When was the first mobile phone call made?

Motorola was the first company to produce a handheld mobile phone. On 3 April 1973 Martin Cooper, a Motorola engineer and executive, made the first mobile telephone call from handheld subscriber equipment in front of reporters, placing a call to Dr. Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs. The prototype handheld phone used by Dr. Martin Cooper weighed 1.1 kg and measured 23 cm long, 13 cm deep and 4.45 cm wide.

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46 Comments

Chrissy Krainock Luders

It was called a “brick” phone because of the weight and shape.

David Dozier

This question is incorrect the first mobile call was made in June 1946 in St Louis MO and was provide by The Bell System. The question that fits the answer is when was the first handheld cell call made?

edwardvesteve

in the 1950's the elite could use a mobile phone in their Automobiles or Yatchs ! These calls were channeled through what was known as the "Marine" Operator .then ,In the 60's it became more affordable and it became the "Snob" status symbol of the Upper middle class.

Irene Townsend

Went by the picture and also have one, not that it works, good to remember what they first looked like.

Vilma Maritz

People who visited the US in the late 1940s and '50s talked about car phones. Would that not be considered a mobile phone?

Sheldon Burnston

..and it was a spam call about your car's warranty....

Clyde

The answer is incorrect. My uncle had a mobile phone mounted in his 1969 Shelby Mach I he used to call out on.

Carl Belken

I had one of those Nokia "Boat anchor" bag phones in the 90's. I liked it because it could reach out and find a distant tower when they were not as numerous as they are now.

Peggy Cook

The question did not mention "hand held" mobile phone.

John Dommerman

The term "mobile phone" is too indefinite. Need to be more precise.

Karin Johansson

Marcella Kosse, actually they were available much earlier for governments and organisations.

Jas Newman

The question was about "the first mobile phone call," but the answer was about "the first mobile telephone call from handheld subscriber equipment." I'm fairly certain the military/NSA were placing mobile phone calls before 1973. Motorola and Bell Labs could have been contractors who later developed civilian versions.