Evolution of Mobile
Journey through 39 milestones defining the mobile era, from 1876 to today.
2024
AI Phones Era
Samsung Galaxy S24 series launches with on-device AI features, marking the beginning of the AI-powered smartphone era.
2023
USB-C iPhone
iPhone 15 series adopts USB-C port, ending the Lightning connector era and standardizing mobile charging.
2020
Windows Phone Shutdown
Microsoft officially ends support for Windows Phone, marking the end of a third mobile platform attempt after years of struggle.
5G iPhone
Apple releases iPhone 12 series with 5G support, bringing next-generation connectivity to millions of users.
2019
First Foldable Phone
Samsung Galaxy Fold launches as the first commercially available foldable smartphone, introducing a new form factor.
5G Networks Launch
First commercial 5G networks launch, offering speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G and enabling new mobile experiences.
2014
Nokia Sells to Microsoft
Nokia sells its mobile phone business to Microsoft for $7.2 billion, marking the end of an era for the once-dominant mobile manufacturer.
2011
Windows Phone Launch
Microsoft launches Windows Phone with exclusive Nokia partnership, but the platform never gains significant market share.
Phablet Category
Samsung Galaxy Note launches, popularizing the 'phablet' category with its 5.3-inch screen and stylus.
2010
Samsung Galaxy S
Samsung launches the Galaxy S series, which would go on to sell over 1 billion units and compete directly with iPhone.
2009
BlackBerry Market Peak
BlackBerry holds 20% of the global smartphone market, called 'CrackBerry' for its addictive email capabilities, before falling to less than 1% by 2016.
Palm webOS Launch
Palm launches webOS, a critically acclaimed operating system that fails commercially, leading to HP's acquisition and eventual shutdown.
2008
App Store Launch
Apple launches the App Store with 500 apps, creating a new economy and changing how we use mobile devices forever.
First Android Phone
HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) becomes the first commercially available Android smartphone, launching Google's mobile OS.
2007
iPhone Announcement
Steve Jobs announces the original iPhone at Macworld, revolutionizing the smartphone industry with touchscreen interface.
First iPhone Release
Apple releases the first iPhone, featuring a 3.5-inch touchscreen, no physical keyboard, and revolutionary user interface.
2006
Nokia Symbian Dominance
Nokia's Symbian OS powers 73% of smartphones worldwide, marking the peak of Nokia's mobile dominance before its decline.
2005
Flip Phone Dominance
Flip phones, or clamshell phones, dominate the mobile market in the early 2000s before smartphones take over with their compact, protective design.
LG Chocolate Phone
LG's Chocolate phone with its slide-out keypad launches, becoming a design icon and selling over 15 million units worldwide.
2004
Motorola RAZR V3
Motorola's RAZR V3 launches, selling 130 million units and becoming the best-selling flip phone of all time, defining the clamshell era.
2003
Best-Selling Phone
Nokia 1100 launches and becomes the best-selling phone of all time with over 250 million units sold worldwide.
2002
Palm Treo Series
Palm's Treo series combines phone with PDA, dominating the smartphone market before the iPhone era with its integrated design.
T-Mobile Sidekick
T-Mobile's Sidekick launches with its swiveling screen and full keyboard, becoming iconic in the early 2000s, especially among celebrities.
2000
Landline Subscriptions Peak
Landline phone subscriptions peak in the United States with 186 million lines, then begin declining as mobile phones become dominant.
First Camera Phone
Sharp J-SH04 launches in Japan as the first mobile phone with an integrated camera, starting the mobile photography revolution.
1999
First GPS Phone
Benefon Esc! becomes the first mobile phone with built-in GPS navigation capabilities.
1998
Payphones Peak
The United States reaches peak payphone deployment with over 2.6 million payphones, before mobile phones would cause a 90% decline by 2006.
1997
First Mobile Game
Snake game debuts on Nokia phones, becoming the first mobile phone game and a cultural phenomenon.
First Color Screen
Siemens S10 introduces the first mobile phone with a color screen, revolutionizing mobile displays.
1996
Palm Pilot Launch
Palm Pilot launches as the first successful PDA, selling over 1 million units in its first 18 months and dominating the handheld market.
First Internet Phone
Nokia 9000 Communicator becomes the first mobile phone with internet access and email capabilities.
1994
Beepers Peak Popularity
Beepers reach peak popularity with over 61 million pagers in use in the United States, becoming essential for emergency services and a cultural phenomenon.
First Smartphone
IBM Simon Personal Communicator launches as the world's first smartphone, featuring a touchscreen and PDA capabilities.
1992
First Text Message
Neil Papworth sends the first SMS text message 'Merry Christmas' from a computer to a mobile phone.
1983
First Commercial Mobile Phone
Motorola DynaTAC 8000x becomes the first commercially available mobile phone, weighing 2.5 pounds and costing $3,995.
1973
First Mobile Call
Motorola engineer Martin Cooper makes the first mobile phone call on a prototype DynaTAC device in New York City.
1949
First Beeper Invented
Al Gross invents the first beeper (pager) for use in hospitals, starting a communication device that would reach 61 million users by the 1990s.
1889
First Public Payphone
The first public payphone is installed in Hartford, Connecticut, charging 5 cents per call and beginning a communication infrastructure that would peak at 2.6 million units.
1876
First Telephone Patent
Alexander Graham Bell patents the first telephone, beginning the era of landline communication that would connect the world for over a century.