From Brick to Smartphone: 150 Years That Changed the World

From the first telephone calls to the smartphone in your pocket — in just 150 years, communication changed beyond recognition. Discover how the telephone evolved from early wired devices and rotary phones to the first mobile “bricks,” iconic cell phones and finally the smartphones we use every day. Which was your first mobile phone — Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson or something completely different? Tell us in the comments! Subscribe to History Without a Script for more fascinating journeys through the history of everyday technology. Sources & Creative Commons Attributions: ⬇️ 00-jarige geschiedenis van de telefoon Weeknummer, 76-33 - Open Beelden - 22235 by Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... 2 Nokia dumb phones by Kskhh - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... ANIMACIÓN 3D DE LAS LENTES DE UN TELÉFONO MARCA APPLE by Miguel.Angel.HMA Obra derivada de / Derivative work: 2022 Simon Eberl - CC-BY - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... AT&T push button telephone western electric model 2500 dmg black by Jonathan Mauer - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Biltelefon MTA 1956 by Nedeljko Begenisic, Tekniska museet - CC-BY - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Cell phone Sagem my202X ubt by Tomasz Sienicki [user: tsca, mail: tomasz.sienicki at gmail.com] - CC-BY - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Cell-02-engineerguy by Bill Hammack - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Cell-phone-engineerguy by Executive Producer: Bill Hammack; editor: Jon Markowski - CC-BY - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... CordlessUniden-large by User Dante Alighieri on en.wikipedia - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... DynaTAC8000X by Redrum0486 - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... eBay Rotary Dial Telephone Collection D. D. Teoli Jr. A. C. by D. D. Teoli Jr. A. C. - CC-BY-NC - https://archive.org/details/e-bay-rot... Gigaset Cordless Telephone Production V: ASM Siplace SMD Production Line by Sound Recordist: Kathinka Engels, Photographer: Inke Pickhardt, Video Recordist: Inke Pickhardt - CC-BY - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Grey rotary dial telephone by Wilfredor - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Leclanche Element zerlegt by Gernek - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Motorola DynaTAC by 2007Computex e21Forum-MartinCooper.jpg Rico Shen derivative work: ויקיג'אנקי - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Nokia 3310 by J-P Kärnä - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... On Telephone Lines Next Lifetime by Elizabeth Vitale - CC-BY - https://archive.org/details/OnTelepho... Switchboard 3 TMW.agr by ArnoldReinhold - CC-BY-SA - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...