Mobile phone history

Do you remember when you bought your first mobile phone? Perhaps you were able to stump up the £3000 needed for a cell phone back in 1985, or perhaps you got mobile when digital came along in the early 90s, or when the first pay-as-you-go service began in 1997? Everyone has their own story.

Despite being as common as a Bic biro, the mobile phone has remained a highly visible 'badge' product, reflecting its owner's outlook and values. Whether you are a top executive or a teenager, certain phones have been the coolest on the planet for a short space of time.

In recent years, values of early mobile phones have nearly outstripped their cost back in the day. The mobile phone is now also a serious investment as well as an important piece of social history.

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New features:

Lost on the Tube

I spotted this ticket on a mobile phone in the Transport for London Lost Property Office in Baker Street. It was abandoned on the Tube in 1986. Read more: Mobiles left on the Tube

Nokia rinGo

Nokia's ultra basic rinGo came to the UK with Vodafone's Pay As You Talk package in 1997. Commentators thought it was no star, but Nokia denied it was a bimbo phone.

Ericsson EH237

The Ericsson EH237 was a classic Ericsson phone which swept the board with awards for design and usability back in 1994.

Price guide

How much is that old mobile phone lying in your desk drawer worth? Some are going for big money on eBay. Check out our Vintage mobiles price guide

What price a mobile phone?

How much did mobiles cost in the 80s and 90s? Read our new article about the most expensive phones. See How much did mobile phones cost?

First PAYG phone

Carphone Warehouse announced that sales of pre-pay mobiles slumped by 40% in the last months of 2011. Has the rise in smart phones, which make more sense with a contract, and the state of the economy, put paid to the UK's favourite way to buy a mobile?

We look at the first PAYG phone and how PAYG brought the first taste of mobile ownership to millions, back in the late 90s.