We have a soft spot for tech predictions, especially when they come from companies at the forefront of their industries. Most predictions fall short or miss the mark, but occasionally one lands so accurately that it leaves us speechless. One such prediction dates back to April 1953, made by Mark Sullivan, president and director of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. He highlighted the portability of future telephones, the absence of a traditional dial, and support for video calls.
We've covered similar ground before, from the predictions for 2020 from 1989 to Microsoft's forecasts for 2019 from 2009.
Is there anything left to invent in the world of mobile phones? Manufacturers seem convinced that the next big thing for smartphones is the foldable design—essentially the classic flip but with a flexible screen, or two modules joined by hinges. However, I'm referring to basic functions and other aspects. Technically, they're pocket computers; the phone is nothing more than an app. Nearly all physical buttons have disappeared, video calls are the order of the day, and this repeats with every cycle. But it had to start somewhere, right? Who had the most accurate idea about the phone of the future, its extreme portability, and our current dependence on it?
A Prediction from April 1953
A small article published in the Tacoma News Tribune, dated April 11, 1953, carried the headline 'There'll Be No Escape in Future From Telephones'. It described the prediction of Mark Sullivan, president and director of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company (today Pacific Bell, under AT&T). While he admitted from the outset that discussing the shape of the telephone of the future was pure speculation, the second part of his prophecy was the most striking.
In its final development, the telephone will be carried by the individual, perhaps as we carry a watch today. It will probably not require a dial (or equivalent), and I think users will be able to see each other (if they wish) while talking. Who knows... but what if it translates from one language to another?
Legitimate and Widely Reprinted
The article has circulated on the web on more than one occasion, and despite doubts, it's genuine. The original text belongs to the Associated Press (the clippings carry the AP tag), and several newspapers of the time reproduced it during the first days of April 1953, including The Spokane Chronicle, The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), The Akron Beacon Journal, and the famous Boston Globe.
Not Completely Out of Nowhere
Now, the first thing that comes to mind is Sullivan with the best crystal ball in the world, but we shouldn't forget that he was the director of a major telephone company and was surely aware of the main developments. As a reference, AT&T began offering its mobile telephone service in 1946, and users had to install more than 35 kilograms of equipment in their cars. The ancestors of video calls date back to the 1930s, and it would be a grave mistake on our part to forget the classic Dick Tracy and his watch that served as a two-way radio.
Sources: Snopes and Vintage Everyday
