Also known as “the brick,” Motorola’s Lazer was first introduced on the market in 1984. Weighing a whopping two pounds, priced at almost $4,000 with a half-hour talk limit before needing charging, it was an instant hit.

The Motorola phone has roots tracing back to the early 1970s. At the same time, the Federal Communications Commission was giving AT&T the green light to build a network to provide wireless service in local markets. AT&T was also considering its own wireless phone.

More than a decade and millions of dollars later, the analog phone was released in 1983 and stayed in the market until the mid 1990s, shrinking in size until it was recast as the Motorola Razr in the early 2000s.

An interesting 80s retro sidenote: Shops in China are hacking old versions and selling them with new color LCD screen and component. The LCD is only 4096 colors. All the menu works but the shortcut buttons is at the bottom part of the keypad, instead of under the LCD screen.

The MuMoH physical collection includes a later 1980s model, no serial number.

References:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7432915/
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/retro-brick-cellphone-modern-gsm-guts-inside-237967.php