The Stunning Transformation Of Cell Phones

AT&T introduced the world’s first mobile phones in 1946, but they were limited in scope and availability — such were the technological limitations of the time. A given area could only handle 11 or 12 channels, which meant if there were more users than that, the lines would get tied up and you’d have to wait to place or receive your call (via Britannica).

These early mobile phones also had staggering power requirements, outpacing any handheld batteries available at the time. To solve these power requirements, manufacturers placed them inside vehicles where they could rely on the comparatively large power source available in car batteries. As a result, they earned the popular moniker of “car phones.” Giving your phone a home near the dashboard let you carry your communication with you away from the home for the first time, but you were still tethered. Considering that the car — or at least the battery — was a necessary component, they made for incredibly large mobile phones, indeed.

Things started to change when phone manufacturers realized they could add more users by breaking an area up into units or cells. That’s where cell phones got their names. The only trouble was frequencies were limited, at least until the FCC offered up a mostly unused part of the UHF band in 1968. Then, finally, things started falling into place and the beginnings of the cell phone were born.