When did you get a mobile phone?

[manicinsomniac]

I've always known I was late getting one (got a bright blue Motorola brick for Christmas 2000 and I was very excited! ) but I don't remember seeing them until 1997 or so and tv/films from the 90s don't seem to feature them much.

But I've just been reading about mobile phone history (thrilling, I know - fell down the internet black hole!) and apparently there were handsets available from 1985 (1983 in the US) and the first non brick flip phone came out in 1988. I'm really surprised.

When did you get your first phone?

About 2000. Was a Motorola.
I was at uni from 95 to 98 and virtually no one had a mobile.

It was about 1996 I think. I was the first of my friends to buy one and it cost £70 which was quite a lot of money 24 years ago.

1997

My boyfriend at the time wouldn't let me have one so I split up with him January 1997 and got one, motorola on 'one to one, with free evening and weekend calls (landline only) on a 12 month contract for about £22 a month.

Next I had a Nokia banana phone.

Not sure when but was a Nokia 3310. Lived changing the covers..such fun lol

A Motorola in 2002. It had predictive texting!

1997

I think possibly Christmas 1997. My dad bought me one for use if I broke down in my car. I didn't really want it so kept it in my car and never used it. My car was broken into and the phone was stolen in either 1998 or 1999.

I got Alcatel in 2001

Nokia 3310. I got a contract phone, ex-H failed the credit check 😂

It was about 1999/2000 when I would occasionally use my mum's to text or call home if I was out for the day. I got my own (sliding samsung on contract!) In 2004 when I was 19.

1997. I was expecting DC1 and had an unreliable banger of a car so It was only in case of emergencies.

I still have the same number and have changed companies once, handsets maybe 7 times in 23 years. Always cheap models.

I WOULD have kept my last handset longer but they booted me off WhatsApp. Living without constant pings from WhatsApp was wonderful until my current (2nd hand) iPhone arrived.

I do remember lookibg through the tariffs in the argos catalogue in the late 90s wishing I would get bought a Nokia for Christmas!

I got my first phone when I was 13, I remember my dad had got an upgrade so he gave me his, then about 6 months later he’d got another upgrade but i sweat talked him into it when he was drunk and ended up with the new phone, a Nokia 3210. Then at Christmas that year I got a 3310. Pretty much got the newest one every time from then on out. Till I moved to Apple in 2010 and that’s it 😊

That was in 2002

Actually 2001

I was 22 I think, or 23. So around 2000.

1997. Was my 3rd year at university. I was thrilled with it, despite it only being able to store ten short text messages at once.