Motorola StarTAC (1996)

The early 90s was a race to see who could create small but usable mobile phones. Pocket-sized mobile phones were finally in, and Nokia was firmly established as king as of the mobile world. The StarTAC easily cemented its legacy as the first true “clamshell” phone, designed to flip open with a flick of your thumb, and a pull-out antenna to facilitate clearer connections.

If you watch any movies from this time, you’ll probably see a StarTAC at some point. Like many key mobile phone models, it became a status symbol and shorthand for exciting new technology. The price for this amazing flip phone? A hefty $1,000. Hey, maybe some things haven’t changed so much…