If you find a being in the modern world that doesn’t own a mobile phone, get your camera ready. You probably just found a unicorn, an extraterrestrial or maybe even Bigfoot.   We weren’t always so connected. There was a time when stuff could wait. Stuff can’t wait anymore.   Parents didn’t think their children needed tracking devices. In the event of an emergency, pay phones were a great solution. If we wanted to stay in touch with friends and family or check our answering machine, waiting until we got home made complete sense. So, what happened and how did we arrive at this convergence of human and technological evolution?   Ignite Partnership has launched over 400 products and services for Microsoft, Samsung and some of the world’s most innovative brands. Travel back in time with us as we unpack where we started, where we are, where we’re headed, and what we can presume about our future. 

1. The
wireless
evolution.A PRESENTATION BY IGNITE PARTNERSHIP

2. We beep and
buzz constantly.
But how did we get here?

3. The beginning.

4. The
Very
First
Radio Common Carriers were
pre-cellular, push-to-talk radios
(basically), predominantly used for
emergency communications in the
business and military sectors.
1960s

5. Going
Cordless
The Brick Phone was the first
cordless communications
device that the public could buy.
Motorola’s DynaTAC 8000X
featured up to 30 minutes of
talk time and appealed to
frequent travelers.
1980s

6. Going
Compact
The next big step was to go small.
Motorola created the “Clamshell”
MicroTac, which featured a red
LED display, 12-button keypad,
and convenience features such as
hands-free, and key tones. It was
exponentially smaller, flipped
closed, and cost about $2,500.
Early 1990s

7. Only
12.5 million
people*
had
cell phone
subscriptions
in the early
1990s.
1
*That’s only .25% of the world population.

8. Those awkward teen years.

9. PC in
Your
Pocket
The Palm Pilot introduced the idea
of what we’re familiar with today –
a touchscreen device with memory
cards, wired/wireless connectivity,
and synchronization. Unfortunately,
data plans back then were expensive
and slow, so many went without.
Late
1990s

10. Fun,
Small,
& Personal
The iconic Nokia 6000 was a
phone for the people by allowing
true customization — a first for the
industry. This was the beginning of
games, interchangeable face plates,
MIDI ringtones, and more.
Late
1990s

11. Innovative
Keyboards &
Blackberry
Just like people, mobile phones had
their awkward phase. At the turn
of the century, phones took more
experimental forms, mostly to
squeeze in a full QWERTY keyboard.
Blackberry led the push for innovation
and is responsible for many of the
features on devices used today.
2000s

12. Cellular
Gets
Sexy
The release of the Moto RAZR and
T-Mobile Sidekick ushered in the era
of phones that were also status
symbols. While devices were
very different in capabilities, they
had something in common—a
big marketing push. High-profile
influencers and glitzy advertising
changed the way mobile devices
would be marketed moving forward.
2000s

13. Growing up.

14. Phones
Become
Smart
Apple’s iPhone completely changed
the game. Music, internet, a quality
camera, and a new concept called
“apps” gave the device endless
adaptability and functionality.
Since then, the mobile space
hasn’t been the same.
Late
2000s

15. 77% of
Americans
own a
smartphone.
2
That’s up from 35% in 2011.

16. Today’s way of life.

17. The
World
Connects
Thanks to social networks and apps
such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat,
and Instagram, sharing life moments
as they happen with anyone and
everyone could be done in an instant.
It turned the phone into a window
on a person’s world, no matter where
they were geographically.

18. 11.7 % of U.S.
marketing
budgets are
devoted to
social media.
3
It was only 3.5% in 2009.
GloZell Green
4,605,511 + Subscribers

19. Some
Things
Die
Today’s smartphones serve a lot
of purposes. They’re our camera,
calendar, clock, calculator, wallet, and
more. So, naturally, our use of other
everyday items replaced by our phones
has been decreased dramatically or
eliminated altogether.

20. Attention
spans are
now less
than 8
seconds.
4
It used to be 12 seconds.

21. Anything
On
Demand
With instant access to the web,
our social networks, and daily
essentials, phones habitually
became the place to go for
things to happen quickly and
easily. This opened the door to
nearly everything being a tap
away. From rides to groceries
to takeout to entertainment,
nearly anything is available
on-demand in the palm of
the hand.

22. A
New
Reality
With more powerful phones
come more powerful features.
Virtual reality (VR) and
augmented reality (AR) will
continue to change the way
we interact with each other
and the world. As these
experiences become easier to
use, increasingly cost effective,
and more widespread, adoption
rates will grow.

23. Machines
Can
Think
With the new reality also
comes smarter devices that
will process information
quickly and be able to
think, learn habits, and
anticipate user needs using
artificial intelligence (AI).
Advancements in AI will turn
devices from something we
just use occasionally to an
“active companion” used
throughout the day.

24. 57 % of
consumers
expect voice-
activated smart
assistants to
have an impact
on their daily
lives by 2020.
5

25. So ... what’s the result
of all this evolution?

26. There’s Less Facetime
How we interact with each other and deal with everyday tasks in our society is different
now. Think about all the ways technology opens doors now. We used to need people
or physical products to get things done: reading books, shopping for clothes and
groceries, ordering takeout, watching movies, learning and going to class, etc.

27. Constant Content.
Constant Connection.
We can build a community and share information more quickly and easily than ever
before, meet people from around the world, and work globally, all at our fingertips.
Smartphones also mean we’re always on, always connected, and always tempted to
peek into the worlds of our friends (or strangers) on social media.

28. How will this evolution
impact the next generation?

29. Maybe A World
Without Phones?
As Generation Alpha (aka “Screenagers”) grows, innovation will produce new
form factors, like a foldable device, or eliminate the device altogether. Could
everything be done through a watch/wrist device? What about implantable tech
that could link to a Bluetooth earpiece along with contact lenses or glasses that
could act as your camera? We’ll be keeping a close eye on what’s next.

30. IGNITEPARTNERSHIP.COM

31. 1) Newman, Mark and SASI Group. “Cellular Subscribers 1990” 2006,
<http://www.worldmapper.org/posters/worldmapper_map333_ver5.pdf> (24 July 2017).
2) Pew Research Center. “Mobile Fact Sheet — Mobile Phone Ownership Over Time”
12 January 2017, <http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/mobile/> (24 July 2017).
3) Duran, H.B. “10 Essential Stats For Influencer Marketing In 2017” 17 July 2017,
<https://www.ion.co/essential-stats-for-influencer-marketing-in-2017> (24 July 2017).
4) McSpadden, Kevin. “You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish” 14 May 2015,
<http://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/> (24 July 2017).
5) Honjo, Kim. “How AI Is Already Changing Your Life Backed by 6 Incredible Stats — 57 percent
of consumers …” 1 March 2017, <https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2017/03/artificial-intelligence-chang-
ing-your-life-statistics.html> (24 July 2017).
Sources