Which invention is considered the first practical telephone?

Alexander Graham Bell received U.S. Patent 174,465 for the telephone on March 7, 1876. His device could transmit speech electrically over wires, making long-distance voice communication practical. Bell made the famous first successful voice transmission to his assistant, Thomas Watson, on March 10, 1876: “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” While other inventors worked on similar ideas, Bell’s version became the basis for the modern telephone system.