Whenever people talk about the history of mobile phones (or “cell phones” for the Americans invariably reading this), we picture businessmen carrying large boxes with a phone attached to it. Then, that was followed by a huge brick with a thick antenna coming out of the top. Not as mobile as we have now. But there was a truly mobile mobile phone in the 80s and it could even fit into your pocket. It was called the Technophone PC105T.
In the video above, Janus Cycle explored the history and tech behind the Technophone PC105T. It was dubbed “the answer to cellular mobility” and came from the UK. It was released in 1986 and was the brainchild of Technophone’s founder Nils Martensson. The device took 3 years of design work and building, weighed just over half a kilo, included an 8-layer circuit board, integrated battery to retain the small form factor, and a flat keypad that used the same technology as the Sinclair ZX81.
Martensson sold the company to Nokia in 1991 and while Nokia kept the brand name for a while, it eventually succumbed to obscurity. But the phone won a plethora of awards until then thanks to Martensson’s ingenuity.