Knowledge Base

Mobile Facts

Discover the hidden history, surprising statistics, and forgotten milestones behind the devices in your pocket.

"BlackBerry was once called 'CrackBerry' for its addictive email capabilities that dominated business communication."

"All payphones in the United States allow free 911 emergency calls, even without payment."

"While consumer beepers are obsolete, hospitals still use pagers because they work reliably in areas with poor cell coverage."

"Nextel's push-to-talk feature, launched in 1993, combined cellular service with walkie-talkie functionality."

"Google's Android was originally designed for digital cameras, not phones."

"New York City had over 30,000 payphones in 1999, but fewer than 2,000 remain today."

"Motorola's RAZR V3 sold 130 million units, becoming the best-selling flip phone of all time."

"Traditional payphones required coins, typically 25-50 cents per call, before prepaid cards became common."

"1G networks, launched in 1983, were analog and could only handle voice calls, not data."

"Ethernet, the wired networking standard, was invented in 1973 and remains the backbone of internet infrastructure."

"The first wired communication system was the telegraph, invented in 1837, using electrical signals over wires."

"The first transatlantic fiber optic cable, TAT-8, was laid in 1988, revolutionizing international communication."