This is the CDMA version of the StarTAC and can only be activated on a CDMA MVNO like PagePlus. Although Verizon and Sprint are CDMA carriers, they will not activate the phone as it is not e911 compliant. Also, there is no SIM card on this phone. The only ones I am aware of that have a SIM are the GSM versions 7000g and 8000g, which take credit card-sized SIMs. If you don't have one of those stop trying to open your phone you will just end up damaging it!
This phone version was released January 1999 (first StarTACs came out in January 1996), updated with software version 7654 which was released end of February/early March 2002, which makes it 2-way SMS text capable! I actually used this phone for a whole week, it was definitely a conversation piece and good for some laughs.
Hello all, One day on YouTube I stumbled upon a video of a gentleman who had discovered you could still successfully activate a CDMA Motorola StarTAC on the Page Plus network. He mentioned that Verizon won't activate them, which I later discovered was due to the phone's lack of an E911 GPS chip. However, Page Plus will, even though it's still same network. I decided to try it for myself. I found a Verizon branded Motorola StarTAC 7868W on eBay, and sure enough, I got it successfully activated!
The reception is excellent, and the voice quality is something I've never experienced on any other cell phone, by far. Plus, the 1100MAh battery lasts for what seems like forever, even though it's 10 years old.
The phone had recent calls from 2003 in it, to give you an idea. I've since picked up the Motorola in-car handsfree kit, Clip-On organizer, and the handsfree speakerphone attachment. It's been a lot of fun taking it around with me and seeing people's reactions when it rings and I pull it out to answer it. Always a good conversation starter.
Here's a picture: - Later on, I also came across an old AirTouch branded CDMA Qualcomm QCP 860 that I picked up for pretty cheap too. Except for the battery being lousy, it works great too!
Download free How To Activate Motorola Startac. This is a video on how to program a old school Motorola StarTac cell phone to work on today's high tech. This is the CDMA version of the StarTAC and can only be activated on a CDMA MVNO like PagePlus. Although Verizon and Sprint are CDMA carriers, they will not activate the phone as it is not e911 compliant.
Thought you all might get a kick out of these phones still being usable. Maybe you've got a CDMA phone lying around you could try resurrecting?