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9 photos that show the extraordinary evolution of the phone over 80 years

Leanna GarfieldAug 26, 2024, 15:36 IST

Wikipedia CommonsAlexander Graham Bell makes the first long distance telephone call, circa late 1870s.In 1876, inventor Alexander Graham Bell patented the first phone: a bulky device with a curved mouthpiece and earpiece connected by wires. It looked much different than the iPhones of today.

In celebration of the iPhone's 10th birthday on June 29, we're taking a look back at the design evolution of the phone.

The Cooper Hewitt museum recently digitized more than 200,000 items in its collections, including one that chronicles obsolete phones located in its storage facility. Check out some of these phones below, starting with a classic rotary from the late 1930s.