7. Hagenuk MT-2000
Like many of the other early cell phones on this list, the Hagenuk MT-2000 made many firsts. The Hagenuk MT-2000 was the first cell phone with an internal antenna. All cell phones, from any manufacture, before this (and even after) had to have traditional antennas to boost their signal.
Additionally, the Hagenuk MT-2000 and its predecessor, the Hagenuk MT-900, were the first cell phones to have soft keys (buttons that have more than one function).
Despite its many firsts and Hagenuk getting into the GSM phone market early, both the Hagenuk MT-2000 and the company were not popular enough to survive the cell phone wars.
Hagenuk sold off its mobile phone division in 1995, just a year after the Hagenuk MT-2000’s release.
8. Motorola StarTAC
The Motorola StarTAC is perhaps one of the most iconic cell phones from the 1990s. It was the first true clamshell or flip phone and was a follow up to Motorola’s earlier MicroTAC, which was also a partial flip phone.
The StarTAC was very small by cell phone standards at the time and was essentially the first truly mobile phone. It was so small, that Motorola advertised that the StarTAC was a “wearable cell phone.” All you needed was a hip holster, which became incredibly popular accessories following the StarTAC’s release
The initial Motorola StarTAC model (3000) was followed up by many different versions that had additional features or came in special colors, like the Rainbow colorway released in 1998.
The Motorola StarTAC changed history by becoming the first cell phone to gain widespread consumer adoption.
