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40 years since the first mobile phone call

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the first mobile phone call made in public. The Motorola Dyna...
Newstalk
Newstalk

09.29 3 Apr 2013


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40 years since the first mobil...

40 years since the first mobile phone call

Newstalk
Newstalk

09.29 3 Apr 2013


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Today marks the 40th anniversary of the first mobile phone call made in public. The Motorola DynaTAC weighed 2 pounds, had 35 minutes of talk-time, a battery life of 20 minutes and took 10 hours to recharge.

It was first used on this day in New York by Motorola employee Martin Cooper.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Cooper said "It had little to do with making a phone call. The whole purpose of building that phone was to shut down AT&T".

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Cooper who is now 84 became known for his involvement in the startup ArrayComm and for his support of 'smart' antennas used to increase cellular speed and capacity.

But he believes that much bigger developments are still to come particularly in using wireless mobile devices in areas like medicine and education. "I think there are a couple of revolutions still coming" he adds.

Bill Griffiths is the Director of the Telephone Museum in Milton Keynes. He says it originally cost stg£2,000 and is now considered a collectors item.


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Watch this promotional video from the 1980s for the Motorola DynaTAC:


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