Maxon MX-3204 (Vodafone MN1) Vintage Mobile Phone

The Maxon MX-3204 was also marketed as the Vodafone MN1 is now definitely a vintage mobile phone, but it was introduced as a good all-round phone for the mid to late 1990s.

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The Maxon MX 3204 was an early GSM phone which was launched in 1997 which provided an ideal entry point for many people who wanted an affordable, but reliable mobile phone capable of good service and performance.

This vintage mobile phone was stylish with an appealing curved shape and it was available in a number of colours including black, red, silver, Persian blue and a metallic gold / bronze.

The phone was also badged as a Vodafone MN1 and a large number of this version were sold as the GSM networks started to gain a real foothold.

Front view of Maxon MX 3204 vintage classic mobile phone

Side view of Maxon MX 3204 vintage classic mobile phone

The phone was manufactured by the South Korean company, Maxon which was founded in 1974. The company underwent several name changes, but always retained the Maxon element of its name.

By today's standards, this vintage mobile phone was quite basic, but it was able to provide a good level of service for its day. It could send and receive calls and send and receive text messages easily, and this was the primary function.

The phone book could store names and telephone numbers in the SIM card, enabling them to be transferred very easily from one phone to the next when it was upgraded.

Apart from the basic monochrome screen which had a matrix of 4 x 12 characters which had fixed icons. Interestingly the phone used an LED status indicator: red when the phone was not connected to a network or when the battery was nearly discharged; orange when the battery was low; and green connected to a network and the battery was OK.

In use the this vintage mobile phone had an easy to use set of four buttons in a circular fashion at the top of the keypad. These provided an easy way to navigate the menu and command system.

Maxon 3204 (Vodafone MN1) Vintage Mobile Phone Specifications & Details
Parameter	Details
Launch	1997
Technology	GSM
Frequencies	900 MHz
Dimensions	131 x 45 x 21 mm or 5.16 x 1.77 x 0.83 inches
Weight	170g or 6 ounces
Display	Monochrome 4 x 12 characters with fixed icons
Memory	No card slot or external memory capability
Call record	20 dialled calls
Alert	Monophonic ring tones
Other communications technologies	No Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, radio, or USB
Messaging	SMS
Battery	Removable NiMH 600mAh
Standby time	50 h
Talk time	2h

The Maxon MX-3204, also marketed as the Vodafone MN1 was a good mobile phone for its time. Obviously as phones developed further with integral antennas and much smaller form factors, it appeared outdated, but it nevertheless provided good service for its time.