LONDON, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of cell phones in Britain, the BBC reported.
The first British cell phone call was made across the Vodafone network Jan. 1, 1985.
Since that year, cell phones, known as mobile phones in Britain, have been purchased and used by nearly 90 percent of British citizens. Many Britons use the handset as their only phone, disposing of their landlines.
The first ever cell phone call was made in New York in 1973, but it was 10 years before the first commercial cell service was begun.
Mike Caudwell, spokesman for Vodafone, said the first cell phones cost about $4,000, were as big as a briefcase, and had a battery life of about 20 minutes.
"Despite that, they were hugely popular in the mid-80s," he said. "They became a yuppy must-have and a status symbol among young wealthy business folk."
