Decades

Return of the dumbphone

2022

The "dumbphone" or feature phone is a simpler form of mobile phone, and it's becoming popular again. A return to early 2000s technology, unlike smartphones, dumbphones...

Cobalt mining and conflict in the Congo

2020

The exploitation of cobalt for mobile phone batteries in the Congo has been associated with conflict and human rights abuses, highlighting the ethical concerns in the mobile...

Doomscrolling

2020

"Doomscrolling" refers to the behavior of continuously scrolling through negative, distressing, or alarming news, even though the content may amplify feelings of fear,...

Indigenous rights to wireless frequencies

2020

"Spectrum sovereignty" advocates for Indigenous peoples' rights to control wireless communication frequencies on their lands. Governments traditionally sell rights to...

"Rip and replace" program targets Huawei & ZTE infrastructure

2019

Various countries, led by the U.S., express concerns about Huawei and ZTE's ties to the Chinese government, leading to bans or restrictions on the company's 5G tech and...

"Hey Siri, I'm getting pulled over"

2018

The "Hey Siri, I'm getting pulled over" shortcut was introduced for iPhones. Activated by voice command, it discreetly records police interactions, sends a location alert to...

Tech Wont Build It and #NoTechForICE

2018

The tech worker labor movement rallied around these hashtags, which signal a growing awareness and activism around the ethical use of technology, especially in contexts that...

Apple slows down older phones in 'batterygate'

2017

Apple acknowledges that they slow down older iPhones through software updates. This acknowledgment reignites discussions about planned obsolescence, product longevity, and...

Pokémon Go

2016

Pokémon Go's augmented reality mobile game brought virtual and physical worlds together, showcasing the potential of mobile gaming and location-based experiences. The game...

Cell phone subscriptions surpass human population

2015

By 2015 there were more cell phones in use than people on Earth according to United Nations International Telecommunication Union Statistics. And by 2022, there were more...

Black Lives Matter

2013

The Black Lives Matter movement is a political action committee, a social movement, a slogan, and a Twitter hashtag. Organizers use smartphones to document police brutality...

Digital Right to Repair Coalition forms

2013

Advocates for the right to repair mobile devices are pushing for legislation that would allow consumers to repair their devices independently. The Right to Repair movement...

Rise of encrypted messaging apps

2013

In the wake of the Snowden revelations, encrypted messaging apps have evolved from niche tools for privacy-conscious individuals to mainstream platforms integral to everyday...

Year of the selfie

2013

"Selfie" became the Oxford Dictionary's word of the year. Selfies, or self-portraits taken with mobile phones, became a global phenomenon, influencing pop culture and social...

Labor protests at FoxConn smartphone manufacturing plants

2012

FoxConn workers iPhone manufacturing facilities in Zhengzhou held walkouts on three separate days to protest working conditions at the plant. Foxconn is a large manufacturer...

BART blocks mobile networks to prevent protests

2011

Authorities for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) blocked wireless signals in San Francisco stations to prevent protests. Demonstrators had planned to stop trains from running...

Arab Spring

2010

The Arab Spring was a series of protests and revolutions that started in 2010 in the Arab world. It began in Tunisia and spread to countries like Egypt, Libya, and Syria....

Rise of the gig economy

2008

Mobile apps enabled temporary, flexible jobs. The entire process, from finding a job, accepting it, completing it, to getting paid, often takes place through the mobile app.

iPhone released

2007

The release of the iPhone in 2007 revolutionized the smartphone setting a new standard and changing how we interact with technology. Steve Jobs famously described the iPhone...

M-Pesa enables mobile payment economy in Kenya

2007

M-Pesa is a virtual banking system that uses a SIM card to provide transaction services. The system allows users to deposit, transfer, and withdraw funds using their mobile...

Rise of cyberbullying

2007

Cyberbullying has escalated as more people connect online, affecting many, especially youths. Persistent, invasive, and often anonymous, this form of harassment can occur...

Infinite scroll invented

2006

Infinite scroll is a design technique used where content continuously loads as the user scrolls down the page or screen. Popular on social media platforms like Instagram and...

Flash mobs

2003

Popular in the mid-2000s, flash mobs are sudden gatherings of people, often for entertainment or artistic purposes. Organizers usually told participants when and where to...

BlackBerry 5810 released

2002

RIM unveiled the BlackBerry 5810 as its first smartphone. It was marketed as a “breakthrough in wireless convergence that delivers email, phone, SMS, browser, and organizer...

Patriot Act passed

2001

The Patriot Act, hastily passed after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, was a law in the United States. It granted the government increased surveillance powers to investigate and...

September 11th (9/11) attacks

2001

When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, cell phones played a vital role. People trapped in the buildings, passengers on hijacked planes, and...

“Thumb tribe” emerges in Japan

2001

The "thumb tribe" or "thumb generation" refers to the tech-savvy youth who grew up using mobile phones with touchscreens, relying on their thumbs for texting and navigating...

Snake

1997

Programmed in 1997 by Taneli Armanto of Nokia and introduced as a pre-loaded game on the Nokia 6110. The player must keep the snake from colliding with both other obstacles...

First SMS sent

1992

The first SMS text message in history is sent: Neil Papworth, a 22-year-old engineer, uses a personal computer to send the text message “Merry Christmas” via the Vodafone...

Trans engineer democratizes chip design

1978

Fired from IBM after disclosing her gender transition, Lynn Conway went on to help democratize chip design at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the “VLSI revolution.” Very...

First mobile phone call

1973

Did you know the first mobile phone call was a troll? In 1973, Martin Cooper, an engineer at Motorola, used his prototype of the DynaTAC 8000x (the "brick phone") to call...

First car phone call

1946

AT&T's Bell System introduces the Mobile Telephone Service was introduced. The first MTS call was made in 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri. The equipment weighed eighty pounds,...