A GRANDFATHER from Cardiff has been named the owner of the UK’s oldest mobile after keeping hold of his “brick phone” from the 80s.
Mark Vanstone, 59, still has the vintage Motorola 4800X, which he first used for work as a service engineer when he was 25.
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The massive handset’s battery would only last about 30 minutes.
“We used to share the phone in work, whoever was on call at the weekends had the phone,” he explained.
“You put the 1.5kg mobile over your shoulder to carry home and the battery lasted about 30 minutes.”
His children find the device funny and ask him to bring it down at parties.
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But Mark gets the last laugh, as Mobile Phones Direct found that the model is for sale online for its original value of £1,000.
“My kids always ask me to bring the phone out, they think it’s hysterical,” he said.
“It started off with my children, who have now got their own children, and it has made its way down generations as a hysterical party piece.
“The phone still sits in the original case, and I still have the charger for it, so I bring it out at parties, and everyone loves it.
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“If you look back to the year that I got the phone – the year my daughter was born which is why I remember it so well – the phone was worth £1,000.
“It was stupidly expensive for that time; we have come a long way since then.”
Mark won an “as new” Samsung Galaxy S22 in the competition.
Dan Melia, Director of Networks at Mobile Phones Direct, said: “It’s fascinating to see the Motorola 4800X Mobile still in action, especially as Mark keeps it as a cherished piece of history to entertain his grandchildren.
“This illustrates the remarkable ability of phones to facilitate connects, whether it’s an antique phone bringing nostalgic joy to the entire family or a modern mobile allowing us to keep in touch with loved ones.”
If you’ve got a vintage smartphone it could be worth hundreds.
Check out the top models to look out for here.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
