What year did cellular phones become available to consumers?

The first commercially available handheld cell phone went on sale in 1984. The phone was the Motorola DynaTAC, and it was produced by Motorola following more than a decade of research and development.

The first cell phone call was made on April 3, 1973, from a prototype of the Motorola DynaTAC. However, it was not until 1982 that the Federal Communications Commission authorized commercial cellular phone service in the United States. Motorola's DynaTAC finally received approval from the FCC the following year. It initially went on sale for $4,000. Although portable, it was 9 inches long and weighed 2 1/2 pounds. The phone was the invention of Dr. Martin Cooper and his team at Motorola's systems division.