New micro-portable 3770 cellphone with LCD display from AT&T

PARSIPPANY, N.J. -- November 7, 1994 -- AT&T is introducing a new portable cellular telephone that uses on-screen menus to easily guide users through the phone's many options. Those options include: a mute button; one-touch speed dialing; a 60-number alpha-numeric memory; a pager mode, in which incoming callers can enter their phone numbers and be called back later if the user is unable to answer immediately; and automatic credit-card calling.

Unlike most full-feature cellular phones, which require the user to look up or memorize feature codes, the features on the 3770 can be selected directly from the screen. Just four keys allow the user to move through option menus displayed on the phone's screen, and to select the desired options.

"As we add more and more features to cellular phones, the user interface becomes increasingly important," explains Tim Boyd, Wireless Product Management Director at AT&T Consumer Products. "All the functions in the world are useless if the customer can't figure out how to activate them. The 3770 does for the cellular industry what the Windows did for the PC industry."

The three-line LCD screen also displays the phone number dialed, the signal strength, the battery status, and other useful information.

Since traffic noise and other sources of ambient noise are a particular concern for cellular telephone users, the 3770 also incorporates circuitry that actually reduces the volume level of background noise, without affecting the user's voice signal.

"The 3770's innovative user interface and outstanding sound quality make it a great cellular phone for the experienced cellular user who is looking to step up beyond a first, entry-level phone," said Boyd.

Another feature of the new phone is its dual-mode, retractable antenna, which performs well in the retracted position, and even better extended.

The 3770 weighs only eight ounces and is about six inches in length, fitting easily into pocket or purse. Its standard nickel-metal hydride battery provides over an hour of talk time or about eight hours of stand-by time between charges. An extended-life nickel-cadmium battery is also available, which provides approximately two hours of talk time or 16 hours of stand-by time.

Another optional accessory is a headset that plugs into a jack in the phone, permitting hands-free conversation. AT&T will begin shipping the phones to retailers in November. The 3770 was designed at AT&T Bell Laboratories, and is being manufactured at AT&T's factory in Little Rock, Ark.

AT&T was a pioneer in creating cellular communications in the 1970s. In December, two former AT&T employees will receive the National Medal of Technology for their early work in this field. Today, AT&T holds more than 500 patents in cellular technology, and continues to lead much of the innovation in the wireless phone industry.

For more information about AT&T cellular telephones, customers can call 1-800-232-5179.