Evolution of the mobile phone through the years - in pictures

  • A 1984 Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, the world's first commercially available portable phone, right, and a 1973 DynaTAC prototype, left. Bloomberg
    A 1984 Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, the world's first commercially available portable phone, right, and a 1973 DynaTAC prototype, left. Bloomberg
  • A mobile phone with nickel cadmium battery, made by Motorola in 1989. At the time the company was the biggest worldwide supplier of cellular telephones. Getty Images
    A mobile phone with nickel cadmium battery, made by Motorola in 1989. At the time the company was the biggest worldwide supplier of cellular telephones. Getty Images
  • Charlotte Connelly of the Science Museum with an IBM Simon mobile phone, the first smartphone and the forerunner of today's high-tech phones. Reuters
    Charlotte Connelly of the Science Museum with an IBM Simon mobile phone, the first smartphone and the forerunner of today's high-tech phones. Reuters
  • The Nokia 9000 Communicator combined digital voice, data services and personal organiser functions in a single unit. Getty Images
    The Nokia 9000 Communicator combined digital voice, data services and personal organiser functions in a single unit. Getty Images
  • Kyocera introduced the Visual Phone VP-210 in 1999, which was able to transmit and receive colour images. Reuters
    Kyocera introduced the Visual Phone VP-210 in 1999, which was able to transmit and receive colour images. Reuters
  • Motorola's new tri-band cellular phone in 1999. The Timeport could be used in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US. Reuters
    Motorola's new tri-band cellular phone in 1999. The Timeport could be used in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US. Reuters
  • Nokia's 7110 in 1999 was able to access the internet. AFP
    Nokia's 7110 in 1999 was able to access the internet. AFP
  • The Nokia 3310 had numerous features and became one of the world's most popular and recognisable mobile phones. Getty Images
    The Nokia 3310 had numerous features and became one of the world's most popular and recognisable mobile phones. Getty Images
  • Apple's Steve Jobs with the new iPhone in January, 2007. The iPod mobile phone had a touch-screen, eight gigabytes of memory and cost $599. Reuters
    Apple's Steve Jobs with the new iPhone in January, 2007. The iPod mobile phone had a touch-screen, eight gigabytes of memory and cost $599. Reuters
  • An HTC Dream phone, which runs Google's Android operating system, at a preview in Singapore in 2009. Reuters
    An HTC Dream phone, which runs Google's Android operating system, at a preview in Singapore in 2009. Reuters
  • A racing game on an Android-based Motorola Atrix smartphone in Las Vegas, January 6, 2011. Reuters
    A racing game on an Android-based Motorola Atrix smartphone in Las Vegas, January 6, 2011. Reuters
  • A 2011 demonstration of Siri, an application that uses voice recognition and detection on the iPhone 4S. Reuters
    A 2011 demonstration of Siri, an application that uses voice recognition and detection on the iPhone 4S. Reuters
  • The new Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone in 2014 was the first to feature a heart-rate monitor. EPA
    The new Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone in 2014 was the first to feature a heart-rate monitor. EPA
  • The new iPhone 7 Plus in 2016 had no headphone jack and was the first officially waterproof iPhone. Reuters
    The new iPhone 7 Plus in 2016 had no headphone jack and was the first officially waterproof iPhone. Reuters
  • A woman setting up facial recognition on her Apple iPhone X in New York in 2017. Reuters
    A woman setting up facial recognition on her Apple iPhone X in New York in 2017. Reuters
  • A ZTE Axon M Dual Screens at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in 2018. Reuters
    A ZTE Axon M Dual Screens at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in 2018. Reuters
  • A Samsung Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone, February 2020. Reuters
    A Samsung Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone, February 2020. Reuters