45 Famous Phones from Pop Culture
 | August 9, 2024 | 9 min read |
Phones are an everyday part of our lives, serving as a portal to the interconnected world where we work, consume and play. Art imitates life, so it makes sense that phones are also abundant in movies and television. Sometimes they are a minor detail that blends into the fabric of the story and other times they play a vital role in propelling the plot.
Phones may also represent a unique characteristic of a character or act as a clue, red herring or comedic element. Mobile phone technology has advanced significantly since its invention in 1973, so the inclusion of a phone in a movie or TV show can help creators establish the setting or even make a production seem outdated. Throughout film and television history, creators have used real-life and fictional phones alike to set the scene in their fictional worlds. Did you know that fictional phones in science fiction may have even sparked the invention of phones as we know them today?
The team at Ooma did a deep dive into the history of phones in movies and television to create this fascinating visual timeline. You will discover the first instance of a video phone in film (perhaps way earlier than you might think!), the first appearance of a mobile phone and other fun fictional phone trivia.
What was the first mobile phone in a movie?
When did cell phones first appear in movies? The first appearance of a mobile phone in a movie was in the 1987 film Wall Street in the form of a Motorola DynaTAC 8000x. When commercial mobile phones launched in 1983, only the ultra-wealthy could afford the hefty price tag of $3,995 (or nearly $12,600 in today’s dollars). This created an initial association with status and greed for the colloquial “brick phone.” Therefore, it was fitting that the notorious corporate villain Gordon Gekko flaunted the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x on the beach during an early morning call in which he proclaims: “Money never sleeps, pal.”
What was the first video phone in a movie?
In the avant-garde 1927 German science-fiction film Metropolis, characters are shown using large, wall-mounted devices that were capable of two-way video communication. They were equipped with dials that could pinpoint the correct call location frequency and adjust video quality. This is in essence the first appearance of a video phone in film. In fact, many historians and cinematic scholars credit director Fritz Lang as the “inventor” of the video phone. Considering the first commercially available videophone appeared around thirty years later in the 1960s, it was an impressive venture of imagination.
What was the phone in The Matrix?
What kind of phone did Neo use in The Matrix? It was a Nokia 8110 that was modified with a spring-loaded keyboard cover. The Nokia 8110 was released in 1996, three years before the revolutionary premiere of The Matrix. At the time, it was considered a high-end device packed with innovative features such as the monochrome graphic LCD and a slide-out mechanism (which was the first of its kind). It was also known as being the smallest and lightest phone in Nokia’s collection. Its bowed shape earned it the nickname “banana phone.” The production designer of The Matrix chose this phone because it was popular and well-known at the time, helping establish the setting as an alternate 1999.
Samsung became the phone provider for The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and the new Matrix phone became the Samsung SPH-N270. The design crew of the Matrix worked closely in collaboration with Samsung to develop a custom phone that fit flawlessly into the world of The Matrix. Its release date was also tailored to line up with the premiere of the film. One of its most impressive and iconic features is the spring-loaded earpiece that snaps up to reveal the display. Another notable feature at the time was its voice integration. Users could speak a contact’s name to trigger a call. Phone digits could also be spoken to initiate a call even if they did not belong to a saved contact. When the phone is turned off, the message “GOOD BYE” is shown, reminiscent of Neo’s first encounter with the Matrix.
The Samsung SPH-N270 was not intended for everyday use and was marketed solely to fans of the series as a rare, high-quality collector’s item. According to Wikipedia, only about 10,000 of these phones were produced. Online auction listings are far and few between and can fetch up to a few thousand dollars.
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The 45 most iconic phones from movies and television shows
Note: Dates listed are when the device first appears in the source material to create a more accurate timeline of fictional phone evolution.
Phone | Description/Trivia |
|---|---|
Video phone Metropolis (1927) | Large, wall-mounted device with several dials that could control call location frequency and video quality. Many cinematic scholars believe director Fritz Lang made history by “inventing” the video phone. |
Wall video phone Modern Times (1936) | Large wall-mounted screen capable of two-way video communication. |
Candlestick phone The Andy Griffith Show (1960) | Calls connect to Sarah, the switchboard operator of Mayberry. She is known to eavesdrop on calls. |
Toy phone Twilight Zone (1961) | Sinister toy phone given to a boy by his possessive grandmother in the episode “Long Distance Call.” |
Videophone The Jetsons (1962) | Appliance capable of video calls. There were also video phone booths known as Visaphones. |
TARDIS Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child (1963) | In 1996, BBC was involved in a patent battle for the blue police call box form with the Metropolitan Police in London. BBC ultimately won the rights to the trademark. |
Shoe Phone Get Smart (1965) | Original Shoe Phone props have sold for between $15,000 and $25,000 in auctions. |
Communicator Star Trek: The Original Series (1966) | “…Flipping it open’s the best part.” ~ Christopher Pike Dr. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the modern mobile phone, credits the Communicator as his inspiration. |
Batphone Batman (1966) | Commissioner Gordon could directly contact Batman and Robin for help with the press of a black button (as the phone number was unlisted). |
Picturephone 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) | Video telecommunications device that is common in homes and businesses in industrialized areas of Earth (and on Space Station V). |
Imperial Comlink Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) | Handheld communication devices used by Stormtroopers. |
E.T.’s Communicator E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) | Makeshift communicator crafted from materials such as a record player, buzz saw blade, a Speak & Spell toy, a coffee can and a knife. |
VID-PHŌN Blade Runner (1982) | Video telecommunication technology that was invented in 2019 (in the Blade Runner universe). |
Picture phone Pee-wee’s Playhouse (1986) | The can receiver was a Del Monte Fruit Cocktail can except for in the Ice Scream Shop episode, when it was a Del Monte Sweet Peas can. |
Gordon Gekko’s Cell Phone Wall Street (1987) | A Motorola DynaTAC mobile phone. At the time, it was top of the line tech that featured a 30-minute battery life after a 10-hour full-charge. |
Communicator Badge Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) | Shaped like the Starfleet insignia, these badges were activated by a tap and featured a universal translator. |
Zack Morris’ Brick Phone Saved By the Bell (1989) | It was likely a Motorola DynaTAC, the first commercially available mobile phone. |
Phone booth Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) | Time machine that appears as a traditional phone booth with antenna attached on top. |
2-Way Wrist Radio Dick Tracy (1990) | During its conception in 1946, creator Chester Gould reportedly consulted with engineer Al Gross, a pioneer in the field of wireless communication. |
Clear Conairphone Clarissa Explains It All (1991) | Should transparent electronics make a comeback? |
Flip phone Clueless (1995) | Valley girls Cher and Dionne wouldn’t be caught dead without their flip phones! |
“Show me the money!” flip phone Jerry Maguire (1996) | Used in a lively call with football player Rod Tidwell regarding Jerry’s role as his agent. |
Global Earth: Final Conflict (1997) | The Global’s phone display pulled out from the side of the main device, making it an early example of a flexible display. The series was based on concepts by Star Trek’s Gene Roddenberry. |
James Bond’s Ericsson JB988 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) | Equipped with incredible features such as a touch pad remote control for his BMW 750iL, a fingerprint scanner, lock pick and 20,000 volt taser. |
Cell phone The Matrix (1999) | Altered Nokia 8110. It was chosen because it was one of the only well-known cell phone models at the time and the film setting was intended to resemble an alternate 1999. |
Shellphone SpongeBob SquarePants (1999) | First appears in “Jellyfishing,” the show’s third episode. Sometimes it featured an antenna, other times not. |
Motorola DynaTAC cell phone American Psycho (2000) | Patrick Bateman uses it to make a reservation at Dorsia. |
Tiny phone Zoolander (2001) | A tiny flip phone for people who can’t talk good. |
Cell phone The Matrix Reloaded (2003) | Samsung SPH-N270 – a custom model and design made specifically for the film. It featured a spring-loaded earpiece which snapped up to reveal the screen. |
X-Phone X2: X-Men United (2003) | Communications device used by the X-Men. |
Glass Case of Emotion Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) | A phone booth in which Ron Burgundy delivers agonizing news to a colleague. |
Andy’s Sidekick The Devil Wears Prada (2006) | Believed to be the first major film to feature a T-Mobile Sidekick, one of the first phones to feature instant messaging as a primary function. |
Hamburger phone Juno (2007) | The hamburger phone was deliberately noted in writer Diablo Cody’s first script. She used to talk for hours to her high school boyfriend on a hamburger phone. |
Tony Stark’s LG VX9400 Iron Man (2008) | Stark used the horizontally rotating screen to make video calls. |
Nokia N91 Taken (2008) | A man with a very particular set of skills used this phone to communicate with kidnappers. |
LG Glass Slab Iron Man 2 (2010) | This phone does not truly exist (yet), but it may have been inspired by the LG GD900 Crystal. |
eyePhone Futurama (2010) | Electronic device that is inserted into the eye. It sends and receives Twits, records and uploads videos and even functions as a phone. |
Nokia N8 Hacker Phone Tron: Legacy (2010) | Used as a hacking device by Sam Flynn. |
Sabre Pyramid The Office (2011) | “Your portable pyramid to everything in space and time.” |
Hello Kitty cellphone Breaking Bad (2013) | Don’t let its innocent appearance deceive you. |
Hand terminal The Expanse (2015) | Personal smart device that acts as a video communicator, personal data manager, remote control device, and access control key. |
Vivo V3 Max Captain America: Civil War (2016) | This mid-range phone manufactured in China never became available in the U.S. |
Trifold Tablet Westworld (2016) | A foldable smartphone capable of programming artificial hosts, GPS tracking, making calls, and more. |
Smartphone Black Mirror (2016) | Device equipped with RateMe, a social media app used to rate social interactions with others. |
Disconnected Phone The Black Phone (2021) | Ominous wall-mounted phone that rings despite being disconnected. |
Related: The Best Phones in ’80s Movies
Husain Sumra is a former journalist who reported on the biggest companies in tech, from Apple to Amazon, covering cloud services, consumer technology and communication solutions. His journalism background has helped him bring a customer-first approach to content marketing, creating pieces of content aimed at helping people.
