Mobile phones in the 1990s are often remembered as big and clunky.
The 1990s were a revolutionary era for phone technology. According to a June 2010 article in PC World, IBM and Bell South debuted the first "smartphone" in 1993, consisting of a mobile phone, PDA and fax machine. Before the end of the decade, Palm would launch its first Pilot and Nokia would roll out an innovative phone with a flip out keyboard. These and other brands made a mark on the 1990s with phones that would usher in the cellular phone craze.
Nokia
Nokia's origins can be traced to 1865 when the company was strictly focused on cable and electronics. In 1979, Nokia launched the first radio telephone company followed by the first international cellular network in 1982. Ten years later in 1992, Nokia created its first phone, the Nokia 1011, based on Europe's Global System for Mobile Communications. That same year, Nokia's leadership decided to cut its rubber, cable and consumer electronics divisions to focus only on mobile phones and telecommunications. By 1998, the company was the global leader in mobile phones and closed the decade by introducing its the Nokia 7110, its first device to include basic Web functionality and email.
Motorola
Motorola started out in 1920s as a company focused on building radio technology. In 1973, it introduced the first mobile phone and system, but it would take an entire decade before the DynaTAC would be released to the public. Building on its innovation, Motorola continued to manufacture phones throughout the 1990s including the 2900 bag phone. The large, bulky bag phone featured a long-lasting battery and great range, but was limited mostly to car use because of its size. In 1996, Motorola rolled out the StarTAC wearable phone, a small and light device weighing only a little more than three ounces.
Samsung
Samsung was founded in Korea in 1938. For years, the company has provided a wide range of products from insurance to appliances for consumers around the world. In 1991, Samsung created its first mobile phone handset and in 1992, the North America division of Samsung Electronics opened in Texas to focus on mobile and other technology. The next year, it introduced the lightweight SH-700 mobile phone. In the last year of the 1990s, Samsung developed the first mobile phone to include a portable music player as well as its first wireless internet phone.
Bell South
Mobile phones made major headway in the 1990s, but landline phones remained a staple in many homes. Southwestern Bell, for example, was a national provider of landlines as well as phone equipment. In 1995 the company became SBC Communications and continued to expand in numerous regional and international markets with its telecommunications services and products. While SBC Communications was largely known in the 1990s for its landline phones, the company did invest in wireless devices. Most notably, Bell South collaborated with IBM to release the Personal Communicator in 1993.
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