Today is the 23rd anniversary of the first ever text message (December third 1992) sent from a developer called Neil Papworth and received by Vodafone director, Richard Jarvis on his Orbitel 901 handset (which weighed in at a hefty 2.1 KG).
It was sent from Papworth’s computer, as mobile phones did not yet have keyboards, nor the ability to originate messages. The message was “Merry Christmas” and the rest, as they say, is history.
This infographic from Neon SMS charts that history since its conceptual development three decades ago to a staple of today’s mobile interactivity, from marketing and loyalty to verification and consumer authentication.
