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From Bricks to Brains: The Evolution of the Cell Phone

For years, Nokia and Motorola ruled the cell phone industry. But that all changed with the development of the smartphone. With all of the mobile phone manufacturers still producing today, which are the most successful? Let's take a look at cell phone trends and sales throughout the years, from the very first Motorola in 1983 to the Apple iPhone 5S of 2013.

Popular Models through the Years

Nokia decides to focus solely on making mobile phones.

Apple releases its first personal digital assistant device.

Samsung enters the mobile phone business.

Nokia becomes the leading global mobile phone manufacturer.

Samsung launches its first PDA phone.

Nokia releases its first 3G phone, the 6650.

Samsung outshines Sony as consumers' preferred electronics manufacturer.

The first iPhone is released, threatening Nokia's reign as most popular manufacturer.

Apple releases its first iPhone as well as iOS 1.1.1.

Apple sells 1 million iPhone 3Gs in its opening weekend.

Apple launches the AppStore with iOS 2.0, introducing third-party applications.

Samsung's chairman Lee Kun-hee steps down after being convicted of tax evasion. In 2010, he is later re-appointed to the position.

Nokia experiences its first quarterly loss in more than a decade, just after the Android operating system becomes popular with HTC phones.

Apple sells 1 million 3GSs iPhones in its opening weekend.

Nokia hires Microsoft executive Stephen Elop as its first non-Finnish executive. 1,800 jobs are cut from the company.

Samsung launches a series of TV ads mocking Apple devotees.

Nokia joins with Microsoft, announcing that Nokia smartphones will now sport the Microsoft operating system. 14,000 jobs are cut worldwide.

Steve Jobs resigns as Apple's CEO and is replaced by Tim Cook. Later in the year, Jobs dies of cancer.

Apple introduces the iPhone 5. Five million units are sold in the first weekend.

Samsung overtakes Nokia as the world's leading manufacturer of mobile phones.

Nokia agrees to sell its entire mobile phone business to Microsoft for $7.18 billion.

Apple introduces the iPhone 5S (complete with fingerprint authentication technology) and 5C (the company's first so-called "budget device"). A combined 9 million handsets are sold on the first weekend after the phones' launch.

Apple revamps its operating system with the release of iOS7.

Most Profitable Manufacturers

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