On 40th Birthday, A Track Down Of 11 Iconic Cell Phones In History

#7 Motorola StarTAC

Motorola's StarTAC, released on 3 January 1996, was the first "clamshell" phone, where the phone essentially folded up in half, rather than just flipping to cover the mouthpiece, like the MicroTAC. The phone weighed just 88 grams and sold for about $1,000, making it one of the first popular cell-phone models.

The handset was capable of SMS text messages, although only the later digital models had the capability to send messages. It could use an optional lithium-ion battery, at a time when most phones were restricted to lower capacity NiMH batteries. Was one of the first cellular phones to introduce vibrate alert as an alternative to a ringtone.

The StarTAC was among the first mobile phones to gain widespread consumer adoption; 60 million of the handsets were sold. Then the smallest cell phone available, this phone was an immediate success.

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