DynaTAC 8000X, the first commercially sold portable cellular phone, by Motorola. They sold for US$3,995 in 1983 dollars, which is about $13,400 in 2026 dollars.
It was actually developed in the early 1970s, despite not reaching the market until 1983. The inventor was Martin Cooper, who is still alive at 97. He placed the world’s first cell phone call in 1973,
By the early 1970s, Cooper headed Motorola’s communications systems division. Here he conceived of the first portable cellular phone in 1973 and led the 10-year process of bringing it to market
Closeup photo of a branded one,
Martin looking dapper and posing with some,
I want to know how conversations go when random people ask Martin what kind of work he used to do. “Well, I made the world’s first cell phone call.” “Uhm… right. Sure. Time for your meds, isn’t it?” “Type my name into Wikipedia.”
EDIT , accuracy update from mindbleach@sh.itjust.works in thread.
the first commercially sold cellular phone
About that. There’s a reason the ad specifies “portable” and Wikipedia specifies “handheld.” Cell phones used to be vehicle-mounted. Car phones are why there were networks available for this device to use. Commercial options in northern Europe were recognizably cellular by 1971 in Finland (though active calls wouldn’t transfer between cells).
It’s one of those topics were “first” requires haggling about definitions, and you wind up categorizing glorified CB radios. In the US that would’ve been Bell’s Mobile Telephone System, 1946, St. Louis.
Thanks! Will edit post for accuracy.
Aw man, I remember these dudes running around in the busiest of hours and streets, phoning loudly “sell all!”, “fire them!” And other “look how important I am”-talks 😁
AS a tech nerd I really loved the shit, but I hate phones. Never answer them anyway, they’re just for emergencies.
