# Did Israel invent the cell phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2006, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595 "2006-07-22T12:49:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/1 "2006-07-22T12:49:52Z")
I am with a guy here at work who just told me that Israel invented the cell phone. Now, I understand that the technology has been around for many, many years, so I find it hard to believe. He stated that they invented the cell phone but it is not widely publicized, or else many countries would not use it (middle east, etc.). I call bull#hit. Has anyone ever heard of this? Did Israel invent the cell phone? Are there any facts that might lead up to believing that Israel invented the cell phone? ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/2 "2006-07-22T14:50:09Z")
> [@FormerMarineGuy](#): > > He stated that they invented the cell phone but it is not widely publicized, or else many countries would not use it (middle east, etc.). > Did Israel invent the cell phone? Are there any facts that might lead up to believing that Israel invented the cell phone? The answer is a flat NO! [\*\* Who Invented the Cell Phone \*\*](http://www.cellular.co.za/cellphone_inventor.htm) [\*\* Selling the Cell Phone \*\*](http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa070899.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/3 "2006-07-22T15:07:20Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > [\*\* Who Invented the Cell Phone \*\*](http://www.cellular.co.za/cellphone_inventor.htm) That article doesn’t mention whether Cooper read [Heinlein](http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=595): > [@](#): > > “How come,” he asked as he came abreast, “they had to search for you?” > > “Left my pocketphone in my other suit,” Coburn returned briefly. “Did it on purpose - I wanted a little peace and quiet. No luck.” ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/4 "2006-07-22T15:21:03Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > The answer is a flat NO! > > [\*\* Who Invented the Cell Phone \*\*](http://www.cellular.co.za/cellphone_inventor.htm) > > [\*\* Selling the Cell Phone \*\*](http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa070899.htm) Good enough for me. GQ pulls through as always! ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/5 "2006-07-22T15:28:35Z")
1. Science fiction often “invents” things that eventually come to pass, as ideas are (usually)easier than making a working product. It would be interesting to know how much sci-fi influenced particular inventions. (I know of a few instances, but I’d like a comprehensive list.) 2. They were putting portable phones in cars in the 1940’s, that particular Heilein book was published in 1953 (according to the link). ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/6 "2006-07-22T15:34:07Z")
No cites, but I _maybe_ recall that Israel might have adopted cell phone technology very quickly, perhaps more quickly than any other country. Perhaps this fact, if true, may have evolved into what the OP’s coworker believes. Or maybe the coworker is part of the [International Jewish Conspiracy](http://www.internationaljewishconspiracy.com/), and privy to knowledge we don’t have… ---
**Author:** ![JoeG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dc4da7/32.png) [@JoeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeG)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/7 "2011-01-14T16:46:38Z")
Much of the R&D for the modern cell phone was indeed done at Motorola-Israel. To this day Motorola maintains a large R&D center in Israel, as does Microsoft, Google, Intel and most other high-tech companies. Israel is widely regarded as an important technology center in the world, second only to Silicon Valley. Officially, the first cell phone call ever made was done by Motorola’s senior engineer in New York. But it is a assumed that unoficial testing calls were made both in Israel and the US before that. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/8 "2011-01-14T17:00:09Z")
Must be another Zionist plot, like the new anti-Muslim sharks. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/9 "2011-01-14T18:17:22Z")
> [@JoeG](#): > > Much of the R&D for the modern cell phone was indeed done at Motorola-Israel. To this day Motorola maintains a large R&D center in Israel, as does Microsoft, Google, Intel and most other high-tech companies. Israel is widely regarded as an important technology center in the world, second only to Silicon Valley. Officially, the first cell phone call ever made was done by Motorola’s senior engineer in New York. But it is a assumed that unoficial testing calls were made both in Israel and the US before that. I have a cousin who works in an HP engineering lab in Israel. It’s amazing how few people know how much high tech work is done there for well-known companies. Sorry about the highjack. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/10 "2011-01-15T07:21:44Z")
It is worth pointing out that the common use (at least in the US) of cell-phone as a generic for mobile phone misses an important technological point. Cellular phones are an implementation technology for mobile communications. The word “cellular” refers to the use of discrete cells based around a base station, and the protocols and mechanisms to implement a universal mobile service based upon that idea. Science fiction did not invent cell phones. It did not even predict the idea. The idea that technology would reach a point where a portable phone would be possible is not exactly something startling or requiring great intellect. But predicting that the right solution to a ubiquitous mobile communications system would, or even could, be achieved with cellular technology is a different matter. Mobile communications, and indeed mobile phones have existed for a long time without cellular technology, and still do. The achievement in engineering in understanding and solving the very serious issues in building a cell based system should not be underestimated. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/11 "2011-01-15T08:41:33Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I have a cousin who works in an HP engineering lab in Israel. It’s amazing how few people know how much high tech work is done there for well-known companies. Well, with Intel codenaming CPUs things like [Merom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merom_(microprocessor)) and [Dothan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_M#Dothan), it’s hardly a surprise to the _real_ geeks out there. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/12 "2011-01-15T09:19:11Z")
God dammit, here I was thinking that **FormerMarineGuy** had finally come back, and surprise surprise, it’s another zombie thread. I’m goddamn sick of all these zombie threads. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/13 "2011-01-15T09:29:37Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > God dammit, here I was thinking that **FormerMarineGuy** had finally come back, and surprise surprise, it’s another zombie thread. I’m goddamn sick of all these zombie threads. On this motherf–king Board? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/14 "2011-01-15T09:48:54Z")
Israelis have invented a solution to zombies. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-israel-invent-the-cell-phone/365595/15 "2011-01-15T10:09:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Israelis have invented a solution to zombies. True, I read all about it in [World War Z](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Z).