From Wikipedia:
The Motorola StarTAC is a clamshell mobile phone manufactured by Motorola. It was released on 3 January 1996, being the first ever clamshell/flip mobile phone.[1] The StarTAC is the successor of the MicroTAC, a semi-clamshell design that had been launched in 1989.[2] Whereas the MicroTAC's shell folded down from below the keypad, the StarTAC folded up from above the display. In 2005, PC World put StarTAC at #6 in The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years.[1]
The StarTAC was among the first mobile phones to gain widespread consumer adoption; 60 million StarTACs were sold.
Release:
StarTAC was unveiled in North America on January 3, 1996.[3] Then the smallest cell phone available, this AMPS phone was an immediate success. Successor TDMA and CDMA StarTACs were equally popular. GSM models were available in North America through Powertel, VoiceStream and other early GSM carriers. StarTACs remained popular until the early 2000s, appearing in many Hollywood movies of the period such as 8mm starring Nicolas Cage. Many MicroTAC owners switched to this particular model due to its compact size and light weight. During its initial launch, magazine ads for the phone would include an actual size cardboard facsimile that could be pulled from the page to demonstrate the diminutive nature of the device.
The Motorola StarTac mobile phone was introduced at the price of $1000.
The Motorola StarTAC is a clamshell mobile phone manufactured by Motorola. It was released on 3 January 1996, being the first ever clamshell/flip mobile phone.[1] The StarTAC is the successor of the MicroTAC, a semi-clamshell design that had been launched in 1989.[2] Whereas the MicroTAC's shell folded down from below the keypad, the StarTAC folded up from above the display. In 2005, PC World put StarTAC at #6 in The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years.[1]
The StarTAC was among the first mobile phones to gain widespread consumer adoption; 60 million StarTACs were sold.
Release:
StarTAC was unveiled in North America on January 3, 1996.[3] Then the smallest cell phone available, this AMPS phone was an immediate success. Successor TDMA and CDMA StarTACs were equally popular. GSM models were available in North America through Powertel, VoiceStream and other early GSM carriers. StarTACs remained popular until the early 2000s, appearing in many Hollywood movies of the period such as 8mm starring Nicolas Cage. Many MicroTAC owners switched to this particular model due to its compact size and light weight. During its initial launch, magazine ads for the phone would include an actual size cardboard facsimile that could be pulled from the page to demonstrate the diminutive nature of the device.
The Motorola StarTac mobile phone was introduced at the price of $1000.
