From A Vibrating Wire to Cell Phones, Technology Is Responsible

One of the greatest innovations technology has given society is the gift of communication, primary of which is the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell was credited with accomplishing the first successful voice transmission on March 10, 1876, though evidence of many others claiming that honor has been found. Since Bell uttered his first famous words to Watson, the search for better, more effective ways to communicate has spurred advances in telephone technology.

The first phone was a wire stretched between two points that conveyed sound through vibrations. It was invented by Robert Hooke in 1667. The device that would evolve into the cell phone was built upon the technology of the telegraph.

Early phones were locally powered with large storage batteries. They were only available to the wealthy and relied on human operators answer and make the connection through a switchboard. Phones were big, boxy contraptions that had to be cranked to generate the power needed to make a call, with one speaker to talk into and a separate one used to listen.

Long distance calls required an appointment and were made from a special soundproof booth. As phones became the new must-have technology of the day, candlestick phones became popular. They had a base that could be picked up and spoken into and another speaker that was held to the ear.

Technology allowed for the introduction of the tabletop phone in the in the early 20th century with which most people are familiar. The new phone was a tabletop model of molded plastic that utilized a single plastic headset. Phones were still powered by local battery systems that required regular inspections.

The first push button phone was actually invented in Kansas in 1891 by Almon Strowger. Frustrated with waiting for operators, he developed a system that eliminated them. It automatically dialed the desired number with a push button system. He later founded the Automatic Electric Company, but the system and push button design wasn't popular and fell out of use.

The modern day phone changed little, aside from the rotary dial instead of a crank, and push buttons were added in the 1960s. Research that began in 1947 with two-way radios continued to advance and a portable bag phone was developed that could be plugged into a vehicle's cigarette lighter for power, but wasn't released for mainstream use.

The first wireless mobile phones began appearing in homes in 1973. They were self-contained units that resembled large two-way radios used by the military. They had limited range and required a base stand for recharging. Technology allowed developers to reduce the size of the phones, but they were still limited in range.

The cell phone that everyone knows and loves was introduced in 1990. The personal phone system was compact and wasn't tied to a power base. It contained all the features of a regular phone. The cell phones utilized a system of towers to relay signals to the mobile devices. Technological advances in battery size and strength allowed manufacturers to reduce the size of the phone further.

Continued advances in technology has resulted in diminutive cell phones that make calls, take photos, play music, access the Internet and send text messages. They tell time, act as alarm clocks, play games, send email and keep our appointments via built-calendars.

Research in a variety of technology fields has made phone advances possible throughout history. That's an impressive evolution for a device that can trace its beginnings to a piece of vibration-transmitting wire.