Cellphone inventor Marty Cooper uses a Droid.... and a Jitterbug
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 11th 2010 4:04PM
posted March 11th 2010 4:04PM
Sure, you read reviews and take recommendations from friends before you buy a new cellphone, but have you ever stopped to consider what the inventor of the cellphone uses on a daily basis? C-SPAN has, and recently took the opportunity to ask the man himself, Marty Cooper, that very question during a wide-ranging interview. While Cooper said that he has used an iPhone previously, he recently passed it on to his grandson in favor of a Motorola Droid, which he says he chose because he wanted to get more experience with Android. But that's not all, Cooper also revealed that he carries a Jitterbug as well for when he just wants to make phone calls. Surprising for a pioneer of mobile technology? Not exactly, as Cooper actually co-founded Jitterbug with his wife, who he credits with inventing the phone. Head on past the break to watch the complete interview. 
@jhoff80
Yeah, I think Motorola invented the first cellphone with Marty.
sometimes all you need is a little simplicity. i carry a simple little handset, to make emergency calls, because my super duper mega jesus phone's battery can't hold a charge for more than a day if you use it.
so many phones today have making and receiving calls way down their list of things they can do. And yes, damnit, I'm old
DROID vs. Jitterbug Go! JitterDROID coming soon.
@raionyuki yeah its called the dell mini 5
*ducks*
The video is 32 minutes long, but well worth your time to watch it.
@Unit333 I agree, it was really informative! Just listening to the guy I understand all this spectrum business now, good vid!
This guy deserves respect
Great man.
downgrades awhoy !
Baldy seems to get a little too happy in the pants whenever he mentions Twitter.
Is there really such a thing as ONE inventor that can claim credit for such devices nowadays?
Are we sure he wasn't just a "large contributor"? If I was on the team that designed that phone and all of the components that went into it, I'd be kinda pissed if just one man claimed sole credit.
@Ducman69
The rest of the team probably died of old age already.
@Ducman69 Believe me, the entire human history was created by a tiny group of people. The project like cellphone was made happen by a few, if not one man at the company. I used to work for Motorola, and 'participated' the creation of RAZR.
Wonder if this guy has 2.1 yet....
Wow.. with all that cellular talk.. and AT&T.. you wonder why AT&T can't handle the user base they currently have! Brilliant Interview!
Vering interesting interview on the cell phone radio spectum and Martin is obviously a very well versed and inteligent man on the subject..
I wish I can be as smart as this guy when I'm 80...
@ai4281
You will be, but only because of improved medical technology. HAHA!
Jitterbugs are pretty cool, in all actuality. Especially if you just want to make calls. I wonder if he's using a Droid to get more experience with Android for the Jitterbug-droid? The Smartphone for our elderly?
Thanks for this Mary, just loved to hear you speaking.
PS: Nexus One owner from the land where they are not selling :( Portugal )
After watching the video I find his comments well thought-out and well measured. Especially his point about about how we will need 40x the bandwidth but are only getting 2X the spectrum and how we need to be more efficient. He seems to have a very good high-level perspective of the technology and I would hire him in a second.
The fact that he has a Droid is purely incidental and he does not even use it as his primary phone but is researching the OS..
He didn't invent the cell phone. A black guy did.
@purge68
NO.......way
@purge68 You're thinking peanut butter. Common mistake.
That's what you want an inventor to look like.
@Marbles
But where is the white coat and wizard hat?
@bleep
Like Col. Sanders?
very smart guy
This is an amazing guy. What makes him even better is he looks like Gandalf.
Utmost respect for this man of vast wisdom. As a ham operator, I have a lot of respect for Moto and their engineers.
I don't think I've ever been as cool as Mr. Cooper is. The saying "you're only as old as you act" is appropo for this gentleman.
I'm sure a lot of people were involved (as he stated, Moto took ALL engineers off projects to work on this), but there is always the architect behind the idea, and Mr. Cooper, with his understated importance in history, should be commended by all of us now, rather than after his passing. He is truly inspirational.
I'm suck a droid lover I forced myself to enjoy the physical qwerty keyboard tehehe.
I think Mr Cooper should be recognised for his invention just like bell. we need to bring his name to the history books, if a pickle can be more popular than nickleback, i think he should get his own fan page in support in spreading his name.
anyone in support to spreading his name?
Henry Sampson invented the cell phone. America loves to rewrite history.
@purge68 proof?
the old man uses a DROID, and his grandson an iShit.
Thats not fair
This was a great Interview.
Good interview, if anyone just wants to hear what he says about the phones he uses go to 30:08.
I remember seeing his phone on "SAVE BY THE BELL" Zach Morris have the same phone that he invented. And I remember during the early 90's as a kid used to have a toy phone that looks just like that. Without him their be no RAZRS no iPhones, and no Android or Blackberry phones that's out their today. And I think he's right companies are making more complicated phones that some people don't know. But still WE all should thank him without Cooper their be no cell phone that we have here today. Just glad he didn't get the iPhone choose the DROID OVER THAT. CAUSE iPhone sucks.
That was an insightful conversation. I learned more about cell towers and how they work, and how wasteful they can be. And it seemed as though Martin was saying the max could be 4G due to physical reasonings, interesting. Micro cells and smart antennas!
So, the guy who invented cell phones in the first place founded Jitterbug? Wow...