Motorola Micro Tac Classic
Product: Motorola Micro Tac Classic
Date of Design: 1992
Designer / Retailer: Motorola
Cost 1992: -
Cost 2007: £40
Retro Brick state…
The Motorola MicroTAC phone set a new design standard for 1989 with a flip-lid mouthpiece. As the smallest and lightest phone on the market, the unit weighed 12.3 ounces, measured 6.75 x 2.25 x 1.25 inches and retailed between £1,200 and £1,800… ouch. This phone is actually third generation of this particular design and was launched in 1991/2
‘This was a whole new direction for Motorola. New technological advances meant that the equipment could be radically downsized. And so began the quest to be the smallest, lightest and most portable. The original MicroTAC was a completely new design and was the first phone to use this radical flip. There are also few things about it which are quite unusual....
The small hole in the front of the flip gave you the impression that there was a microphone in the flip which was positioned directly in front of your mouth, however, the microphone is actually situated just behind a tiny hole in the main part of the phone just between the right hand hinge and the call end button on the bottom right.
Another puzzling design feature was the retractable aerial. In fact, the aerial does absolutely nothing as it is purely for show. The unit features an internal antenna, however, the pull up plastic was added after focus groups in the US felt that any phone should have a visible aerial. But for the country who put big big heavy metal fins on their cars in the 1950's to make them seem faster, this is not really surprising’
Competition
Nec and Nokia had been producing phones for a while as well but this model blew them away because it was (relatively speaking) so small and lightweight. Also a design classic – the first genuine flip phone. Ericsson R310
Product: R310
Date of Design: 2000
Designer / Retailer: Ericsson
Cost 2000: £200
Cost 2007: £100
Ericsson R310 was a revelation in 2000 and still remains a shining example of practical design. Aimed at the more intrepid mobile user, who might be likely to use the phone in the rain and possibly drop it, the R310 could survive submersion in water and even bounce! Compared to almost every other phone manufactured the R310 is the King of the ring, able to soak up punishment no other phone could contemplate.
The only drawbacks are that the R310is large and also heavy, meaning that when you’re in the middle of nowhere, in the rain, you’ve not traveled light. The battery life of the R310 and indeed Ericsson phones in general had to be regarded as questionable. So, the R310 might have been able to float, but you couldn’t use it to catch up with a long lost friend.
That said the R310 still sets the benchmark for mobile phone survivability and also waterproofing.
Competition
It was not until 2002 that Nokia launched the 5210. A much smaller and lighter phone, it had some shock resistant capabilities and could be considered ‘shower proof’ but could certainly not survive full submersion in water. Although it did feature an unquestionably better battery and superior suite of games.
Strengths Weaknesses
First, and still only truly waterproof phone. Expensive. Phonebook of 99 names Battery prone to failure. Weighs 173 grams Rubber eventually perishes. Dual Band Range of funky covers. Shock resistant. People still want to own one Motorola Startac
Product: Motorola Startac
Date of Design: 1997
Designer / Retailer: Samsung
Cost 1997: £300
Cost 2007: £30
What they said…
PC World in April 2007 short listed the StarTac as one of the top 50 Tech products of all time.
‘Before the StarTAC, mobile phones were enormous bricks that users were almost embarrassed to be seen with. Then came this svelte little number, weighing about a mere 3.1 ounces and sporting a clever clamshell design that had never been seen before. It soon became the cell phone to own, remaining so for half a decade and inspiring a legion of mobile phones to follow. Think it's a monster by today's standards? Motorola's megapopular Motorola Razr is a direct descendant of the StarTAC, and it's 0.2 ounces heavier." ...sporting a clever clamshell design that had never been seen before."
Not quite sure I agree with the last comment as it more than resembles the clamshell designs from Star Trek, Blake Seven and other sci-fi shows that we thought would never be brought to life.
Competition
The StarTac really did stand out from the crowd, when you look at the array of alter- native bricks that your consumer could buy in 1996/7. Prior to the StarTac phones were perceived as functional items that were not really for everyday use. I.e. they were marketed at ‘sensible’ business people who wanted to buy something durable, robust and ‘business like’ Think of design relating to PC’s, home phones, TV’s, early laptops, HiFi’s of this period and everything was built to look sturdy, built to last. Even Bang and Olufsen and other design led products were big heavy and sturdy.
Tech products were not consumables that would be replaced in 18 months time, they were not an everyday item only something for Business or to keep in the car unless you broke down.
Strengths Weaknesses
Design Classic Antennae’s had a habit of breaking First Flip Easy to use One of the first with call vibration Still retro favourite today Phonebook of 100 names People still want to own one Nokia 5110
Product: Nokia 5110
Date of Design: 1998
Designer / Retailer: Nokia
Cost 1997: £150
Cost 2007: £30
What they said…
The 5110 is extremely well made: Built to last
“The Nokia 5110 is still the ubiquitous mobile and still 10 years on one of the most popular phones sold second hand in developing countries today” – Olly Tagg, CMR
1997/98 was the time mobiles hit the mainstream. Over the next three years many peoples first mobile would have been the 5110.
A survey of staff at CMR has revealed that the 5110 was nearly everyone’s first phone! This includes younger and older members of staff, which suggests that the 5110 came at a time when mobile phones were really starting to have mass appeal.
Sturdy, robust and the first phone to be sold with exchangeable covers, the 5110 was a popular choice among consumers at the time.
Strengths Weaknesses
Robust and reliable Compared to its younger counterpart the Exchangeable covers 8210, the 5110 looks a little brick-like!s NOKIA 7110
Product: Nokia 7110
Date of Design: 1999
Designer / Retailer: Nokia
Cost 1999: £400
Cost 2007: £30
The Nokia 7110 was the natural successor to the 8110. Nokia successfully combined the cult appeal of The Matrix spring loaded cover with the first WAP phone. The 7110 had more moving parts than any other phone before it. This did lead to some reliability issues, but when it worked, it really worked. Nokia’s breakthrough roller paved the pay for the joystick that every modern phone now has. Nokia also set the precedent of what to expect from a high end phone, great functionality, access to the internet and a large screen, all added up to a very lucrative design. It was also the first phone to feature the game Snake II.
“Nokia has today announced the world's first media phone that is based on the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) in Mobile Media Mode. The new product has been designed to enable easy access to Internet content from a mobile phone.
The Nokia NaviRoller is another new innovation for quicker access to all functions of the phone. The user can scroll the menus and the phonebook functions using the Nokia NaviRoller. The selection in the menu is then made by clicking the Nokia NaviRoller. The roller can also be used for text input.
The display of the Nokia 7110 is almost 80 percent larger than in the Nokia 6110, yet the overall dimensions of the Nokia 7110 are smaller. The features of the new Nokia phone again exceed anything that has been seen in the industry before. The predictive text input method and the Nokia NaviRoller guarantee that the Nokia 7110 is easy to use, in spite of its extensive set of features” - Nokia Press Release
Competition
At the time no other phone could boast the range of feature available on the Nokia 7110. However it was still a relatively large phone. In the same year Ericsson released the T28 World. A phone half the size of the 7110 and much lighter. The T28 also had a funky flip function and boasted the game Tetris.
Strengths Weaknesses
First WAP Phone Many moving parts, which often failed. Cult status – Matrix Phone Successor Active Slide Phone WAP was not completely compatible with many Expanded Nokia’s repertoire of Asian languages internet sites, limiting its use. Easy to use – Nokia functionality Phonebook of 1000 names Weighs 150 grams Large Screen NaivRoller People still want to own one Nokia 8110 - ‘Banana Phone’
Product: Nokia 7110
Date of Design: 1996
Designer / Retailer: Nokia
Cost 1996: £300
Cost 2007: £30
The Nokia 8110 was the first phone to feature an active sliding cover. This cover slid over the buttons and extended to bring the handsets microphone nearer the users mouth. It was also one of the first phones to feature Asian languages as standard.
Nokia’s 1996 press release said: “Nokia Mobile Phones has today introduced a sophisticated new GSM phone uniquely designed to fit the contour of the human face. Commercially available in Singapore from 13 September, the Nokia 8110 is a high-end, light weight phone with elegant design, and enhanced quality and functionality.
The Nokia 8110 is the first of its kind in terms its ergonomics. It feels good in the hand and fits into any pocket. The revolutionary curved design fits the natural shape of your face. It has unique sliding mouthpiece for maximum voice quality. The mouthpiece, which has microphone embedded within it, both protects the keypad and slides forward to fit the contour of your chin.”
The 8110 gained cult status when it appeared alongside Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. In the film the 8110 has a spring loaded cover. In reality the cover was moved by hand, and it was not until the release of the 7110 that this cult feature was available to the public.
By the time The Matrix had been released the 8110 had already been on the market for three years. By this time the Nokia 7110 had been released. The 7110 featured WAP technology and had a genuine spring loaded cover, the 8110s Even though the 8110 was a more robust handset and despite the 7110 reliability issues the 8110s days were numbered.
Strengths Weaknesses
Rare Ergonomic Design No spring loaded slide. Cult status – Matrix Phone First Active Slide Phone One of the first phones to carry asian languages as standard Easy to use – Nokia functionality Phonebook of 125 names Weighs ‘only’ 125 grams People still want to own one