Engaging with Communications

Nokia Mobira Cityman 1320

Released in 1987

Network = TACS

Weight = 750 g

Dimensions = 185mm x 40mm x 80mm

Battery Life = unknown

Motorola dominated the early development of the mobile phone but a challenge was to emerge from Finland. Nokia-Mobira Oy had been established in 1984 to produce transportables for the Nordic Mobile Telephony (NMT) network. However, the Nokia-Mobira Cityman 1320 was their first truly hand held mobile. It was released in 1987 and became a direct competitor to the Motorola 8000X range. By 1988 Nokia had secured 13.5% of the mobile phone market. The Nokia Cityman was released in three versions, the Cityman 450 for the NMT-450 network, the Cityman 900 for the NMT-900 network and this one, the Cityman 1320 for the broader European ETACS network.

Nokia-Mobira famously staged a photo opportunity with the then Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev, making a call using a Cityman mobile from Helsinki to Moscow, which resulted in these phones being nicknamed Gorbas.

Unfortunately nothing else is known about the features or performance of this mobile.