While selling phones today it is difficult not to notice how firmly they are rooted in our lives. My clients are 5 and 75 years old, and each of them has its own requirements to the mobile phone. Some choose the model only for communication, others want quality sound and picture, some “to pull the latest games”.
Just 10 years ago, when I got my first experience as a consultant in the world of mobile technology, most of these features seemed unrealistic.
And back in 1983, when the first mobile phone appeared on the market, the opportunities available to us today would be for their owners at the level of space technology.
My name is Alexander Tatarenko, and based on my personal sales experience, I suggest that you work with me to see how the mobile device has evolved from a “brick” into our indispensable assistant.
So, 35 years ago, Motorola made a breakthrough with the world’s first Motorola DynaTAC 8000X mobile phone weighing 800 grams, with a memory of 30 numbers and 40 minutes of battery life.
Now it sounds ridiculous, but for that time for its working out have spent 10 years and 100 with more than millions dollars. Despite the fabulous price, thousands of Americans dreamed of it and signed up to buy it, waiting for several months.
After that, several more models were released, the weight and size were reduced, the battery charge increased, but the next achievement can be called the appearance on the market of GSM mobile phone.
In 1992 another “giant” successfully entered the arena – the Nokia company with the model 1011. Small size, MonoLCD display, one and a half hours of conversations and the price is twice cheaper than that of competitors. And in 1994, the same company produces a device with a function that we all know very well – SMS.
Further in a competitive struggle already includes and company Siemens, phones become less, batteries are able to hold a charge already day, there are devices with the QWERTY keyboard, devices with function of a handheld computer.
The separate attention begins to be given to design: there are all long favourite “folding beds”, “phones-banans” as in the Matrix and other interesting models.
In 1997, the first color display appears on the first color display. And in 1999 the world finally turned over – Nokia produces the first phone with WAP.
Also the beginning of a millennium was marked by occurrence of such functions as a dictophone, MP3 player, a slot for an additional memory card and flashing in the market then still not known to anybody firm Samsung.
At the same time, budget-funded employees are especially popular, and we remember them very well, as by this time the prices for communication have become a little more affordable, as well as the prices for the device itself.
The mobile phone was not to surprise the average citizen of the big city, and Nokia 3210, 1100 and Siemens me45 for a long time will remain in memory as our first phones.
The next breakthrough can be rightfully considered the appearance of the camera. Initially it has made Sanyo, but as often happens – have not finished and on this chip anybody hasn’t paid attention. Nobody, except Nokia, which in 2002 put on sale model 7650.
The camera here was only 0.3 megapixels, but the image could be disassembled, so the photo took root and gave a boost to development in this direction. Just think that after 10 years no one was surprised by bright colorful photos taken with the help of a smartphone camera.
But this model, I think, is remembered by everyone! Motorolla was able to regain the palm of the championship and released the RAZR V3. The most stylish and fashionable gadget of that time. It is rightfully considered to be the benchmark for a breakthrough in gadget design. The camera + all available functions provided sales of 50 000 000 pieces for six months.
Further technologies develop by seven-mile steps, you already look at the video on the phone, poke in it a stylus (remember, such were sticks for sensors), photograph and communicate.
But here the giants enter the arena, who quickly occupy their niche, which before everyone was afraid to claim. A new era of cool technology, business class phones, which, like watches, determined the status of the owner. BlackBerry appeared on the market in 2006, and in 2007 the world saw the first “apple smartphone” from Apple.
IPhone quickly gained an army of fans – it was the maximum capacity of the mobile of the time: the built-in memory of 8 gigabytes, 128 MB of battery life, a 620 MHz processor and a 3.5-inch touchscreen display.
With an operating time of 8 hours (and 250 hours of standby time), the camera is 2 megapixels, and weighs 135 g and Jobs developed multi-touch technology! The year 2007 was a turning point, with all the leaders quickly losing ground and some companies disappearing from the market.
In 2012 alone, Koreans took the S III palm with sales of 60,000,000 items.
After that, several more successful models are being released – flagship models from other companies as well. Also, the heels are beginning to be attacked by “Chinese”, such as OnePlus One, which are equipped with the same steep iron, but are three times cheaper.
And in September 2017, the Apple IPhoneX frameless phone with face ID technology was released. Of course, it wasn’t the first one, as the Xiaomi Mi Mix had previously set the course for framelessness, but as always, it’s where the mainstream begins. Wireless charging, dual camera, new OLED display and A11 Bionic chip.
As a salesman with a lot of experience, I can only guess what else the industry giants will be pleased with. As you can see, the mobile phone has long ceased to be just a phone, and it hasn’t been that long since the first prototype appeared.
It is possible that the functionality that we currently consider to be top-of-the-line will be funny in 10 years, just as we smile when we read that the first phone had memory for 30 numbers.