Early Days

• Radio was a mainstay in many people's homes during the 1930s and '40s, and widely in use in many vehicles. Police forces in Swedish metro areas used the first known version of cell phone technology in 1946, although the devices had their call limits and weighed around 80 pounds. A year later, engineers at Bell Labs in the U.S. began to develop plans for towers that could amplify telephone signals in three directions vs. two and hexagon-shaped cells for use in mobile phones.
  
  

Developing Tech

• The late 1960s saw the birth of actual mobile technology, which worked as long as the user did not stray from the general vicinity. In addition, cell phones could only call a local handling station, which resulted in many lost calls. That problem was remedied in 1970 by Bell Labs, who developed the appropriate technology to allow for a smooth transition between handling stations. AT&T applied for cellular service a year later, but had to wait until 1982 to receive the nod. The FCC created frequencies specifically for cell phones that same year, and in 1990 analog signals were converted to digital technology.
  
  

First Phones

• Motorola marketed the first commercially available cell phone in 1983, the DynaTAC 8000X. The phone cost the company well more than 100 million research dollars. The phone, weighing in at 28 ounces, became instantly popular. It was first manufactured to be operated in motor vehicles, and sometimes came in briefcases or "bags."
  
  

Second Phones

• The switch from analog technology to digital in 1990 allowed for faster connections and fewer lost (or "dropped") calls. Improved phone signaling improved cell phone design, as the newer models weighed in around 200 to 300 grams. The new phones did not require the cumbersome batteries as their bag phone predecessors, which increased their popularity and availability over the next decade.
  
  

Third Phones

• Today's phones are known as Third Generation cell phones, which were marketed toward the end of the '90s. New phones require two data rates to operate: Two megabits maximum for indoor use and 384 kbits for outdoor use. Many of today's phones feature extra technology, like allowing text messaging, incorporating cameras and providing Internet usage. The field continues to develop new phone features, such as streaming data and video capabilities.