# Old Motorola Cell Phone-What Was It Called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2012, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798 "2012-02-14T06:45:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/1 "2012-02-14T06:45:09Z")
Back in the days of analog cellphones, Motorola sold one that was very small. You wore it on a cord around your neck. For the times, it was pretty high tech. Anyone know the name of the model? Incidentally, people do manage to sell old ananlog phones on eBay-is there still service available for ananlog phones? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/2 "2012-02-14T06:55:51Z")
Startac? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/3 "2012-02-14T06:58:24Z")
The [the smaller members of the Motorola MicroTac family](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_MicroTAC#MicroTAC_9800X) are the only truly old school cell phones small enough to go on a neck strap. ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/4 "2012-02-14T09:37:43Z")
The first approved, actual Cell Phone that I recall was the [Motorola Dynatac](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_DynaTAC). It was introduced in both portable models, and moble models. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/5 "2012-02-14T14:42:38Z")
> [@Khendrask](#): > > The first approved, actual Cell Phone that I recall was the [Motorola Dynatac](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_DynaTAC). It was introduced in both portable models, and moble models. And it was huge. The OP is looking for a small phone. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/6 "2012-02-14T15:22:06Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Startac? [Agreed.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_StarTAC) First clamshell model. Small and light enough that I recall ads where women wore them pinned to their clothes. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/7 "2012-02-14T17:01:11Z")
Thanks for the link. I guess I had forgotten how expensive these things were! $2500 for a cell phone! ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/8 "2012-02-14T17:32:09Z")
So which one was it **Ralph** , the mirotac, dynatac or startac? I had a startac once and thought it was totally tubular man. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/9 "2012-02-14T21:06:56Z")
Another candidate is the [Motorola Vader](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.anunico.com.co/fotos/motorola_vader_v_8160_gsm_digitel_venta_de_celulares_usados_motorola_en_venezuela-4d2cc384b9feb37645ae8a05c.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.skyscraperlife.com/latin-bar/66132-cuales-son-tu-primer-y-ultimo-celular-9.html&h=400&w=400&sz=10&tbnid=qo08Wug9zw2w5M&tbnh=225&tbnw=225&zoom=1&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bsw6T5KSEcrs2QWdsNiZCg&ved=0CFoQ8g0&usg=__MhZgB8OV5fZ7hTtSZD66qzXU3C0=). I was already carrying a diminutive Startac at the time I first saw one but my reaction was “That thing is tiny.” ---
**Author:** ![ExcitedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/10 "2012-02-14T22:27:27Z")
Analog cell service is almost gone. FCC allowed wireless providers to start shutting off analog service in 2008. There are certainly still places where you can get an analog signal, but they tend to be rural areas without other service. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/11 "2012-02-15T16:50:22Z")
FWIW…the first mobile phone was owned by Elvis. Though carrying around something the size of a suitcase stretches the “mobile” part. [http://www.paklinks.com/gsmedia/files/54757/DSC03024.JPG](http://www.paklinks.com/gsmedia/files/54757/DSC03024.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/12 "2012-02-15T17:06:08Z")
> [@Enola\_Straight](#): > > Though carrying around something the size of a suitcase stretches the “mobile” part. My brother used to have one of the old bag phones. It wasn’t quite as large as a suitcase, but it wasn’t exactly mobile like people think of today. I see there is one on eBay that some fool is asking $19.98 for. ---
**Author:** ![ExcitedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-motorola-cell-phone-what-was-it-called/612798/13 "2012-02-15T22:37:46Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > My brother used to have one of the old bag phones. It wasn’t quite as large as a suitcase, but it wasn’t exactly mobile like people think of today. > > I see there is one on eBay that some fool is asking $19.98 for. Bag phones are great because they have a 3 watt transmitter, as opposed to the .6 watts a normal cellphone has. Analog service, but they can get a signal in places no other phone can.