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{{Infobox Mobile |
| name = Motorola StarTAC
| image = MotorolaStarTAC.jpg
| size =
| screen = Digital: [[Liquid crystal display|LCD]]<br>AMPS: Segment [[Light-emitting diode|LED]], Alphanumeric LED
| networks = [[AMPS]], [[CDMA]], [[Time division multiple access|TDMA]], [[Global System for Mobile Communications|GSM]]
| size = 94 mm×55 mm×19 mm (130)
| weight = 94 g }}
The '''Motorola StarTAC''' was a [[clamshell]] [[mobile phone]] manufactured by [[Motorola]]. It was released on [[January 3]], [[1996]] and is noted for being the first clamshell mobile phone<ref name="fifty">{{cite news
| last = Tynan
| first = Dan
| coauthors =
| title = The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years
| work = [[PC World]]
| page = 2
| date = 2005-12-24
| url = http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,123950-page,2/article.html
| accessdate = 2006-09-10 }}</ref>. The StarTAC is the successor of the [[Motorola MicroTAC|MicroTAC]], a semi-clamshell design that had been launched in 1989<ref>{{cite press release
| title = Motorola introduces ultra lite 5.9 ounce cellular telephone - MicroTac Ultra Lite Telephone
| publisher = Mobile Phone News; PBI Media, LLC; Gale Group
| date = 1992-02-10
| url = http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3457/is_n18_v10/ai_12627981
| accessdate = 2006-09-10 }}</ref>. Whereas the MicroTAC's shell folded down from below the keypad, the StarTAC folded up from above the [[Light-emitting diode|LED]] / [[Liquid crystal display|LCD]] display screen. In 2005, ''[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]'' put StarTAC at #6 in ''The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years''<ref name="fifty"/>.
==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:StarTAC.jpg|frame||left|Analog StarTAC with Alphanumeric display{{rfu-c|[[2006-12-28]]}}{{replacethisimage}}]] -->
===North America===
StarTAC was unveiled in [[North America]] in January 3, 1996 as the "StarTAC Wearable Cellular Telephone."<ref name="release">{{cite news
| title = The smallest cell phone
| work = [[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]
| date = 1996-01-04
| url = http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_19960104/ai_n10237671
| accessdate = 2006-09-10 }}</ref> Then the smallest cell phone available, this [[AMPS]] phone was an immediate success. Successor [[TDMA]] and [[CDMA]] StarTACs were equally popular. [[GSM]] models were available in North America through Powertel and other early GSM carriers. StarTACs remained popular until the early [[2000]]s, appearing in many Hollywood [[film|movies]] of the period like ''[[8mm (film)|8mm]]'' starring [[Nicolas Cage]].Many MicroTAC owners switched to this particular model due to its compact size and light weight.
===Europe===
The phone was released in [[Europe]] as a single band 900MHz GSM telephone in [[1997]]. Despite the advanced technology, it never became a great success in Europe.{{fact|date=May 2007}} While the StarTAC was not a great success, its direct successors (the early Motorola V series) were very popular in Europe until about 2003.{{fact|date=May 2007}}
==Key Features==
Some key features of the Motorola StarTAC were:
* [[Short message service|SMS]] text messages, although only the later models had the capability to send messages.
* Introduced clamshell design
* 88 grams<ref>{{cite web
| title = Motorola StarTAC Cellular Phone
| publisher = Integrated Electronics Engineering Center
| date = 1996-08
| url = http://www.ieec.binghamton.edu/ieec/teardown/motorola_star_tac_cellular_phone.htm
| accessdate = 2006-09-10 }}</ref> (3.1 ounces<ref name="release"/>)
* It could use an optional [[Li-ion]] battery, at a time when most phones were restricted to short-duration [[NiMH]] batteries
* It had a vibrating ring, "''VibraCall''", the first [[vibration]] feature on a phone. It was then only used by Motorola, as they held the patent<ref name="fifty"/>.
==StarTAC 2004==
The StarTAC name was revived in 2004 for a new model designed for the [[South Korea]]n market. It had:
*A 128×160 262,000 TFT Color LCD
*64-channel sound
*A [[Mobile Banking]] feature supported by [[SK Telecom]]
*A 2,800-entry contact book
In addition, a version with an 18k gold directional keypad, and brightwork was released as StarTAC 2004 SE.
==Clamshell
Motorola continued to develop clamshell mobile phones. As of 2005 the latest use of the design by Motorola can be seen in the [[Motorola RAZR V3|RAZR]], [[Motorola KRZR K1|KRZR]], and the [[Motorola PEBL|PEBL]].
==See Also==
*[[Motorola DynaTAC]]
*[[Motorola MicroTAC]]
==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}
{{Motorola phones}}
[[Category:Motorola mobile phones|StarTAC]]
[[Category:1996 introductions]]
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