View Full Version : The first ever smartphone?


opus
05-16-2025, 01:44 PM
I saw this won on Body Language on Buzzr, so circa mid ‘80s. The first time you could watch TV on your phone?

https://www.mediapollution.tv/product-page/quasar-ap1495yh


321150

Foggy
05-16-2025, 06:28 PM
I saw this won on Body Language on Buzzr, so circa mid ‘80s. The first time you could watch TV on your phone?

https://www.mediapollution.tv/product-page/quasar-ap1495yh


321150


WELL ........ Crossing a Telephone With a TV Set in 1968

The 1968 ad below depends on expensive infrastructure that hindered the widespread, pre-internet adoption of videophone technology. Produced for Western Electric, the ad can be found in the book

(see ad in link)
https://paleofuture.com/blog/2011/8/10/crossing-a-telephone-with-a-tv-set-in-1968.html




First, you needed to own a videophone (more commonly called a [B]“picturephone” in the 1970s) and not only were the devices expensive, the cost of a call was quite spendy as well.

From the 1950s until the early 1970s, Bell Labs (formerly owned by AT&T) spent over $500 million on research and development for videophone technology. The design of Bell’s videophone saw different iterations in the mid-1960s, but by 1968 they had developed the Mod II, which is the model that will go up for auction at Bonhams on March 12, 2019.

https://paleofuture.com/blog/2019/3/1/rare-atampt-videophones-from-the-1970s-go-up-for-auction-this-month

opus
05-16-2025, 06:50 PM
WELL ........ Crossing a Telephone With a TV Set in 1968

The 1968 ad below depends on expensive infrastructure that hindered the widespread, pre-internet adoption of videophone technology. Produced for Western Electric, the ad can be found in the book

(see ad in link)
https://paleofuture.com/blog/2011/8/10/crossing-a-telephone-with-a-tv-set-in-1968.html




First, you needed to own a videophone (more commonly called a [B]“picturephone” in the 1970s) and not only were the devices expensive, the cost of a call was quite spendy as well.

From the 1950s until the early 1970s, Bell Labs (formerly owned by AT&T) spent over $500 million on research and development for videophone technology. The design of Bell’s videophone saw different iterations in the mid-1960s, but by 1968 they had developed the Mod II, which is the model that will go up for auction at Bonhams on March 12, 2019.

https://paleofuture.com/blog/2019/3/1/rare-atampt-videophones-from-the-1970s-go-up-for-auction-this-month

That looks more like a first Skype/Zoom/FaceTime type of situation, where you see who you’re talking to. On the thing they won on the game show you could actually watch TV shows.

Foggy
05-16-2025, 07:15 PM
That looks more like a first Skype/Zoom/FaceTime type of situation, where you see who you’re talking to. On the thing they won on the game show you could actually watch TV shows.


I believe you are RIGHT!

I remember seeing a film back in the 60's,
when I was in grade school,
that had the picturephone in it. :) :wave:

Dude111
05-17-2025, 12:32 AM
Hmmmmmmm I hadnt ever seen anything like that!!

opus
05-17-2025, 07:46 PM
I believe you are RIGHT!

I remember seeing a film back in the 60's,
when I was in grade school,
that had the picturephone in it. :) :wave:

I thought it was funny thinking of someone in the ‘80s being all excited because they could watch TV shows and movies on their phone.

Dude111
05-18-2025, 05:45 PM
I would love getting that Opus!!

icecream
05-18-2025, 11:26 PM
The first ever smartphone came in 1965. Don Adams operated it.

Dude111
05-19-2025, 02:09 AM
Ah man!!