Android phone finally appears in the form of
set at a $1,000 price point, the StarTAC was sothe HTC Dream. With 256MB, 3.2inch LCD flat
popular it was revived in 2004 for a South Koreantouchscreen (320 X 480 res), integrated GPS,
market and redesigned for a V.I.P. 10th AnniversaryBluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.2mp camera, expansion slot and
Edition. Split handsets into two categories: flip andbackground processing, the Dream was built as a
candybar, appeared in the movie 8mm with NicholasLinux-based, open-source iPhone challenger. Also
Cage and paved the way for the Razr.called the TMobile G1, the handset included a full array
 of Google candy: Gmail, Google Calendar, Google
7．1987- Wall Street/ Gordon GekkoMaps, Google Talk, YouTube and a limited Google
Michael Douglas' Gordon Gekko flaunts his wealth withDocs. Often touted with the Pre as the next
his super-hip FY8850 mobile (on a beach, with his shirtcontender in a long line of "iPhone Killers", the Dream
unbuttoned, naturally) in Wall Street. A character thatpulled itself up by its handy notification bar and went to
epitomizes greed, wealth and power, his casual use ofbat for a new non-Apple future. The latest incantation,
elite technology in an era marked by brand nameDroid, is gaining Android plenty of ground.
status makes a clear statement about the divide 
between the technology have's and have-nots. In the1．2002 – American Idol premieres.
past 20+ years, mobiles in movies have evolved fromBy allowing its fans to choose their pop sensation
product placement, to thwarting victims in horrorwinner by calling the singers assigned phone number to
movies with poor reception to inevitably becoming partvote, AI was a front-runner in integrating mobile with
of the plot. In 2004, both the Chinese film Cell Phoneentertainment. AI currently has involvement with both
and the William H. Macy dud Cellular were released;AT&T and Samsung for services running from
2008 gave us One Missed Call.unlimited messaging plans (for easier voting) and Idol
 text chat session to ringtones, SMS trivia, even a text
6．1991 – Radiolinja, the first GSM network opensreminder of contestant codes. AI, understanding both
in Finland.its fan base and the potential of mobile, was able to
Radiolinja brings Finland up to speed, with the first U.S.explode into a media giant surpassing even the
upgrade coming in 1994. Now we're talking. Thedemocratic process: in 2007 74 million people voted
benefits of the 2G digital upgrade gave users digitallyfor rocker David Cook as the "next American Idol," in
encrypted phone conversations as well as mobile data2004 64 million people voted for George W.