Who Invented the First Cell Phone?

Martin Cooper, an American engineer, is widely credited with inventing the first handheld mobile phone. He led a team at Motorola that developed the DynaTAC, and on April 3, 1973, he made the first public cell phone call from a prototype in New York City. While the device was bulky, weighing approximately 2 kilograms, it represented a groundbreaking technological advancement.

Several sources confirm Cooper's pivotal role:

• Britannica: “[Martin Cooper] is an American engineer who led the team that in 1972–73 built the first mobile cell phone…”
• HowStuffWorks: "Cooper led a team that designed the first practical cell phone. It was called the Motorola DynaTAC…"
• Telefónica: "Motorola engineer Martin Cooper…made the first public cell phone call."
• CNN Business: "On April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper…made the first public cell phone call…"
• Wikipedia: "The first handheld mobile phone was demonstrated by Martin Cooper of Motorola…"

While other individuals contributed to the underlying technologies, Cooper's team at Motorola is recognized for creating the first practical and commercially viable handheld mobile phone. The invention wasn't a singular act but the culmination of research and development. Further research, such as the contributions of Henry T. Sampson to related technologies (as cited in Greaterdiversity.com), is important to acknowledge within the broader context of cell phone innovation.

It's important to distinguish between a "cell" in the biological sense and a "cell phone" or "cellular phone." The question, as originally posed, is ambiguous. This answer focuses on the invention of the cell phone. The invention of the first fuel cell, for example, predates the cell phone and was attributed to Sir Humphry Davy.