Motorola DynaTAC

Motorola DynaTAC

Motorola, Inc. produced the DynaTAC line of mobile phones between 1983 and 1994. The U.S. FCC granted certification for the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X commercial portable cell phone on September 21, 1983. It offered 30 minutes of call time and a full charge took about 10 hours. Moreover, it provided a 30-number LED display for dialling or recalling phone numbers. In 1984, the year of its commercial introduction, it was available for $3,995, which works out to $10,420 in 2021. The term "Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage" was referred to as DynaTAC.

Following the 8000s in 1985, a number more models were produced, with updates occurring more often over the years until the 1993 release of the Classic II. The significantly smaller Motorola MicroTAC took the place of the DynaTAC in the majority of jobs when  it was first introduced in 1989, and by the time of the Motorola StarTAC's release in 1996, it was obsolete.

Description 

Between 1973 and 1983, several prototypes were created. The product was 10 inches (25 cm) high without the flexible "rubber duck" whip antenna and weighed 28 ounces (790 g). It had a 12-key standard telephone keypad and nine additional special keys:

·         Rcl (recall)

·         Clr (clear)

·         Snd (send)

·         Sto (store)

·         Fcn (function)

·         End

·         Pwr (power)

·         Lock

·         Vol (volume)

It made use of some ALOHAnet system technology, such as metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transceiver and modem technology.

Variants

Red LEDs were used in the LED displays of the DynaTAC 8 Series, Classic, Classic II, Ultra Classic, and Ultra Classic II; green LEDs were used in the DynaTAC International Series, and a vacuum fluorescent display was used in the DynaTAC 6000XL. The information that could be displayed on these panels was severely constrained. A call could last for up to 60 minutes on the battery before needing to be recharged for up to 10 hours in a trickle charger or for one hour in a rapid charger, which was an additional item.  The 6000XL, while still carrying the DynaTAC moniker, was totally different from the DynaTAC 8000 Series in that it was a portable phone designed to be installed in a car. Later, the 6000XL was redesigned as the Motorola Tough Talker, with a ruggedized build intended for construction sites, emergency workers, and special events planners.

The DynaTAC Series was succeeded by the MicroTAC Series in 1989.

Legacy

The DynaTAC models running on AMPS or other analogue networks are largely out of date as a result of the elimination of analogue network cells almost everywhere in the world. They are therefore more of a collectible than a functional phone. However, only GSM 900 cells will support the International series.

Due to the DynaTac 8000X's size and weight resembling a typical clay-fired brick, consumers gave it the moniker "brick phone." This phrase was also used to refer to other brands in contrast to the smaller handsets that debuted in the 1990s.