Motorola celebrates the 50-Year Anniversary of the first commercial mobile phone call

The most defining moment in mobile tech history came exactly 50 years ago on April 3, 1973, when Martin Cooper, former Motorola VP and Director of R&D, used the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X to make the world’s first commercial mobile phone call from Sixth Avenue in New York City. It marked a pivotal point in time for society as we no longer had to sit by a landline or wait for a page to ensure we didn’t miss a call. It meant we could communicate with anyone, any time, from anywhere.  

“When I made the first public portable cell phone call on April 3, 1973, I knew it was only the beginning; that Motorola and the cellphone industry were starting a revolution in personal communications,” said Martin Cooper. “Since then, there have been a huge number of pivotal innovations, many of them created by Motorola. The first fifty years were only the warm-up. There will be many more exciting advancements that will transform humanity”

First Call at 50: An interview with Martin Cooper:

Sergio Buniac, President of Motorola, said, “Having been at Motorola for over 20 years, I’ve had the opportunity to bear witness to many of these iconic innovations. Innovation is in our DNA. We’ve revolutionized the industry countless times and we’re eager to continue to play this pivotal role in shaping the industry’s future.”

Prashanth Mani, Executive Director, Motorola Mobility Asia Pacific, added, “Motorola has been at the forefront of meaningful consumer innovation in the mobile industry, for over 50 years. We constantly challenge the status quo and have been behind several global firsts – from the world’s first 5G capable smartphone to the world’s first clamshell smartphone, constantly devising ways to empower consumers with enriching experiences. With over 50 years of leadership in innovation, we are uniquely positioned to set new trends that transform the lives of our consumers as we look at disrupting the future of mobile technology.”