The MicroTAC Lite was an analogue based mobile phone introduced on 6 August 1991. The Lite and the MicroTAC Lite XL were derivative products of the original MicroTAC 9800X phone that was introduced on 5 April 1989.

The major differences between 9800X and the Lite and the Lite XL were the use of prismatic nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) cells in the battery pack as well as the introduction of a number of new component technologies that allowed for a tighter integration of the design versus the 9800X. This resulted in a thinner body for the phone and the reduction in the thickness of the flip due to the microphone and ringer being placed inside the body of the phone.

The Lite and Lite XL also had a new green LED display as opposed to the 9800X which featured a red LED display. There were other new features such as improved phone number access.

The project was led by Motorola’s Chicago based AMP’s team with participation from Motorola’s international development organisations also based in Chicago. These teams created multiple versions of the Lite for different network technologies including AMPS, ETAC’s and JTAC.