Few realize the true evolution of the cell phone. Many of the well-known giants who get credit for the innovation were among many key players. This educational deck is meant to shine light on the fascinating story of the origin of the cellphone.

2. Feb. 26 2013. World Press Photo of the Year.
“African migrants on the shore of Djibouti City raised their phones to try to capture an inexpensive signal from neighboring Somalia – a tenuous link to relatives abroad.”

3. The First Mobile Phone

4. The First Mobile Phone

5. The 1982 Millicom Vision
Hultén, Stephan and Mölleryd. Bengt, ibid. Pg. 19.
“…a radical innovation since
all phones at that time could
only be mounted in vehicles.”

6. The First Portable Cell Phone
E. F. Johnson MT-9100
“Millicom adapted a phone
made by the E.F. Johnson firm producing the first portable cellular phone.”
Agar, Jon. Constant Touch: Global History of the Mobile Phone. Totem Books. 2004.
The 2nd generation, MT-9300 –
“The Lunch Box”

7. The First Handheld Cell Phone
Competition from Motorola
The Brick
Awkward, expensive
and impractical for consumers
Motorola DynaTAC 8000X

8. Commissioned by
Millicom shareholders
The M1
The History of GSM -- Birth of the Mobile Revolution. http://www.gsmhistory.com/vintage-mobiles/
Then the Breakthrough

9. BBC. Tomorrow’s World. June 1988. https://youtu.be/icc2pHEj_xg (image)
“…an extremely
influential phone in the
history of mobile…”
Nils Martensson shows his phone to Prince Charles
Then the Breakthrough
The History of GSM -- Birth of the Mobile Revolution. http://www.gsmhistory.com/vintage-mobiles/ (text)

10. Technophone M1 (1986)
“…turned the mobile
from a hand portable to
a pocket phone.”
The First Pocket-Sized Cell Phone
The History of GSM -- Birth of the Mobile Revolution. http://www.gsmhistory.com/vintage-mobiles/
Technophone M1 (1986)

11. Daily Telegraph. July 13th 1987. pg. 20
“The intelligent telephone
has been launched.”
The Second Version – Pocket-Sized Cell Phone

12. This Pocket-Sized Cell Phone
Set the standard form and function of
cell phones…

13. For the next 30 years!

14. The Origin and Evolution of the Cell Phone
1920s 1981 1983
First Portable
E. F. Johnson & Co./Millicom
First Handheld
Motorola
First Pocket-Sized
Commissioned by Millicom Shareholders
1986
First Mobile
Motorola