Mobile Phone

File:Cellphone Badger.jpg

Badger cell phone in GTA IV, without Badger logo

The cell phone is a portable phone that has been carried by the protagonist of the Grand Theft Auto games since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, excluding Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. The phone is usually used to communicate with other characters without being in person, but its use has been expanded in Grand Theft Auto IV.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Tommy Vercetti receives missions from his cell phone as well as calls from in-game characters about random topics.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Carl Johnson has a cell phone which he uses on missions. He also gets after-missions calls for storyline purposes and frequently gets tips from other characters, as well as a few prank calls from a certain ex-girlfriend.

Grand Theft Auto IV

The use of the cell phone is greatly expanded in Grand Theft Auto IV. Niko Bellic can use the phone (given to him by his cousin Roman during the second mission) to make calls, a new feature.

He can now call his friends and girlfriends to hang out or go on dates respectively, and can now receive text and picture messages from people. Niko can also use his phone to access cheats, go to multiplayer, and call emergency vehicles (like Police Cars, Ambulances, and Fire Trucks) for assistance. The second model of phone is equipped with a camera, used in certain missions. Use of the phone can also trigger some missions, like the The Holland Play, and preemptively calling some characters will occasionally trigger story-related dialogue early.

The theme and ringtone of the phone can be changed via a website on the in-game internet after the second model of the phone is acquired. The two phones held by Niko at different stages of the game are Badger and Whiz.

Cell phone exploits in Grand Theft Auto IV

If the player has damaged a vehicle to the point where the engine won't start, the cell phone can be used to 'jumpstart' it by calling any number or contact -- the engine will spontaneously function again, although no damage will be repaired. For convenience's sake, one can cancel the phone call as soon as "Calling..." is seen on the phone's display -- the engine comes back to life as soon as the call is initiated.

In the console versions of the game, the cell phone can also be used as a kind of 'super handbrake', to instantly stop any vehicle, no matter the speed. Initiating the camera while driving will instantly stop the car -- the player can leave the phone open to the 'Camera' menu option, and then press X (on PS3) or A (on Xbox 360) when they want to stop. This is presumably a bug, and was edited out of the PC version -- activating the phone camera while driving on PC will merely change the game camera to the 'hood cam' perspective, and activate the phone camera as normal. As this exploit requires a camera function, it can only be performed once the player has acquired the second model of phone.

Trivia

• In GTA IV the second model of the phone can be customised with themes and ringtones from websites. On the streets of the Liberty City random pedestrians will sometimes take out their phones to recive a call. If you look closly at the civilians phone then you will notice that the theme on the phones screen will be exactly the same as your current phone theme.

Gallery

• The cell phone in GTA Vice City.

  The cell phone in GTA Vice City.

• The cell phone in GTA San Andreas.

  The cell phone in GTA San Andreas.

• Carl with his cell phone in GTA San Andreas.

  Carl with his cell phone in GTA San Andreas.

• The mobile phone in GTA IV renders its screen and keypad into a display on the lower right of the screen; this is replicated on the 'actual' phone Niko holds, as seen here.

  The mobile phone in GTA IV renders its screen and keypad into a display on the lower right of the screen; this is replicated on the 'actual' phone Niko holds, as seen here.