SOUTHWESTERN BELL Freedom Phone Model FA 935

Circa Late 1980's to Early 1990's

Use Case:

Designed to answer a landline telephone and record messages from callers. It featured:

• Microcassette Technology: Unlike some older machines that used standard or mini cassettes, this model specifically utilized a microcassette tape (MC-20 or similar) to record incoming messages.

• Status Indicator: The small orange light next to the "MESSAGE" button served as an indicator for new messages.

Historical Significance:

Historically significant as an example of the transition in answering machine technology.

• Tape Technology: It was a popular consumer product utilizing microcassettes, a form factor often associated more with dictation recorders than full answering machines. This technology was standard before digital flash memory recording systems became dominant in the late 1990s.

• Consumer Accessibility: SOUTHWESTERN BELL licensed its name to CONAIR CORPORATION to produce the "Freedom Phone" line, making these devices widely available and affordable for average consumers following the deregulation of the telephone market.

• Shift in Communication: The widespread adoption of devices like the FA 935 fundamentally changed social norms regarding telephone communication, allowing for asynchronous communication and call screening as standard practices in the home.

(H-4.5cm x W-15cm x D-15cm)