The question of the "oldest phone" requires clarification, as it depends on what type of phone is being considered. There's a difference between the oldest telephone, the oldest mobile phone, and the oldest cell phone (which is a type of mobile phone).
The Oldest Telephone
While the exact origins are debated, the earliest devices resembling telephones pre-date commercially available models by decades. Historical records suggest that Italian innovator Antonio Meucci is credited with inventing a basic telephone as early as 1849. See: https://www.elon.edu/u/imagining/time-capsule/150-years/back-1870-1940/ Furthermore, even earlier, the Chimu culture in Peru may have developed a type of string telephone using gourds and stretched hide in the early 7th century AD. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_telephone However, these early devices were far from the sophisticated telephones we know today.
The Oldest Commercially Available Handheld Mobile Phone
The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, released in 1983, holds the title of the first commercially available handheld mobile phone. This groundbreaking device boasted an impressive (for its time) 30 minutes of talk time. [Source: Provided text]
Oldest Cell Phone (Specific Criteria Needed)
The definition of "oldest cell phone" depends on what criteria are used: oldest working model, oldest model still supported by a network, etc. There is no single definitive answer without specifying the criteria. Several Reddit threads discuss the age of working cell phones and smartphones, but no single universally recognized "oldest" is identified. See: https://www.reddit.com/r/dumbphones/comments/1bglm7x/oldest_phone_with_whatsapp/, https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/18g83fp/what_is_the_oldest_iphone_thats_still_usable/, https://community.e.foundation/t/oldest-phone-with-newest-android-version-just-for-fun/54980
Therefore, the answer depends on the type of phone being considered. The earliest functional device might be something vastly different than the oldest commercially available model.
