Your First Cell Phone

[Julie's Haircut]

I don't remember the particular model, but I got a Nokia cell phone similar to this in mid-1997.

I believe my plan was for 90 free minutes per month plus 10 cents per text. I figured that was WAY more than enough. Then when the first bill came in it was for over $200 because I far exceeded the 90 minutes.

Not too many people in the U.S. had cell phones back then. I visited Hong Kong in April 1997 and was surprised because it seemed EVERYBODY there was walking around with cells, from business executives to the old woman collecting cans from the trash for recycling. It didn't reach that level of saturation in the U.S. until years later.

 

[kimblebee]

This was the closest I could come to my first cell. It was back in 2006 or 07. I don’t remember the plan at all. I do remember that cheap calls started after 8 pm lol

 

[dotfurio]

I know it was Nokia and looked similar to the ones posted, but I can't even remember when I got it.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Mine was something like this, installed into the dash of my car (after a road rage incident).
Probably early to mid 90s.

 

[morgan98]

My first phone was some model of a Motorola flip phone, next was my pink Razor. I still have fond memories of that phone! I was a somewhat late adopter of the cell phone. I waited until 2001. I was cheap and it was not as essential back then.

 

[22Tink]

Mine looked like this. It was followed by a Nokia and then a silver Razer flip.

 

[mjkacmom]

https://goo.gl/images/adpESj

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

First cell phone was a flip phone for Christmas 2006 but I don't remember the model. After that I got the Sanyo Katana Eclipse X, promoted as being similar to the Razor, which is another flip phone and was one of my fav because of the light displays you could customize for specific people's phone calls or text messages.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Got my first in 2004 because I was going to college.
My dad was not very happy about it and yet then a few months later him and my mom got cell phones for themselves and then emailed me a pc that they took with them to show they not only got cell phones but CAMERA phones when I didn't get one with a camera!
It looked similar to this phone:

I got my dad back though because the next phone I got was a PINK razor and he broke his phone and asked to barrow mine until he was able to get to the store and he had to walk around using a pink phone lol.

 

[EscalatorKid]

I had an LG VX6000 that I got in August of 2004 as I was beginning college because I was commuting and my parents didn't want me knocking on random doors if I broke down along the way. I kept it for a while, replaced the battery a few times. It took abuse and was probably the most durable phone I ever had.

After that, I had a red Motorola Krzr that was a colossal turd of a phone, another LG flip phone, an iPhone 4S that the screen quit just after the warranty period ended, a Samsung Galaxy S5, and now an S8.

 

[Hikergirl]

My first phone was some model of a Motorola flip phone, next was my pink Razor. I still have fond memories of that phone! I was a somewhat late adopter of the cell phone. I waited until 2001. I was cheap and it was not as essential back then.

My first phone was a Nokia something just like the one in the OP.
I also had a pink Razr. I loved that phone, I still think it is the prettiest I've ever owned.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I think it was one of those big, heavy Nokia brick phones in about 1999-2000. I shared it with my then-fiance and of course every time I actually needed it I didn't have it. I think it only had a handful of minutes every month so we used it sparingly.

 

[LSUmiss]

I don't remember the particular model, but I got a Nokia cell phone similar to this in mid-1997.

I believe my plan was for 90 free minutes per month plus 10 cents per text. I figured that was WAY more than enough. Then when the first bill came in it was for over $200 because I far exceeded the 90 minutes.

Not too many people in the U.S. had cell phones back then. I visited Hong Kong in April 1997 and was surprised because it seemed EVERYBODY there was walking around with cells, from business executives to the old woman collecting cans from the trash for recycling. It didn't reach that level of saturation in the U.S. until years later.

This was my first too. 1998ish for me though. And I ALWAYS went over my minutes! Lol!

 

[Floridaman999]

My first cell was a Nokia as well. That phone was bullet proof.

 

[cvjw]

My first cell phone was a Nokia 1996 Olympic version. It came in a huge carrying bag for the car.

 

[bigbabyblues]

My first cell phone was a Motorola bag phone from 1994 or 1995. My papa wanted me to have it because I was 18 and working about forty minutes from home on evening and midnight shifts and it was winter time, and he was afraid I would have an accident or car trouble. I very rarely used it. I know the plan was for 20 minutes a month plus roaming charges--everywhere I went was "roaming" because we live in the sticks. I got a handheld phone in 1997 after I got married, similar to the one in the OP.

 

[disneychrista]

Mine was similar to the one in the OP. Got it I want to say in 98/99. It was $19.99/month for I think 100 minutes. Now I pay $40/month for unlimited everything.

 

[SteveH]

Bag phone. Sort of miss those days, when you didn't have the phones all over the place going off at inappropriate times.

 

[Dan Murphy]

1985, floor mounted in my car. Sending and receiving electronics in the trunk, antenna on the rear window (some people used to glue fake antennas on their rear windows to make it look like they had a phone ). Cables and wires under the carpeting.

Can't recall the brand. Cost was $795. Calls were 30 cents a minute, outgoing or incoming, same price. Additional $1.25 minute if roaming. Roaming was any distance about 30 miles out of home area. Phone calls only, no text or anything else.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

My first cell phone was a Motorola bag phone from 1994 or 1995. My papa wanted me to have it because I was 18 and working about forty minutes from home on evening and midnight shifts and it was winter time, and he was afraid I would have an accident or car trouble. I very rarely used it. I know the plan was for 20 minutes a month plus roaming charges--everywhere I went was "roaming" because we live in the sticks. I got a handheld phone in 1997 after I got married, similar to the one in the OP.

Ah, I had forgotten about roaming charges. A large chunk of my bill was roaming charges.

1985, floor mounted in my car. Sending and receiving electronics in the trunk, antenna on the rear window (some people used to glue fake antennas on their rear windows to make it look like they had a phone ). Cables and wires under the carpeting.

Can't recall the brand. Cost was $795. Calls were 30 cents a minute, outgoing or incoming, same price. Additional $1.25 minute if roaming. Roaming was any distance about 30 miles out of home area. Phone calls only, no text or anything else.

I remember seeing those fake antennas (and fake phones too) in the accessory section of auto parts stores. Gluing a fake antenna on your car was bad enough, but apparently some people held up the fake phones while driving too.

While searching for the above photos, I came across this nifty device. I definitely would have bought this if I had known about it.