I’ve had bad luck trying to get review units of phones. The one place that has let me have a phone is my mother-in-law’s attic, so I present to you the Motorola Digital Personal Communicator for the BellSouth Mobility Network.
History
The DPC was introduced in 1989 as a lower-cost option for those not wanting to drop the change required for the 9800X.
Hardware
The DPC features a orange 7-character segment LED display, set in gray plastic above a back-on-white keypad. Beneath the standard layout, are the following feature keys:
- RCL
- PWR
- STO
- VOL
- CLR
- FCN
- SND
- END
Button presses are firm and solid, but not so hard that bruising will occur.
The battery pack is pretty large. With it attached, the phone is difficult to pocket. Without it, it doesn’t work. The battery is nearly the size of the iPhone.
The antenna pulls out of the top of the phone to extend for better reception. This action is smooth, and feels good, unlike the hinge for the speaker. It doesn’t flip open smoothly at all — it feels quite cheap.
The lines formed in the side of the case make it easy to hold on to the phone, despite the phone’s weight. It is nowhere as slippery as the iPhone.
Software
This review unit does not power on, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the software is rather simple for a day in age where iOS and Android rule the roost.