Vintage 'New' Phone Ads That Are So Out of Date

And we thought they were the coolest thing ever

September 30, 2025 Add Cracked to Google

You probably cannot think of your current life without a smartphone, but there was a time when phone meant landline and nothing else. During that time, every new phone would try to revolutionize the market with groundbreaking technology and futuristic designs that caught everyone's eyes. However, looking back, they now look pretty ridiculous in most cases.

Cordless phones allowed people to take calls from anywhere, like the couch, their room, or even the bathroom. Lots of people thought that was going to be it, but phone companies continued innovating by putting phones in cars, which made sense at the time. Then, mobile phones appeared, and they evolved into tinier and tinier cellphones until becoming smart around the 2010s. And in every step of the way, there were cool-looking ads selling you the future of communications.

So, here are vintage ‘new’ phone ads that are so out of date you'd probably think they're fake if you weren't there.

Panasonic KX-T3000 cordless phone ad in 1988

د ABC 2 OH 4 OFF 3 JKL 5 MNO S TUV B OPER С # FLAM AUTO PROC - MAN will Panasonic Panasonic introduces a cordless telephone small enough to fit into your shirt pocket. And that's not even the big news. eliminated. The second helps prevent other The big news is that Panasonic put so much into such a small telephone. cordless phone owners from eavesdropping The KX-T3000 cordless comes with on your conversation. All this and more in a handset that folds in 10-station automatic dialing, Built-in half so it's small enough to fit into your shirt

Before cell phones were a concept, cordless phones were taking over the world as a groundbreaking invention.

Car or Carry

The first ever mobile phones were made for cars, because texting and driving wasn't a problem yet. Then, you could carry them outside of your car. Can you believe it?

Maxwell Portable Cellular Phone

Once you get past the price. you can see recharger car adapter, and a sleek, black RADIO SHACK GE STS MOTOROLA leather carrying case at no extra charge. NEC this portable cellular phone isn't the CT301 FEATURES MAXWELL MINI 8100L P9100 The Maxwell has a 15-day money back stripped down model you might expect. 6 WATTS POWER OUTPUT 6 WATTS 6 WATTS 6 WATTS a WATTS Quite the contrary. guarantee, so you can try it without hesi- DUAL NAM The Maxwell™ has features other phones tation. And it comes with a one year limited DISPLAY LCD LCD LCD LED LCD don't give you

Having the latest technology in your hands was always expensive.

1988 Lightweight Handheld Cellular Phone

PRICE AND TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGH! LIGHTWEIGHT HANDHELD CELLULAR PHONE Carry It Along With You to Make or Take Calls Wherever You Go! Keep in Touch When You're Out of Your Office, Home or Car Commercial Lease NEW FOR 88 149900 Make Last-Minute Calls Low As 4995 ESP Available Plus applicable sales/use tax The Most Affordable Portable Available Anywhere Fits in Your Briefcase-Only 1 1/2 Wide Weighs Only 28 Ounces, Including Batteries Includes Built-In Rechargeable Battery Pack, Antenna, Carrying Case and Strap Radio Shack CT-300. All the convenience of a full-feature cellular phone in a truly portable size! You can easily carry it

You could even use it on your boat!

1957's Ericofon

at last... ...the phone designed with your comfort in mind It's the exciting Ericofon-functional beauty in a totally new telephone... modern free-form design makes it the only truly decorative phone ... the Ericofon is по light-weight no more than the handset alone en old-fashioned phones... for the first time the dial comes to you -...dialing is so much easier, from any position, even in bed... only the Ericofon has the dial in the base-you dial from the most comfortable distance, angle and position. Six enchanting Ericofon colors add beauty to every room in your home. For literature in full color.

We don't want to ask about this one.

Garfield Phone

The Garfield Telephone NOW YOU'RE TALKIN' W hen you hang up. Garfield's eyes close What a fun phone! Lift the receiver, and Garfield's eyes open. All the latest features: last number re-dial and mute button for privacy. Compatible with rotary and tone systems; one year limited warranty. Real Phones for Real Fun By Тусо Tyco Industries Inc 540 Glen Avenue Moorestown, NI 08057 GARFIELD 1978 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

You have to admit that Garfield's eyes closing when you hung up was pretty cool.

Radio Shack ad

Radio Shack's New Cordless Phone/Clock Radio Ends Nightstand Nightmares Open Your Eyes to Organization. AM/FM Clock Radio. The 24-hour Tired of reaching over the radio to get alarm clock has a big 0.6 LED display with dimmer switch. You can wake to to the phone? Or knocking over the music or alarm. Or hit the snooze but- clock to turn on some music? Then it's ton for a few extra minutes of sleep. time to unclutter your nightstand with Radio Shack's Chronofone ET-380. Automatic battery backup maintains alarm function if power fails. Cordless Telephone. All the controls are in the

Cordless Phone AND Clock Radio? It was just too good to be true.

Cordless Extension Phone

They were right, telephones were never the same after this.

Motorola 1985 ad

This is a Motorola cellular DOB bre a le 1011092010 YO bavi portable boggar hamser is a telephone. oniupA was 2289 DOY rth and 220300 350m 15 200170100100 have home AGG feel to VROST esteld 64161 navolqme BLE nabau a ad anitas USA the mildiro the bab alrow той bas usuda guril 03 asovolome ПЕС 05 DO 9949 stambed Sidab asimsqmo elien of alist 10THST 101 ждо vision2 Sebh not consion lo out -008 art m fin the datah I I zen come إعداد poolo 0 enth area ahA edT adi one First in the market and first in use.

You would see this phone on TV all the time, so the ad didn't need to be over the top.

Nokia 9000

You could feel like a spy with this phone if you could fit it in your pocket.

Motorola MicroTAC in 1995

Save The Mushy Gifts For Valentine's Day Some gifts go straight to the heart; a Motorola cellular phone goes just about anywhere. They're durable, depend- able and they say you care. Motorola. The best-selling, most-preferred cellular phones in the world. MOTOROLA 118 DI SU ES

The perfect Valentine's Day gift.

Nokia 8200 series

Connect with style. NOKIA 09:310 8200 Series . Names Menu عما 20bc 4ght бола Sat Zeen Blue - WHK Digital Maria Three Designer Colors E-Mail Mobile Messaging NOKIA CONNECTING PEOPLE ...

There was a trend with the 90s and 2000s cellphones that would feature people dressing in the same colors as their phones, but that didn't happen in real life.