MicroTAC
The Motorola MicroTAC 9800X; the first of many MicroTAC models produced over nearly a decade. | |
| Manufacturer | Motorola |
|---|---|
| First released | 1989 |
| Predecessor | DynaTAC |
| Successor | |
| Compatible networks | Advanced Mobile Phone System or GSM on Ameritech |
| Form factor | Flip |
| Data inputs | Push-button |
| Made in | U.S. |
The MicroTAC is a series of cellular phones that was marketed by Motorola from 1989 until approximately 2000. The MicroTACs pioneered a new "flip" design in cellular handsets that was considered innovative and more compact compared to previous "brick" phones, such as Motorola's own DynaTAC line.
The MicroTAC's design consisted of the "mouthpiece" being folded over the keypad. On later production models the "mouthpiece" was actually located in the base of the phone, along with the ringer. This set the standard and became the model for later clamshell design phones, which Motorola adopted in the StarTAC in 1996.
The first MicroTAC model was released for analog networks, while later there were also GSM-compatible and TDMA/Dual-Mode versions introduced in 1994. A CDMA MicroTAC was introduced in 1997.