Cell Phone Design Evolution: 25 Years Of Innovation (1987-2012)

Since the beginning of the cell phone era, we have seen an unprecedented evolution as far as technology goes. I remember when I got my first Nokia 3210 back in the day. At the time, it was equivalent to any Apple designed product. It was sleek, solid and robust. People loved it, and it quickly became one of the primary cell phone design inspirations for a lot of cell phones during this era. But things change, and with that comes new features and new technology. On top of that, people have come to expect groundbreaking features with each new iteration of their particular smartphone brand. Kids today might not know that not too long ago touchscreens didn’t exist on cell phones. For them, and for everyone who has forgotten, maybe a recap of cell phone design might be in order.

Japanese phone operator NTT Docomo celebrates 20 years this year, and to highlight that, they have organized an exhibition (documented by designboom) showcasing 25 years worth of cell phone design. There are 611 cell phones displayed in this exhibition, and they stem all the way back to 1987. It’s nothing less than mind boggling to look at them all in one picture. Imagine how much innovation has been undertaken to produce these cell phones. It’s amazing!

When looking at these cell phones, I can’t help but be struck by the fact that the more recent the cell phone design is, the more alike all of the different brands look. It has gone from a single-branded cell phone design to just a simple black touchscreen. I wonder what future additions to this list will look. Maybe it will just be a long blank sheet of paper since all the cell phones will be transparent and flexible, as the cell phone design will be created out of OLED paper. What do you think? A fun exercise would be to find the cell phones that you have had through the years. Are you able to find your cell phone design in this huge grid of cell phone madness?

NTT Docomo Cell Phone Design Exhibition

(Click To Enlarge)

Via: [UFunk – French]