Radio telephones were invented in the 40's. Even in the late 80's cell phones were nothing like communicators.

Now, in most places on earth, I can tap my phone and say a name and get the person on the line.

I am very optimistic. I'm tired of the dystopian naysaying that seems to be so popular these days. The future is full of win.

I think he means that they are two fundamentally different devices. 1980s cell phones still do voice communication. A replicator, unlike a 3-D printer does not simply reproduce a shape. It also reproduces the constituent matter.

My cell phone doesn't call starships in orbit via 'subspace' radio either. With the hairs and the splitting.