Wait, wait, before you start reading the article, subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen. We publish a lot of news and various collections there.
Probably, each of us from time to time wonders how this or that industry developed. When did the car first appear on the roads? Who developed the first space rocket? How and when did the mobile phone appear and what influenced its development? It is precisely the last question that we will examine today. The mobile industry is truly interesting and vast, although it has only existed for a few decades. Many of you reading this article have probably seen the first push-button brick phones with tiny black and white screens, which, meanwhile, could hardly be called a cheap pleasure. Now look at the smartphone market - elegant beauties with powerful hardware and huge displays that anyone can afford. How have mobile phones managed to develop so much in just a couple of decades?
Mobile phone pioneer
The world's first official conversation on a mobile phone not connected to a landline network took place in New York in 1973.
April 3, 1973 turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day. An older man, Martin Cooper, emerged from the New York office of the then Motorola company. In his hand he had an unknown milk-colored object - moving a little away from the office, he pressed some buttons on this box. Almost at the same time, in the office of Motorola's competitor, Bell Laboratories, the telephone set in the office of the head of the research apparatus, D. Engel, rang. When he picked up the phone, he heard Martin Cooper's voice on the other end:
“Do you know why and where I’m calling you? I’m now standing in the middle of Manhattan and in my hands I have the world’s first cell phone!”
This is the official simple story of the world's first telephone call from a cell phone. But there is also a version according to which the world's first wireless telephone saw the light not in the United States, but in the USSR - back in 1961. It was in this year that reports appeared in media agencies that a sample was developed by the talented hands of radio engineer Leonid Kupriyanovich telephone, through which, via radio communication, it was possible to make a call to a base telephone station within 25 km. Now to us, contemporaries, this distance seems ridiculous, but in the 60s, this became significant progress in the field of telephone communications.
Such a mobile phone weighed half a kilogram, and it could work while waiting for more than a day. It was a box with a dialing disk, with a handset connected to it and a pair of toggle switches. Naturally, it was not entirely convenient to use - apart from the weight load, when using it either both hands were occupied, or it was necessary to hang it on the belt in some way.
But, for an unknown reason, after 1965 they stopped talking and writing about this invention, and the radio engineer himself went into the development of medical equipment.
But the development of the world's first Motorola telephone continued - and after 11 years (1984) the first portable telephone equipment went on sale. The beginning of the history of this legendary technology is considered to be 1984. The first mobile phone was equipped with a memory of thirty numbers, a ringtone and an LED display. This miracle of technology weighed 800 grams. and cost about 4 thousand dollars. In addition to its noticeable weight, this unit had another significant disadvantage: the battery only lasted for 20-30 minutes.
How the mobile industry developed until the end of the last century
After some time, when the world community understood and appreciated the capabilities of mobile telephone technology, with slow but sure steps this technology industry began to rebuild its production for mobile equipment. Of course, everything did not happen in such a dynamic mode as in modern conditions (this is understandable; there were no such technologies as now in the 80s). But still, in 1985-86, the German company Siemens, which was especially popular in the mid-00s, introduced the Mobiltelefon C1. The device looked impressive - it was, in the full sense of the word, a suitcase equipped with electronics.
In 1987, then still a company, today already a large Nokia corporation, released its version of the latest mobile device - Nokia Mobira Cityman 900. This device no longer had such impressive weight parameters, but this advantage turned out to be the only thing that the Finnish phone could boast of. He only had a memory for eight numbers, and this miracle of technology cost about 4.5 thousand dollars.
But, despite this, Nokia Mobira sales were excellent - even the leader of the USSR Gorbachev purchased this unit when he visited Helsinki.
How mobile communications came to Russia
Mobile phones came into mass use among Russians only after perestroika; before that time, mobile devices were used only by politicians, movie stars, high-ranking military officials and other persons who could afford the purchase and use of such equipment.
The most notable mobile phones of the 20th century
The 90s gave life to many well-known companies that were engaged in the development and production of mobile phones. Some of them, despite the thorny path, are successful today, while others remain in our memory, like iconic brands 10-15 years ago. Let's dive into memories.
The industry began its development in 1991 - contracts and agreements for the export of mobile devices began to be signed. By that time, the new Motorola MicroTAC 9800x model was already in great demand on the world market: it weighed only 350 grams and became an inhabitant of the pockets of millions of citizens around the world. This phone, unlike its predecessors, could be carried with you everywhere, which is why it was so loved by screenwriters, politicians, bandits and businessmen in the early 90s in our young country.
The Motorola Micro TAC had a built-in phone book from which it was possible to directly call a subscriber. The last modification of this line of Motorola phones was released in 1998; in just 9 years, 37 models were produced.
Pilot mobile projects were developed and launched not only in our country - in many developed countries of the rest of the world, communication standards were also harmonized, mobile networks and production were launched. At this time, society, which could afford to purchase such an expensive toy, became accustomed to its use and to the status that it strengthened and supported.
But, as we all know, the times of sky-high prices for phones and cellular communications have sunk into oblivion and, after 1992, more budget mobile phone models began to appear in our country (a little later than in Europe). For example, the Finnish Nokia 1011 could boast of wide distribution at that time: a compact and absolutely charming device in those years. This model cost no more than 1.5 thousand dollars and worked according to the GSM 900 standard. In terms of functionality and practical side, it was, in general, not much different from the famous Motorola MicroTAC 9800x, except for the changed MonoLCD display and increased duration of use without recharging - up to one and a half hours.
Another outstanding old man from the 90s. It was a flagship with a long battery life without charging: it could work in standby mode for about a day, and in talk mode for about 3 hours. With this mobile device, there was no need to carry a charger with you everywhere - this is already a distant reminder of modern models.
But only the Benefon Beta mobile unit could boast of the appearance of a clock on the display in 1994; in addition, it had a standby mode of more than 4 days. It is not known what this is connected with, but the model never received distribution, which is why the name of this phone seems unfamiliar.
But many people remember the legendary Nokia 2110. It held a leading position in the mobile market from 1995 until the early 2000s. An interesting and presentable design by the standards of that time, a vibration alert, three information lines on the screen, an alarm clock, a calculator, a stopwatch and an SMS function. By the way, the iconic Nokia ringtone appeared for the first time on the Nokia 2110.
During these same years, Motorola StarTAC conquered North America - it was the first “folding phone” that Americans fell in love with for its futuristic design, compact size and affordable price segment.
This model pioneered the color display. Also, this German mobile development could boast of bold body colors and a fairly reliable and long-lasting battery. Siemens S10 could be found on sale in 1997.
As they called it in 1998 - the world's first communicator. This Finnish miracle of technology is now considered the predecessor of modern smartphones: it had a QWERTY keyboard and had a more advanced set of features than other mobile phone models of that time. It had various applications, including a text editor, which was convenient to work with, thanks to an almost computer keyboard. True, the display of this portable device was black and white, and it did not have access to the Internet. Later, the WAP function appeared, and the Finns also worked on the weight parameters: 9110 became much more convenient to use.
A real breakthrough happens in the 21st century. Mobile devices are rapidly becoming cheaper, new companies are appearing, giving rise to impressive competition. And most importantly, the devices themselves are being improved. It was in the 00s that the first smartphones appeared that were not perceived by modern users as dinosaurs. New operating systems are being developed, devices are becoming more powerful, design is given a lot of attention, and every user no longer looks at a mobile phone as something prohibitively expensive.
New functions - new possibilities
Siemens SL45 with Java technology It was at the turn of the century that phones began to master the functions known in our time: they learned to access the World Wide Web using the WAP protocol. Also, the end of 1999 was remembered for the appearance of a mobile device with two SIM cards, and in 2000, MP3 melodies could already be heard from phones. At the same time, photo-video and multimedia functions were introduced; in 2002, Siemens SL45 with Java technology appears.
Design
Phones continued to get smaller in the early 2000s, with some models being designed in ladies' style (miniature and compact). The Panasonic GD55 boasted the size of a matchbox, and if you remember the Samsung SGH-A400, it fit into the average palm. Despite the fact that these models had a monochrome type of screen, they accessed the Internet quite quickly.
The pioneering smartphone
In 2002, the first smartphone based on the Series S80 operating system, Nokia 9210, was released. This operating system became the predecessor of Symbian, which was subsequently used by many global mobile brands. The “operating system” opened up many possibilities for smartphones, including multitasking, as well as the convenience of the interface and basic basic functions.
iPhone
The birthday of this now mega-popular gadget is 2007 - it was in this year that the legendary creation of Steve Jobs saw the light. Thanks to this model, the concept of a smartphone - a phone with a large screen diagonal and a minimum of traditional buttons - has firmly and apparently entered modern everyday life for a very long time. Apple also developed its newest operating system, iOS. Around the same time, Android was born, which quickly came under the wing of Google.
Evolution of technical characteristics
All classes of chargers have also undergone revolutionary changes: a wireless battery charging function has appeared. Its development was completed back in 2009, but this technology began to be implemented only in 2015.
Another equally useful and convenient thing that is familiar to almost every user is the AppStore and GooglePlay application stores, which entered our lives a few years ago. And if we also recall such a technological innovation as, which allows you to pay by touching a smartphone to a terminal, then we can safely say that there has been an undeniable sharp leap in the development of mobile technologies over the past 17 years.
The cameras built into modern gadgets have also evolved far: in the first phones equipped with cameras, the resolution was 0.3 megapixels, but now on the market you can find smartphones with a camera resolution of 41 MP. Add to this the dual flash function, autofocus and other functionality and here it is - the perfect shot anytime, anywhere.
The acceleration of the Internet, with its appearance in our phones, occurred in geometric progression: if the first phones with WAP could boast a speed of several kilobytes per second, now, with the LTE function, the speed is already measured in gigabits.
Evolution of design
The design of modern models consistently maintains the direction of simplicity and conciseness of forms and details - a rectangular thin body with an ever-increasing screen diagonal size. Experts in the field of technological development and futuristic ideas argue that the appearance of smartphones of the future will not change radically, except that this will affect the size of the screens. But they are quite capable of knocking digital products such as cameras and laptops out of the market in the near future.
Industry development forecasts
Analysts and mobile industry experts claim that in the near future, smartphones will replace all computer equipment for humanity: it will be possible to connect external monitors, keyboards, and mice to them. Memory volumes will grow, and data transfer speeds will increase - Wi-Fi will gradually become a thing of the past.
Also, forecasts have been voiced more than once that all types of magnetic passes and bank cards will migrate to smartphones. Such technologies are already being developed in the market for these products. Smartphones of the future will most likely get rid of such annoying problems for all users as a battery discharged at the wrong time. Technologies for fast and independent charging are already being developed and implemented in modern gadgets. New types of batteries that are on the verge of introduction can be charged in a matter of minutes.
Mobile devices will lose frames around the screen, which is already gradually happening. Display sizes will increase, bendable panels will appear, allowing you to roll or fold the phone. From here we get complete exclusion from the tablet market. And this will not happen in decades - already in 2019, Samsung is ready to present the first folding smartphone, Apple - in 2020.
An antique telephone, dating from the late 19th or early 20th centuries, can become an original piece of furniture or even lay the foundation for a future private collection. A short historical excursion from ABITANT experts will help you better understand the intricacies of such a delicate issue.
Behind Bell and Edison
The name of Alexander Graham Bell, who patented the first electric telephone in the Washington bureau of Western Union on February 14, 1876, is known, of course, to a good half of humanity. And the American company Bell Telephone, founded in 1877, in just two years grew into the international alliance The International Bell Telephone Company, which launched production and active commercial activities on both sides of the ocean. Meanwhile, telephones from Western Union are becoming increasingly popular in America, and Europeans are setting up their own, no less progressive and revolutionary production of devices, which quickly introduced the invention of Thomas Edison's carbon powder microphone into everyday reality. The real innovators of the industry in the Old World are the German company Siemens and Halske, which opened a plant in St. Petersburg in 1877, and the Danish manufacturer Ericsson L.M., which own the most extraordinary models of the era.
Paris telephone boom
In order to imagine the “telephone boom” that has arisen, just a few statistical facts are enough. Thus, in January 1890, the first directory of metropolitan subscribers was published in Paris, which already included 6,995 people (of which 823 were private individuals), listed in alphabetical order with clarification of address and profession. Telephone operators at 12 nodes in the city found the desired interlocutor using this latest data. So, for example, one could ask “Pierre Taettinger, metal dealer, living at 22 Rue Dunkirk, and connected to the Boulevard Villette communications center.” Intercity connections were possible with Brussels, Le Havre, Rouen, Lille, Reims, Lyon and Marseille, but at certain intervals. And the increased demand for telephone sets led to a massive proliferation of Parisian manufacturing companies: at the turn of the century their number numbered several dozen (Aboilard, Grammont, Jacqueson, Charron Bellanger, Gautier & Hugues, Picart-Lebas, Berthon-Ader, Thomson-Houston, S.G.T. (Société Générale des Téléphones), S.I.T. (Société Industrielle des Téléphones), J. Dubeuf, L.M.T. (Le Materiel Téléphonique Constructeur), Radiguet, Burgunder and many others.). Among manufacturers from other countries, the Swiss RTT and A. Zellweger, the American company S.H. should also be mentioned. Couch Company and the Danish Emil Mollers–Horsens.
Types of Antique Telephones
But let's return to the very subject of discussion. Over several decades of the technical telephone boom, designers and engineers have developed more than a dozen different types of private and office remote electrical communication devices. Thus, the first models were divided into wall-mounted and table-top; for earpieces, for devices with a fixed microphone, for devices with two hearing tubes, for devices with a bucket tube. Wall telephones, in turn, were divided into models such as “cathedral”, “lectern” and “mold”, and desktop ones - into a post with a column (otherwise “candlestick” or “stand”), into “brick” (or “coffin” ), "sewing machine", "violin" and "lyre". L.M.T. company also released a tabletop version inspired by the Normandy. The cases were made from solid wood, mostly walnut and acaju, and varnished, and from the 1920s, glossy ebonite and bakelite models came into fashion. In the early 1930s, the first models with rotating dials appeared.
The price of phones from the late 19th to early 20th centuries varies from 150 to 700-800 euros, depending on the condition of the device, its manufacturer and the rarity of the object. And the cost of some of the most rare and unique specimens can reach 2000 euros.
One of the most elegant telephone models from Berthon-Ader, 1897
Legendary telephone type« sewing machine» from Ericsson L.M., 1910
Telephone type« music stand» from Mors Abdank, 1894
Desk horn type telephone« Column» Berliner, 1912
Aboilard horn table apparatus, 1904
Wall mounted type« Cathedral» companies Berliner, 1916
Tabletop model with two ear tubes and fixed microphone from Burgunder, 1908
Tabletop type machine« candlestick» from Grammont, 1920s
Wooden model from 1924, supplemented with a dial in the 1930s, Dunyach et Leclert
Tabletop brick model» from Ericsson France, 1930
Legendary Bakelite model« Normandy» from L.M.T., 1934, Art Deco style
The history of telephony is interesting both in terms of the invention of various devices, and in terms of the stages of deployment of various types of communication networks around the world. In some aspects, the dynamics of the spread of relevant technologies seems revolutionary, while in others it is characterized by progressive, uniform development. What are the most noteworthy facts regarding the global telephone industry?
Who invented the telephone?
Traditionally, the history of the telephone is associated with the name of Alexander Bell, an American inventor of Scottish origin. Indeed, the famous researcher took a direct part in the development of a revolutionary apparatus for transmitting sounds over a distance. However, there are known facts that other designers also played a vital role in the creation of the telephone. For example, Johann Philipp Reis, a famous German inventor, at a meeting of scientists of the Physical Society held in 1861, reported on the prototype of an electrical device he had created for transmitting sound over a distance. The name of the invention was also mentioned - “telephone”, which is familiar to us today. Reis' contemporaries, however, received the device without due enthusiasm. But this is the most important fact in the history of the creation of the telephone.
Fifteen years later, two American researchers, Elisha Gray and Alexander Bell, working independently, discovered the effect of telephoning. Both scientists, interestingly, on the same day, namely February 14, 1876, filed an application to patent their discovery. At the same time, they had not yet developed a functioning device that would use telephony. Presumably, Bell was about 2 hours ahead of Gray in filing the application, and many historians attribute the fact that the history of the creation of the telephone today is associated with the name of the American inventor to this circumstance.
The appearance of the first telephone
Alexander Bell lived in Boston and worked with people with hearing and speech problems. In 1873 he became professor of physiology at Boston University. Due to his occupation, he was probably an expert in the field of acoustics and had excellent hearing.
The history of the first telephone created by Alexander Bell is thus connected with his work. Among the remarkable facts related to the invention of the device is the very effect of telephoning, discovered by the researcher with the direct assistance of his assistant. So, a specialist working with Bell once pulled out a plate from the transmitting device, which, as it seemed to Bell, was making some rattling noise. As the researcher later found out, this was due to the fact that the element periodically closed electrical contacts.
Based on the identified effect, Alexander Bell created a telephone set. It was designed very simply: like a membrane made of leather, equipped with a signal element for magnification. The device could only transmit the sound of a voice, but this, apparently, was enough to patent the device - Bell received the corresponding document recording the authorship of the invention on March 10, 1876 .
The history of telephones is also interesting in terms of their commercial use. A few days later, the inventor modified the telephone so that it could transmit clearly audible individual words. Alexander Bell later showed his device to the business community. The device made an incredible impression on business people. The American inventor soon registered his company, which subsequently became prosperous.
First telephone lines
The history of the telephone is now known to us. But how was Bell’s invention introduced into everyday life? In 1877, also in Boston, the first telephone line was launched, and in 1878, a telephone exchange was launched in New Haven. In the same year, another famous American inventor, Thomas Edison, created a new model of an apparatus for transmitting voice over a distance. Its design included an induction coil, which significantly improved the quality of communication, as well as increased the distance of sound transmission.
Contribution of inventors from Russia
The history of the development of the telephone is also connected with the names of Russian designers. In 1885, Pavel Mikhailovich Golubitsky, an inventor from Russia, developed a fundamentally new scheme for the operation of a telephone exchange, in which power was supplied to the devices externally - from a central source. Before this, each phone worked from its own electrical outlet. This concept made it possible to create stations that simultaneously serve a huge number of subscribers - tens of thousands. In 1895, the Russian inventor Mikhail Filippovich Freidenberg proposed to the world the concept of a telephone exchange, which involved automatically connecting one subscriber to another. The first operating telephone exchange was introduced in the USA, in the city of Augusta.
Development of communication lines in Russia
The history of the appearance of the telephone in Russia is connected with the construction of a line for the transmission of communications between St. Petersburg and Malaya Vishera. The first conversation between Russian subscribers through this channel took place in 1879, that is, only 3 years after the invention of the telephone. Later, one of the first civilian communication lines connected the Georgievskaya pier, located in Nizhny Novgorod, and apartments that belonged to the management of the Druzhina shipping company. The length of the line was about 1547 m.
City telephone exchanges began operating on a regular basis in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Odessa in 1882. In 1898, an intercity line appeared, connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg. The history of telephones in Russia is interesting because the station that served the communication channel between Moscow and St. Petersburg still exists and operates to this day. It is located on Myasnitskaya Street in the capital of the Russian Federation.
The pace of development of telephony in the Russian Empire was very decent - for example, by 1916, there were an average of 3.7 telephones per 100 residents of Moscow. In 1935, already under the USSR, all Belokamennaya metro stations were equipped with telephones. Starting from 1953, all houses put into operation in the capital of the USSR were required to have a telephone cable.
The history of telephones is fascinating. It's always interesting to study its details. Having learned how wired phones appeared, we will consider the most remarkable facts regarding the development of mobile devices, which today are no less in demand than traditional ones.
How did mobile phones come about?
The first recorded telephone conversation via a radio channel, which in a number of key characteristics corresponds to the principles of organizing modern cellular communications, was conducted in 1950 in Sweden. Inventor Sture Laugen, who was driving the Televerket company, successfully telephoned the time service using the appropriate type of device. By that time, Sture Lauren had worked for several years at Televerket, developing this device. The history of the phone is also connected with the name of Ragnar Berglund, Lauren's colleague.
Target - mass market
By the time Lauren made the call we mentioned above, telephone radio communication as such was already in use, but it was available only to intelligence services and military structures. The Televerket company has set the task of creating a device accessible to every citizen.
The Swedish development was introduced to the mass market in 1956. At first she worked only in two cities - Stockholm and Gothenburg. During 1956, only 26 subscribers connected to it, which was not surprising due to the high cost of a “mobile phone”, the cost of which was comparable to the price of a car.
Development of mobile communications
The history of the development of mobile phones is, in a number of ways, inferior to the dynamics of the spread of telephone communications. If, for example, already 3 years later, devices created according to the principles of Alexander Bell were actively used in Russia, then for quite a long time mobile phones were not in mass demand.
Only in 1969 did the world leaders of the telecommunications market begin to think that it would be nice to somehow unify the corresponding communication systems. For example, it was assumed that each subscriber - like landline phone owners - would have his own number, and it would be relevant not only in the country where it was issued, but also abroad. Thus, we can note that the history of the mobile phone, in fact, from the very beginning, reflects the interest of the engineering community in implementing roaming concepts.
Among the first inventors to propose the practical implementation of a technology for which corresponding requests were generated was Stockholm Technical School graduate Esten Mäkitolo. The history of the creation of a mobile phone in the form we are familiar with is directly related to its name. However, for the practical implementation of the Myakitolo concept, very powerful technologies were required. They appeared only in the early 80s.
First cellular network
The history of cell phones includes a remarkable fact: the first country in which it was deployed was Saudi Arabia. It was there that Ericsson, which actively participated in the practical implementation of the concepts proposed by Myakitolo, entered into a contract in 1981 for the supply of relevant services. The network launched in Saudi Arabia was characterized by the main criterion - mass participation. Gradually, cellular communication standards improved, and networks began to function in other countries of the world.
Development of uniform standards
As the mobile communications market grew, there was a growing need to develop uniform standards for the provision of relevant services. In Saudi Arabia, in the Scandinavian countries, in the Benelux, the NMT concept became popular, in Germany the C-Netz system was used, in the UK, France, and Italy their own concepts were implemented.
The emergence of GSM
To integrate the European mobile space, the GSM standard was created. It can be said to have absorbed all the best from other “national” concepts, and therefore, although not without difficulties, it was adopted by the European technological community in 1986. But the first GSM network was introduced only in 1990 in Finland. Subsequently, this standard became the main one for Russian cellular communication providers.
The history of telephones - both regular and cell phones - is incredibly fascinating. But no less interesting is how the relevant technologies are developing. Let's study how cellular communication lines have been improved.
Development of the cellular communications market
In the first years after the introduction of GSM standards into consumer practice, using the corresponding services was very expensive. But gradually the devices needed to work with mobile networks became cheaper and became truly widespread. Phones improved and became smaller in size. In 1996, Nokia introduced, in fact, one of the first smartphones - a device with which you could send mail, faxes, and use the Internet. In the same year, the now legendary StarTac book from Motorola appeared.
Smartphones and mobile Internet
In 1997, Philips released the Spark phone with a very large battery life - about 350 hours. In 1998, the Sharp PMC-1 Smartphone mobile device with a touch screen appeared. It was expected that it would be a direct competitor to the above-mentioned gadget from Nokia. In 1999, mobile operators began to introduce WAP technology, which made it easier for subscribers to access the mobile Internet. In 2000, the GPRS standard appeared, as well as UMTS, one of the main ones used in the architecture of 3G networks.
In 2009, the Swedish company TeliaSonera launched the world's first 4G network. Now it is considered the most modern and is being actively implemented by operators around the world.
Prospects for phones
What will be the next step in the development of the cellular industry? The history of the mobile phone shows that effective, revolutionary solutions can appear at any time. It may seem that the 4G standard is the limit of what modern technology can do. It would seem that data transmission at speeds of tens of megabits, excellent communication quality - what could be a level higher?
However, the world's leading research laboratories continue to actively work in the field of improving mobile technologies. Perhaps, soon in the hands of any willing subscriber there will appear a device as sensational for the modern average person as Bell's telephone was in the 70s of the 19th century, or the device used to call from a car on Sture Lauren. And after a while, people will stop being surprised by him. This incredibly technological industry is so dynamic.
The life of a modern person is closely connected with mobile phones, and there is a lot of evidence of this. Imagine, for example, a situation where you accidentally left your beloved, irreplaceable and precious smartphone at home. How will you feel at this moment? It's uncomfortable to say the least, isn't it? However, there were times when people did not have phones at all, and not only mobile phones, but also landlines. How did they manage without them? Read our article.
Life without phones
Just some 200 years ago, people did not even know what telephones were. Previously, whistles, gongs, ringing bells and drumming were used to transmit messages over a distance.
However, all these methods were imperfect.
By the way, in order to transmit the signal as far as possible, it was necessary to create intermediate points at which people were on duty. In this case, the sound came to the recipient through a chain. We all understand that this was a very long process. Of course, it was possible to solve this problem, for example, transmit information through water and metal. In this case, the signal would travel faster and fade out much later. But for some reason this was not done, at least everywhere.
Invention of the first telephone
We traditionally associate the appearance of the telephone with the name of the American inventor Alexander Bell. The famous researcher actually took a direct part in the development of the revolutionary apparatus. However, other people also played a vital role in the creation of the first telephone.
In 1860, naturalist Antonio Meucci published an article in an Italian newspaper in New York, in which he talked about his invention that could transmit sounds through electrical wires. Meucci called his device Teletrofono. In 1871, he decided to patent the Teletrofono, but was unable to do so due to financial problems.
A year later, in 1861, the German physicist and inventor Johann Philipp Reis demonstrated his “mobile phone” at a meeting of scientists of the Physical Society. The device could transmit musical tones and human speech over wires. The device had a microphone of an original design, a power source (galvanic battery) and a speaker. Reis himself named the device he designed Telephon. Many sources from the time claim that the first message the physicist sent on his telephone was the phrase “Das Pferd frisst Keinen Gurkensalat” (“The horse does not eat cucumber salad”). The absurdity of this information made it possible to verify that the words were heard correctly, from which it follows that the transmitter was working as it should.
Despite all these inventions, the laurels of the discoverer still went to Alexander Graham Bell.
So, on February 14, 1876, Bell filed an application with the Washington Patent Office, and on March 7, 1876, the American received a patent. He called his device a “talking telegraph.” The Bell tube could alternately transmit and receive a signal. The American scientist’s telephone did not have a ringer; it was invented a little later, in 1878, by Thomas Watson. When someone called the subscriber, the telegraph began to whistle. The range of such a line did not exceed 500 meters.
Note that Alexander Bell was officially considered the inventor of the telephone for a long time. And only on June 11, 2002, the US Congress, in resolution No. 269, transferred this status to Antonio Meucci.
Converting a talking telegraph into a landline telephone
Bell's talking telegraph went through many metamorphoses before becoming the modern smartphone.
So, in 1877-1878. American inventor Thomas Edison improved the device. He introduced an induction coil into the circuit, and in the microphone he replaced the carbon powder with a carbon rod (such microphones were used until 1980). This made the communication clearer and louder. Now telephones, unlike public telegraphs, have become household devices.
In 1878, the first telephone exchange appeared in New Haven. The following year, Paris took over the baton. Since 1881, telephone exchanges began to open in Berlin, Riga, and Warsaw. In Russia, namely in Moscow and St. Petersburg, they appeared in 1882.
It is worth noting that the first telephone exchanges were manual - the connection was made by a telephone operator. But in 1879, American engineers Connolly and McTight invented an automatic switch. Now people could reach each other by simply dialing a number.
Beginning of the 20th century marked by a real telephone boom. All over the world there was active construction of telephone exchanges, of which there were more than 10 thousand by 1910, and long-distance lines serving more than 10 million telephones.
It turns out that in just about half a century the telephone has gone from a pipe dream of inventors and enthusiasts to the most widespread phenomenon, allowing millions of people to communicate at a distance. It is from this time that humanity can no longer imagine life without this device. But when did it start to turn into a smartphone?
The advent of mobile phones. The history of the modern smartphone
In 1969, world leaders in the telecommunications market began to think about improving the wired device. They wanted each subscriber to have their own number, which would be relevant not only in the country where it was registered, but also abroad. Stockholm Technical School graduate Esten Mäkitolo was one of the first to come up with such an idea. However, for the practical implementation of the Myakitolo concept, powerful technologies were required, which appeared only in the 1980s.
Therefore, it was only in 1983 that Motorola was able to release the world's first cell phone. Although experimental calls from a prototype were made in the 1970s.
It was a handset weighing about 0.8 kg and measuring 22.5 x 12.5 x 3.75 cm. The battery allowed communication for as long as 35 minutes, but it took a little more than 10 hours to charge it. Of course, it cannot be compared with modern devices, but for that time it was a huge breakthrough.
Motorola very quickly had competitors who began to release more and more advanced and intelligent models each time. So, over time, a calculator, alarm clock, calendar, camera and many other applications and functions appeared on the phone. In the 2000s. Phones with an operating system began to appear, which turned them into personal computers. Today, using a smartphone, you can do more than just call a friend or send a message. For him it is primitive. It can communicate with satellites, take large-scale pictures, play music, not to mention reading books, watching movies and multitasking.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
The telephone was created during a period that was considered the era of the telegraph. This device was in demand everywhere and was considered the most advanced means of communication. The ability to transmit sound over distances has become a real sensation. In this article, we will remember who invented the first telephone, in what year it happened, and how it was created.
A breakthrough in communications development
The invention of electricity was an important step towards the creation of telephony. It was this discovery that made it possible to transmit information over distances. In 1837, after Morse introduced his telegraph alphabet and broadcasting apparatus to the general public, the electronic telegraph began to be used everywhere. However, at the end of the 19th century it was replaced by a more advanced device.
In what year was the telephone invented?
The telephone owes its appearance, first of all, to the German scientist Philip Rice. It was this man who was able to construct a device that allows one to transfer a person’s voice over long distances using galvanic current. This event occurred in 1861, but there were still 15 years left before the creation of the first telephone.
Alexander Graham Bell is considered the creator of the telephone, and the year of invention of the telephone is 1876. It was then that the Scottish scientist presented his first device at the World Exhibition, and also applied for a patent for the invention. Bell's telephone worked at a distance of no more than 200 meters and had severe sound distortion, but a year later the scientist improved the device so much that it was used unchanged for the next hundred years.
History of the invention of the telephone
Alexander Bell's discovery was made by chance during experiments to improve the telegraph. The scientist's goal was to obtain a device that would allow the simultaneous transmission of more than 5 telegrams. To do this, he created several pairs of records tuned to different frequencies. During the next experiment, a small accident occurred, as a result of which one of the plates got stuck. The scientist’s partner, seeing what happened, began to swear. At this time, Bell himself was working on the receiving device. At some point, he heard faint sounds of disturbance from the transmitter. This is how the story of the invention of the telephone begins.
After Bell demonstrated his device, many scientists began working in the field of telephony. Thousands of patents were issued for inventions that improved the first device. Among the most significant discoveries are:
- invention of the bell - the device created by A. Bell did not have a bell, and the subscriber was notified using a whistle. In 1878
T. Watson made the first telephone bell; - creation of a microphone - in 1878, the Russian engineer M. Makhalsky designed a carbon microphone;
- creation of an automatic station - the first station with 10,000 numbers was developed in 1894 by S.M. Apostolov.
The patent Bell received became one of the most profitable not only in the United States, but also in the world. The scientist became extremely rich and world famous. However, in fact, the first person to create the telephone was not Alexander Bell, and in 2002 the US Congress recognized this.
Antonio Meucci: pioneer of telephone communication
In 1860, an inventor and scientist from Italy created a device capable of transmitting sound through wires. When answering the question of what year the telephone was invented, you can safely name this date, since the true discoverer is Antonio Meucci. He called his “brainchild” a telephony. At the time of his discovery, the scientist lived in the United States of America; he was already old and in a very deplorable financial situation. Soon, a large American company, Western Union, became interested in the development of an unknown scientist.
Representatives of the company offered the scientist a substantial sum for all the drawings and developments, and also promised to provide assistance in filing a patent. The difficult financial situation forced the talented inventor to sell all the material from his research. The scientist waited a long time for help from the company, however, having lost patience, he himself applied for a patent. His request was not granted, and the real blow for him was the message about the great invention of Alexander Bell.
Meucci tried to defend his rights in court, but he did not have enough funds to fight a large company. The Italian inventor managed to win the right to a patent only in 1887, by the time its validity expired. Meucci was never able to take advantage of the rights to his invention and died in obscurity and poverty. Recognition came to the Italian inventor only in 2002. According to a resolution of the US Congress, he was the person who invented the telephone.
