RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES 1996
Ah, the classic flip phone that everyone owned in 1996. No, hang on, what’s this abomination?
The Motorola Razr, with that satisfying ‘SNAP’ when it closed, remains forever lodged in the public consciousness. But it was no pioneer when it rocked up in 2004, eight years behind Motorola’s own StarTAC. And although the older phone might not be a looker to modern eyes, in 1996 it was revolutionary. It was practically wafer-thin (19mm), weighed less than half an iPhone 11, and had the added advantage of looking like a Star Trek communicator.
I’m not convinced that is a bonus. So why was the StarTAC so good, then?