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 sa国际传媒渂ricksa国际传媒� 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 sa国际传媒� but said it was more for show than anything else.

sa国际传媒淏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,sa国际传媒� he said, noting it took years for the Marry Hill Bypass to gain reception.

But similar to todaysa国际传媒檚 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 todaysa国际传媒檚 dollars.

As a broker, taking calls at anytime from clients was a game changer, he said. Now a laughable memory of sa国际传媒�80s pop culture, the phone was sa国际传媒渕ost likely to impress the chicks,sa国际传媒� Wadhwani added.

In addition to spotty connection, the DynaTAC had its quirks, including some that wouldnsa国际传媒檛 fly in todaysa国际传媒檚 world of constant communication. For one, an overnight charge got you 45 minutes of actual use.

sa国际传媒淏ack then you did not leave your phone on all the time,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淥nly when you thought you were going to need it.sa国际传媒�

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.

sa国际传媒淚f you talked for 61 seconds, you were charged $1.20,sa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淸Itsa国际传媒檚] a completely different world,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淰ery quick progression from back then that couldnsa国际传媒檛 have been imagined.sa国际传媒�

EDITORsa国际传媒橲 NOTE: Vid Wadhwani is a family member of Black Press Media reporter Ashley Wadhwani

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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