How much were the first mobile phones ?

[Chew Barker]

Im interested to know the retail price of mobile phones and black and white TVs when they were launched.

My google-fu is pathetic today.
I ask becasue our latest marketing muppet, is comparing the uptake of these devices to iRobots Roomba (the robot vacuum cleaner).

His claim is along these lines, 'the roomba sold 1 millions units faster than both the black and white TV and mobile phones. Think how popular TVs and phones are? we cant live without them.'
I find this quite annoying, as the directors here are getting excited and want to follow suit.
I just dont feel that these products are comparable, but need some facts before I make my point.

From talking to older members of my family they suggested the first TVs cost about as much as a car at the time. And the first mobile phones were "massive" and very expensive. whilst the roomba is relatively inexpensive.

chew

[An Gadaí]

This site:
http://www.tvhistory.tv/tv-prices.htm
has ads for early tvs with prices.
You'll obviously have to adjust for inflation.

[aruvqan]

Dont know about the phone, but in 1976 I bought a small 9 inch diagonal b&w tv [that had a mock parchement color with screenprinted bits of the declaration of independence and signatures of the founding fathers] and it was $175 US. You can buy the equivalent today for something like $10 at the dollar store.

[Billdo]

I just dont feel that these products are comparable, but need some facts before I make my point.

Beyond the price issue, a major point of differentiation between the Roomba and TV or mobile phones is that TV and mobile phones were, on introduction, broad categories of devices that provided a major improvement in communications for those that had them. Because they were significantly different from other technologies (radio, land-line phones), they didn't really displace them, but over a long number of years were adopted essentially universially. They also had network effects, because with increasing adoption of TVs or mobile phones, it became more important for non-adopters to have them because of cultural expectations.

On the other hand, a Roomba is essentially a variation on a current, nearly universal technology. Though it moves by itself, it is just a vacuum cleaner, something just about everyone has in their closet. Also, a vacuum is something that people keep in their closet, not something that they use every day to connect with other people. It's a labor saving device, not something you'll discuss with others over the water cooler, or use to communicate with others.

Another major difference is TV and mobile phones are broad categories of technology, while Roomba is a brand. Although it is the technology leader now, there is nothing that really prevents another company from manufacturing a competing robotic vacuum, particularly if the Roomba threatens to become ubiquitous.

[slaphead]

A quick google turned up
http://www.cntr.salford.ac.uk/comms/preservinghistory.php
Where we get the quote:
The Motorola 8500X was introduced in 1987 becoming extremely popular in Europe and the most commonly found handset in the UK at that time. The Ultra Classic was the last in the line of these analogue ‘brick’ phones and although noticeably slimmer than the 8500X it still weighed 600g, cost £2,500 to buy and had a battery life of some 8 hours (standby).
So even second-gen phones cost good money - according to http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1987.html the average house only cost £44K. Factor in the astronomical cost of calls as well. If you search on some of the models quoted in the article you should get other prices for the time.

As for TV - I don't know if this (http://www.tvhistory.tv/1946%20QF.htm) is a reputable site, but it indicates the first post-war US set cost 25% of the price of a brand-new car.

[C K Dexter Haven]

My company bought me my first cell phone in around 1988, cost about US$1,000.

[Really Not All That Bright]

A friend's dad had (supposedly) the first mobile phone in South-west England in 1988 - it was a Motorola Classic II, I think, fitted along the side of the central console in his BMW.

I don't know how much he paid for the phone itself, but calls cost 39p/min plus a "connection fee". It was more than 1 pound just to connect, IIRC.

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

I inquired about installing a pre-cellular mobile phone in a car back in the day. I was told it was $400 to install it, and the monthly service charge was $176. That sounded a bit steep, so I didn’t pursue it.

So I didn’t get to find out how much it cost to make a call. There’s scant information online about the pre-cellular phones, but one place I noticed the pricing “plan” didn’t sound very appealing. It was like 35¢/minute for the first five minutes, then 40¢/minute for the next five, the 50¢/minute for any time over. Yeah, the longer you were on, the higher the rate.

[Chew Barker]

thanks for your responces, and web links. Now im off to knock some people down a peg or two...