The Mobile Phones of Doctor Who - The Day of the Doctor

Doctor Who Phones · 3 comments · 350 words · Viewed ~478 times.

To celebrate the upcoming series Doctor Who staring Jodie Whittaker, I'm attempting to chronicle all the mobile phones used in previous shows.

If you think you've spotted something that's not listed here, or think I've made a mistake, drop it in the comments.

You can follow along with all 10 series.

It's Doctor Who... in 3D!!!!!

First up is an anonymous UNIT scientist tasked with photographing the Vortex Manipulator code etched onto a wall in the Tower of London.

OMG! This is the very first iPhone ever seen in Doctor Who. 6 years after hitting the shelves, it makes its debut on the show. After 8 years of Nokias, Samsungs, and Motorolas, we're finally treated to an Apple. The image is too murky to make out any features, but based on the screen shape and the episode air date, it's probably the iPhone 5.

Kate

The Brigadier's daughter (albeit in Zygon form) receives the above photo on her UNIT-issued smartphone.

Hmmm... Touchscreen, and a square-ish button. We can also tell there is a bottom USB port and an offset hole of some kind. I'm claiming this one as an early Samsung Galaxy. This is the era of Samsung producing hundreds of subtly different handsets, so I can't narrow it down any further. If you reckon you can do better please stick a comment in the box!

McGuillop

The final phone of this episode and it is...

Who knows! Encased in chunky rubber, literally all we can tell is that it has a white case... And that's it.

If you know any of the props crew please ask them to get in touch.

Farewell

And that's it for the Matt Smith era. He's taken us all the way from touchscreen Blackberries and sliding Nokias to the latest and greatest Androids and iPhones. What a ride. And so on to the Capaldi years. Geronimo!

Follow along at https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/doctor-who-phones/

3 thoughts on “The Mobile Phones of Doctor Who - The Day of the Doctor”

2018-10-03 21:09

Scott Keir says:

McGuillop - that's a Griffin Survivor case (Griffin Survivor All Terrain is what they call it now). Looks like an iPhone 4 in it - from the speaker grille visible at the top. From what I can see, Griffin did (or do) do a Survivor All Terrain case for Android models but it looks different.

Reply
1. 2022-01-10 19:44
  
  Alyx Kidd says:
  
  I agree, either a white iPhone 4 or 4S wearing a Griffin Survivor case. Look like a piece of electrical tape or something has been put over the home button to look more UNIT as well.
  
  Reply
2020-12-15 21:14

Peter Taylor says:

So Judging from the overall squareness of Kate's phone, I'd say its from 2011 (around the time of the SII), but judging by the scale my best guess is the Galaxy Ace, except it didn't have a front facing camera in that position, or the galaxy R, except the home button looks maybe a little thin

Reply