List of Motorola phones from the 80s & 90s
This is a list of the Motorola phones available in the UK market in the 80s and 90s.
Motrola DynaTAC 8000 series - analogue brick phones
DynaTAC is an abbreviation of Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage. The Motorola DynaTACs were Motorola's first phones and the DynaTAC 8000X, the world's first hand portable phone.
Motorola continued to develop the 8000 series up until 1995, with there being different phones for the US and UK markets. Although by the mid 90s the brick was no longer fashionable, it had a reputation for robustness which meant people in the building trade liked to use these phones, often buying the handsets second hand.
| Year | Phone | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | DynaTAC 8000X | The world's first hand portable, launched in the UK in 1985 |
| 1985 | DynaTAC 8000S | Cheaper version of the 8000X, still very expensive! |
| 1987 | DynaTAC 8500X | Improved version of 8000X for UK market. As seen on 'Only Fools and Horses' |
| 1990 | DynaTAC 8800X | Improved version of 8500X. |
| 1992 | Independent | Very similar to the 8500X, but sold as the Motorola Independent |
| 1992 | DynaTAC 8900X | Improved version of 8800X. |
| 1994 | DynaTAC 8900X-2 | Another revision of the 8800X |
| 1995 | 888 | Last of the bricks. A favourite with tradesmen. |
The transportables
Motorola made a number of phones which were sold either as carphones or transportables in the 80s and 90s. The original series were analogue phones, but Motorola's first digital phone was a transportable, the International 1000.
These phones were always a bit more down market than their glamorous yuppie hand portable cousins.
Motorola transportables:
- Motorola 4500X
- Motorola 4500X
- Motorola 5000X
- Motorola International 1000
The Motorola 3000 International series
Motorola's second GSM phone was the International 3200. The International series was a short run of GSM brick phones. Initially they were the UK's most popular GSM phones.
| Year | Phone | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 3200 International | Digital brick phone |
| 1992 | 3300 International | Digital brick with text messaging |
MicroTAC analogue series
Motorola's MicroTAC series began with the groundbreaking 9800X in 1989. It was the first phone that did not look like a housebrick and quickly became a hugely desirable status symbol to those that could afford the whopping price tag.
Later on these phones became the cheap and cheerful end of Motorola's range.
| Year | Phone |
|---|---|
| 1989 | MicroTAC 9800X |
| 1989 | Digital Personal Communicator |
| 1991 | MicroTAC Classic |
| 1992 | MicroTAC II |
| 1992 | MicroTAC II Platinum |
| 1993 | MicroTAC Pro |
| 1994 | MicroTAC Elite |
| 1994 | MicroTAC Flip 2 |
GSM flip phones and derivatives
Motorola made a huge range of GSM flip phones, as well as PCN versions for One2One and Orange. There were also flip phones without the flip.
| Year | Phone | Network | Form | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 5080 | GSM | Flip | Basic digital flip phone |
| 1993 | M300 | PCN | Flip | Mercury One2One flip phone |
| 1994 | M301 | PCN | Flip | Improved version of M300 |
| 1994 | mr1 | PCN | Flip | Orange flip phone |
| 1994 | 5200 | GSM | Flip | Improved digital flip phone |
| 1994 | 7200 | GSM | Flip | Deluxe digital flip phone with SMS |
| 1995 | M400 | PCN | Candy bar | Improved M300 without the flip |
| 1995 | Flare | GSM | Candy bar | Garish attempt at a fashion phone |
| 1995 | 7500 | GSM | Flip | Improved version of the 7200 |
| 1995 | 8200 | GSM | Flip | Prestige digital flip phone |
| 1996 | mr20 | PCN | Candy bar | Orange version of the Flare |
| 1996 | 8400 | GSM | Flip | New version of 8200 |
| 1996 | 8700 | GSM | Flip | Slim prestige flip phone |
| 1996 | Graphite | GSM/PCN | Candy bar | Graphite look version of the Flare |
| 1996 | d460 | GSM | Candy bar | Basic flip phone similar to the Graphite, but less stylish |
| 1996 | m750 | PCN | Flip | Good quality One2One flip phone |
| 1996 | mr601 | PCN/GSM | Flip | Orange flip phone with dual band GSM |
| 1997 | 8800 | GSM/PCN | Flip | Dual band flip phone available on One2One |
| 1997 | m760 | PCN | Flip | Basic One2One flip phone |
| 1997 | 8900 | GSM | Flip | Ultimate flip phone |
StarTAC series
There was a range of StarTAC phones, running from expensive high status items to cheaper versions for the Orange and One2One networks.
| Year | Phone | Network | Form | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | StarTAC 85 | GSM | Clamshell | Original StarTAC |
| 1997 | StarTAC 70 | GSM | Clamshell | Cheaper version |
| 1997 | StarTAC Lite | GSM | Clamshell | Ultra slim StarTAC |
| 1997 | StarTAC 110 | GSM | Clamshell | StarTAC with a colour screen |
| 1998 | StarTAC 130 | GSM | Clamshell | Prestige StarTAC with gold lettering |
| 1997 | MR501 | PCN | Clamshell | Cheap and cheerful Orange StarTAC |
| MR701 | GSM | Clamshell | Deluxe Orange StarTAC | |
| 1997 | Slimlite | GSM | Ultra slim candy bar | |
| 1997 | StarTAC Royale | PCN | Clamshell | Mercury version of the StarTAC. |
Basic series
Motorola's first consumer phone was the Personal phone from 1992. It was pushed as a phone for emergencies only. Motorola also made bargain basement handsets for the first PAYG deals.
| Year | Phone | Network | Form | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Personal Phone | ETACS | Cordless phone | Early consumer phone with the look and feel of a cordless phone. |
| 1996 | a130 | ETACS | Candy bar | Ultra basic analogue phone |
| 1997 | d160 | GSM | Candy bar | Cheap and cheerful digital handset |
| 1997 | Memphis | PCN | Candy bar | One2One version of d160 |
| 1997 | MR201 | PCN | Candy bar | Orange version of d160 |
| 1999 | C520 | GSM | Candy bar | Ultra basic PAYG handset also known as Motorola Montreal |
New series for 1999
In 1999 Motorola started two new series of phones. The Timeport for busy executives and the v-series for fashion conscious consumers.
| Year | Phone | Network | Form | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Timeport L7089 | GSM | Candy Bar | The World's first tri-band phone |
| 1999 | v3688 | GSM | Clamshell | Trend setting clamshell phone |
Article by Steven Braggs, November 2012
Comments (17)
Motorola PT-9s (e plus), does anyone have information about this model?