Motorola DynaTAC 8000X

The world's first hand portable mobile phone

• Date launched: 1983 (USA), 1985 (UK)
• Network: Various analogue
• Form: Brick
• Cost new: £3000
• Can you use it today: No

When mobile phones arrived in the UK in 1985, the handsets were most likely to be the Motorola 8000X. It was the world's first hand portable and had been available in the USA since 1983.

You could get the 8000X in three colour schemes, beige and cream, black and white, or white. BT had their own black and maroon livery.

These phones were a rare sight in 1985 and attracted attention. People were already noticing them on trains, in restaurants and on the street.

Although, big, heavy and awkward to use, they fulfilled a needed for which there was a pent up demand and those that could justify the enormous cost of the handsets at £3000, snapped them up eagerly.

In an attempt to make the 8000X more affordable, Motorola made a slightly cheaper model, the 8000S, which it launched in 1985. It had one fewer, button, but was otherwise similar. The saving was only around £300. Competition from other manufacturers, particular NEC, forced Motorola to cut the cost of its phones. The Motorola 8000X dropped from £3000 in 1985 to £599 by 1988. Motorola had already introduced a new phone by then, the 8500X.

Resources

Retrowow on Motorola 8000X

Wikipedia page - Motorola 8000X

Add your comments

"Hi I have a Motorola 7500 GSM flip phone in it's original box from BT. It has all the paperwork including it's intact sim card and it has all the electrical pieces charger etc as well. I want to sell it but I have no idea how much it is worth and as I want to do it for a charity I want the best possible price for it. Can you advise me what is the best way to do this please.

CarolineGIDRE" Caroline Carney 07/21/2013

"Hi Caroline, Boxed Motorola flip phones, the later GSM ones, sell for around £20 on eBay. best regards" Steven 07/23/2013

"Hi, I have a Graphite One to One Phone and box with the credit card type sim card sold by Currys years ago ? any value ??

Thank You Gary P

Also a fast charger for the brick phone vary rare charger ? & Phone" Gary Purcell 12/13/2014

"Nice phone." Baljeet Bhogal 02/18/2015

"i have 8000s with lots of battery's but only have in-car charger" brendan halpin 08/21/2015

"Chargers are quite easy to come by as the batteries were the same on later Motorola bricks. Best regards" Steven 08/22/2015

"Hi

I have a Motorola Accompli 008 boxed with 2 chargers, earphones, leather carry case. Is it worth selling or hanging on to?

Thanks" Jaani 02/02/2016

"Hi I have what I believe a old car phone
but cant find details of it.
its a Motorola ccuf217gb
any info would be great thanks in advance." richard roberts 07/23/2016

"i have a 1886 purchased mobiletronics pocket phone ,with charger and stand , made in england , cost me 4700 aussie dollars at the time , smallest phone available at the time" Barry 12/18/2016

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