Today marks the 45th anniversary of an essential piece of technology we know maybe a little too well today, as the mobile phone hits four-and-a-half decades in the hands of Canadian consumers.
On April 3, 1973, Motorola unveiled the DynaTAC. Known as the 鈥渂rick鈥� phone, it measured 10 inches in length and weighed two pounds.
However, B.C. consumers had had to wait 10 years for the phone to pass federal approval in September of 1983 before they could invest $3,995 into the game-changing technology.
B.C. man Vid Wadhwani still remembers buying the phone 鈥� but said it was more for show than anything else.
鈥淏ecause there were not as many cell towers, calls dropped all the time. There were many parts of Vancouver and areas that did not have cell coverage,鈥� he said, noting it took years for the Marry Hill Bypass to gain reception.
But similar to today鈥檚 long lineups for the newest iPhone release, Wadhwani had to get his hands on the DynaTAC for both pleasure and work.
The phone carried a hefty price tag; about $9,000 in today鈥檚 dollars.
As a broker, taking calls at anytime from clients was a game changer, he said. Now a laughable memory of 鈥�80s pop culture, the phone was 鈥渕ost likely to impress the chicks,鈥� Wadhwani added.
In addition to spotty connection, the DynaTAC had its quirks, including some that wouldn鈥檛 fly in today鈥檚 world of constant communication. For one, an overnight charge got you 45 minutes of actual use.
鈥淏ack then you did not leave your phone on all the time,鈥� he said. 鈥淥nly when you thought you were going to need it.鈥�
And then there was the cost of actually making a call. Each call was roughly 60 cents per minute, which would be about $1.30 now.
鈥淚f you talked for 61 seconds, you were charged $1.20,鈥� he recalled.
Now owning the iPhone 8, with features like FaceTime and read receipts on text messages becoming commonplace amongst mobile users, Wadhwani said he never would have thought at the time that brick phone would be replaced by a mini-computer in his pocket.
鈥淸It鈥檚] a completely different world,鈥� he said. 鈥淰ery quick progression from back then that couldn鈥檛 have been imagined.鈥�
EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: Vid Wadhwani is a family member of Black Press Media reporter Ashley Wadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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