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Motorola StarTAC 70 “Rainbow Edition”: The Ultra-Rare Multicolor Icon of the GSM Era
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: S (Ultra Rare)
⭐ WOW Factor: A factory-produced StarTAC in full multicolor Rainbow livery is one of the most elusive special editions Motorola ever released.
👁 Evaluation in my collection: BNIB – 10/10
⏱ Life timer: N/A | 📦 Boxed: YES
📅 Release Year: 1996 | 💰 Release Price: More than 1000 $
📊 Units Sold: ~30k
📰 Why this phone matters: The Motorola StarTAC 70 Rainbow Edition is not just rare, it is one of the hardest to find and most aggressively hunted special editions ever created in the StarTAC lineage. Even among collectors of 90s GSM icons, the Rainbow sits in a tier of its own, a true ultra variant that almost never appears in genuine form. While over 60 million StarTACs were sold worldwide, the authentic Rainbow Edition represents a microscopic fraction of production, making it one of Motorola’s most elusive and valuable designs.Born from Motorola’s brief but daring attempt to break into the youth market, the Rainbow Edition abandoned every established rule. Instead of corporate black, it exploded in a palette of red, green, blue and yellow molded plastics. This was not a repaint or a gimmick. These colors were factory produced, region specific, and offered only in small numbers through select operators such as MoviStar and Telefonica. The visual impact was radical, and at a time dominated by monochrome Nokia bricks, this phone looked like nothing else on Earth.
The Rainbow was a commercial anomaly, too bold for the mainstream and too ahead of its time for conservative users, and because of that, extremely few survived. Its scarcity has driven collectors into near obsessive authentication hunts, especially with the flood of counterfeits and repainted shells that appeared over the years. Genuine units, with original multi tone housings and correct operator branding, are considered trophy level acquisitions.
This device is BNIB and fully functional, preserved in a condition that is virtually unheard of for this variant. And even more extraordinary, there are two BNIB Rainbow StarTAC 70 units in the collection. Owning even one authentic Rainbow is already almost impossible. Having two boxed originals elevates the rarity to a level normally reserved for museum archives or private corporate vaults.
The original box, with its dramatic rainbow arc and cosmic blue background, was produced only for this version, reinforcing how intentionally Motorola treated this colorway. Everything about this edition was designed to break conventions and redefine what a mobile phone could look like.
Today, the StarTAC 70 Rainbow Edition is considered one of the most desirable, visually unique and aggressively rare special editions ever created in the early GSM era. It is not just a phone, it is a declaration of design rebellion, a historical anomaly, and a centerpiece for any serious collector of mobile icons.
📝 Reviews when released: N/A 💔
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Motorola StarTAC 70: The Early Grey Flip Legend
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: B (Uncommon)
⭐ WOW Factor: First ever clamshell mobile
👁 Evaluation in my collection: Great – 9/10
⏱ Life timer: N/A | 📦 Boxed: NO
📅 Release Year: 1996 | 💰 Release Price: More than 1000 $
📊 Units Sold: ~4M
📰 Why this phone matters: The Motorola StarTAC 70 stands as one of the earliest and most historically significant variants of the legendary StarTAC family, the first true clamshell (flip) mobile phone ever released. Introduced shortly after the landmark 1996 launch, the StarTAC 70 preserved the original revolutionary design while offering improved digital GSM functionality, refined internal boards, and sturdier mechanical tolerances compared to the earliest production runs. It belongs to the foundational generation of StarTAC devices that bridged the analog-to-digital transition and helped define the identity of the modern mobile phone.This particular unit is in mint condition, fully working, and comes with a matching rare grey external battery. Grey StarTAC phones were produced in far lower quantities than the classic black versions, and grey batteries were even scarcer, often sold regionally or in limited early batches. Finding both components in matching grey and in such well-preserved condition is uncommon, placing this device among the rarer StarTAC 70 configurations still surviving today.
The StarTAC 70 retains the pure early design language that collectors value. Unlike later variants such as the StarTAC 85 or 130, which introduced more standardized housings and updated internal structures, the 70 is mechanically closer to the original 1996 models. It features the earlier-generation hinge architecture, slimmer battery rails, pre-2000 internal plastics, and the original tactile keypad dome sheets that defined the early StarTAC experience. These traits make it a more authentic representation of the original engineering philosophy.
Historically, the StarTAC series reshaped the global mobile market, becoming one of the first phones to achieve true mainstream popularity. With more than 60 million units sold, the design became iconic, influencing nearly all clamshell phones released during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The StarTAC’s upward-folding flip mechanism was the evolutionary successor to the MicroTAC and became the foundation of Motorola’s global dominance. In 2005, PC World ranked the StarTAC as one of the 50 greatest gadgets in history, underscoring its impact on consumer electronics.
The StarTAC 70 sits at a key point in this evolution. It helped solidify the device’s reputation during the early expansion of GSM networks, delivering the compactness, superb RF performance, and minimalist industrial design that made Motorola the preferred brand for business users of the time. Its perfectly balanced hinge action, clean clamshell silhouette, and ultra-portable size embody the design purity of the early StarTAC models before later variants pursued broader mass-market refinements.
As a mint-condition, fully functional example with a rare matching grey battery, this StarTAC 70 is an exceptional collector piece. Most surviving units have worn housings, hinge looseness, cracked antenna plastics, or mismatched batteries. A preserved, uniform grey configuration with flawless operation is exceedingly difficult to find. This unit captures a major historical moment in mobile engineering, representing one of Motorola’s most influential designs and the early era of compact digital GSM phones.
The StarTAC 70 remains a cornerstone of 1990s mobile history. Its significance lies not just in its rarity or preserved state, but in its direct connection to the original StarTAC architecture that forever changed mobile device design. For collectors, this mint grey StarTAC 70 with matching external battery stands as one of the finest surviving examples of Motorola’s early clamshell innovation.
📝 Reviews when released: N/A 💔
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Motorola StarTAC 85: The Black Heritage BNIB
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: C (Common)
👁 Evaluation in my collection: BNIB – 10/10
⏱ Life timer: 7m | 📦 Boxed: YES
📅 Release Year: 1997 | 💰 Release Price: More than 1000 $
📊 Units Sold: ~2M
📰 Why this phone matters: The Motorola StarTAC 85 is one of the most refined and well balanced GSM variants of the legendary StarTAC family, the first true clamshell mobile phones ever produced. Introduced in the late 1990s, the StarTAC 85 improved on earlier versions with updated internal circuitry, stronger radio performance, reinforced hinge tolerances, and better durability, while preserving the compact flip design that made the StarTAC line a global icon.This unit is BNIB and comes as a complete full box set. That is an extremely rare condition for any StarTAC model. Most StarTAC 85 units were opened and used heavily, which over time led to worn housings, loose hinges, cracked antennas, and missing accessories. A full retail package with original box, inserts, charger, accessories and documentation, in unused or near unused state, places this device in the very top collector category. Fully boxed StarTAC 85 sets are believed to represent well under a few percent of all surviving devices.
Within the StarTAC GSM lineup, the 85 sits between the early 70 series and the later 130 models. It keeps the early generation proportions and clean design that collectors like, but benefits from mid cycle engineering improvements that make it more reliable for long term use. These refinements include improved grounding on the main board, more stable GSM 900 and 1800 radio stages, reinforced hinge stops, updated keypad dome sheets for more consistent feedback, and stronger internal plastics around key stress points. Many technicians consider the 85 one of the most robust early StarTAC variants.
The StarTAC family itself reshaped the mobile industry. Evolving from the earlier MicroTAC series, the StarTAC introduced the fully folding clamshell format and made compact, pocket friendly phones a reality for a wide audience. More than 60 million StarTAC units were sold worldwide, and in 2005 PC World listed the StarTAC as one of the greatest gadgets of the past 50 years. The StarTAC 85 carries this heritage with its minimalist black housing, slim antenna, clear monochrome display, compact footprint and precise hinge motion.
For collectors, a BNIB Motorola StarTAC 85 is one of the most desirable ways to own a piece of this history. It preserves not only the device, but also the full retail experience from the late 1990s, exactly as it would have been received by a first owner at that time. The combination of complete box, unused or near unused condition, and the technically refined 85 hardware makes this example a true boxed black heritage piece in the StarTAC line.
This StarTAC 85 – The Boxed Black Heritage stands as a museum grade artifact from the golden era of Motorola engineering. It is one of the finest surviving examples of the most influential flip phone design ever created and a centerpiece for any serious mobile phone collection.
📝 Reviews when released: N/A 💔