Buzz
In 1989, The Galveston Daily News inquired with Walmart staff about the most sought-after holiday gifts. The list included staples like the Nintendo Entertainment System, VCRs, Game Boy, and fax machines. However, the store manager highlighted that the clear landline phone was the item that truly captivated customers.
These sleek, push-button phones featured see-through plastic casings, revealing their inner mechanisms. They illuminated in vibrant neon hues whenever a call came through. During the 1980s and 1990s, they became the go-to device for everything from ordering pizza to making prank calls or lamenting unrequited teenage love.
A Resounding Approval
For years, phones were designed purely for function, with little attention to style. Typically black and devoid of embellishments, they were fixtures on kitchen walls or office desks. This was largely due to AT&T's monopoly, which saw no reason to prioritize aesthetics. However, the landscape shifted in the early 1980s following government action. Deregulation opened the door for innovation, allowing manufacturers to create bold, imaginative designs. Phones transformed into playful, quirky items that teenagers eagerly added to their wishlists for birthdays or holidays.
Pinpointing the creator of the first transparent phone is challenging, as the concept didn't emerge immediately. A 1988 Los Angeles Times article highlighted a “see-through telephone” available at the Premiere Shop in Disneyland's Tomorrowland, priced at a hefty $125 (equivalent to $322 today). That same year, The Honolulu Advertiser reported that a store named Nothing You Need (But Everything You Want) stocked a clear phone by Roxanne for $300 (nearly $800 today). The shop also famously sold a self-propelled, gasoline-powered air mattress.
One notable model was the Metrolight by BellSouth and Fun Products. This phone featured a “trimline” design with buttons on the handset and could be wall-mounted, closely resembling the iconic clear phones many remember today.
Fun Products gained recognition for its work on the Swatch Watch, which revitalized the mundane wristwatch with vibrant designs, including a translucent 1985 model. Their $65 phone (originally $130) gained traction through a partnership with Sharper Image, which purchased 5000 units, propelling it into the spotlight.
While these early models paved the way, it was Conair—best known for hair dryers—that popularized the clear phone. As recounted in a 2020 Slate article by Heather Schwedel, Conair executive Barry Haber encountered a clunky transparent phone during his travels. Inspired, he envisioned a sleeker, more affordable version. His intuition paid off: Conair sold 2 to 3 million units over five years, priced at $20 to $25 (approximately $56 to $64 today, adjusted for inflation).
Cool Calls
Skeptics dismissed these transparent phones as a fleeting trend, arguing they offered little in terms of functionality. Most lacked answering machines or cordless options, but that wasn’t the goal. Targeted primarily at teenagers, these phones were more about style than utility, serving as decorative pieces rather than advanced gadgets.
The clear phone was just one of many innovations following the phone industry's deregulation. Phones took on whimsical forms, including designs inspired by Garfield, Snoopy, Mickey Mouse, hamburgers, and even the infamous Sports Illustrated NFL football phone, which was offered as a subscription bonus. These creative designs provided a refreshing departure from traditional, mundane handsets.
The trend of transparency extended beyond phones. Crystal Pepsi launched in 1992, promising the same classic flavor without the brown hue. Nintendo introduced a see-through Game Boy Advance, and Apple’s 1998 iMac showcased its internal components, revolutionizing the look of personal computers. (Apple continued producing transparent models until 2004.)
As with most trends, the allure of clear phones eventually faded. Today, there are occasional requests for Apple to revive the concept with a transparent iPhone. (A clear-cased Android phone by Nothing has already entered the market.) However, Apple remains silent on the matter, leaving transparent phones as a nostalgic symbol of bold, inventive marketing.
