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People Share 27 Of The Craziest Old Phone Designs They’ve Seen
Interview With Author
We’re about to hit you with such a heavy dose of nostalgia, you’ll probably wish you had a time machine, dear Pandas. Us? We’re already working on the blueprints: the early 2000s are calling us and we have no choice but to answer!
Like it or not, smartphones are here to stay for a long while. And while the tech and functionality are both brilliant nowadays, it sometimes feels like we lost a bit of soul when we upgraded. But things didn’t use to look so bland! In between the eras of old-timey bricks and ultra-modern slabs of obsidian, we had an era of unparalleled design innovation. Phones used to look incredibly strange, unique, and (dare we say it?) cool, back in the first decade of the new millennium.
Writer Gerry McBride, who works at the satirical news site Waterford Whispers News, went viral on Twitter after sharing some of the most out-there phone designs ever. We’re featuring the pics that he and other social media users brought to everyone’s attention. Upvote your fave phones, Pandas! Let us know which ones you had (or had your eye on). Oh, and be sure to check out Bored Panda’s full interview with Gerry. If you enjoyed his thread and incredibly witty commentary, be sure to follow his Twitter, too!
Meanwhile, we also got in touch with Matt Johnson, Ph.D., for a few insights into product design and the importance of functionality when it comes to phones. Johnson is a professor of consumer psychology at Hult International Business School and Harvard University, the host of the Neuroscience of Branding blog, and the author of 'Branding that Means Business: How to Build Enduring Bonds between Brands, Consumers and Markets.' You'll find both of our interviews below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Barong 3 years ago (edited)
The Nokia 3250 had a 2 Megapixel camera with the lens on the side of the bottom section. You could twist it to tilt the screen towards you while keeping the camera towards the subject. Also one face of the bottom had phone controls and the other digital music player controls. You could twist the controls and use it almost like a stand alone music player or as a stand alone phone.
v 3 years ago
Considering it's a brick type phone with actual buttons and limited real estate for said buttons I think the twist in this one was entirely necessary. Considering the pace of advances being made in the world of cell phones shortly after they really took off in the 90's I'd be willing to venture that there is a wonderland of ideas that never saw the light of day since the companies were likely throwing anything at the wall.
Misterscooter 3 years ago
Based on this list, Nokia really went for it to see what stuck. Kind of admire that.
RELATED:
#2
Mystery Egg 3 years ago
As someone old enough to remember the early mobile phones, this one makes perfect sense to me. I used to be able to text at the speed of lightning with my thumbs. I would have bought this.
Danielle 3 years ago (edited)
How would this have made you text even faster?
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Phobrek Taz 3 years ago
This is weird and silly but I'm amused that they tried something weird and silly.
MimSorensson 3 years ago (edited)
Well, since it’s a Nokia it would have worked. To this day. Nokias are immune to time.
Christina Brooks 3 years ago
.loved this phone. Texting a breeze. Not too small but not a brick. Still have it - it's art
#3
Aisling Raye 3 years ago
Omg "mid-century century lightsaber" mad me audibly laugh. I frightened my cat.
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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 3 years ago
I remember these. I think they were supposed to be 100% voice controlled. As Siri has proven, not a good idea.
Science Officer T'Pringles 3 years ago
I think the idea was to develop a "girls night out" phone: 1. it has a mirror glass screen (you can check up on your make-up when the screen is not on) 2. It's small enough to fit in a small girly purse 3. It's "stylish" and looks like a lipstick case 4. "You don't need to text when you're out having fun, just call" (thats why no keyboard, but a funny rotating disk to select characters) The last claim seemed incomprehensible as everybody knows talking to your mobile while you're in a noisy night club just doesn't work...!
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Joshua David 3 years ago
My old boss had this phone in 2005ish. He hated it but we all loved it. It is called a Fashion Phone. Not practical at all.
Joshua David 3 years ago
This phone was SOOOO bad that when we got a random text from Greg in the evening it was a summons that looked something like this, BRrr, and meant to say come to the bar 😆
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“I'd like to think that the thread resonated with people because of my witty comedy writing, but in reality, I think people just love to take a nostalgic look at older technology. And not just phones—we love to reminisce about old movies, TV shows, video games, fashion,” writer Gerry drew attention to the fact that nostalgia is extremely magnetic.
“Everything breaks down into two groups: ‘I had it' or 'I wanted it'. if you had it, you want to discuss your experience with it, good or bad. If you wanted it, you want to hear from other people to see if it was as good as you had hoped or believed it would be,” he told Bored Panda.
“Nostalgia is incredibly powerful. We are always uncertain of the future as it is unknown, but we have lived through the past, we know what it was like and we can cherry-pick the things we liked about it.”
#4
Fluffy mommy panda 3 years ago
I had one of these. I thought it was pretty cool. But now we have smart phones
David Martin 3 years ago
I had one of these, and absolutely loved it. At the time, internet access via my phone felt revolutionary & game changing to me. Plus, I just loved the way it swung open, for some reason
Seabeast 3 years ago
This is actually not a terrible design. Must have been rare though, I've never seen one in the wild.
Jordan Croff 3 years ago
These weren't rare. Just about everyone who could afford one had one. They were very popular.
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Pauly Donahue 3 years ago
That looks brilliant. Early mobile gaming platforms eat your hearts out.
Phobrek Taz 3 years ago
I love the bad graphics. Looks like a lot of effort with early MacPaint
Take me to dinner first 3 years ago
I once had a fight with a friend in one of these. The funny part is that it was her phone, she was right by my side and we argued typing in alternate times because it was so cool
#5
Theo Blackwood 3 years ago
I was WAITING to see the NGage. I had one, weirdest thing to take calls on but amazing for games.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 3 years ago
Only reason it isn't ranked higher is because everybody already knows about it.
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Fitz_N_Fartz 3 years ago
When clothes makers have to redesign pockets to accommodate weird shaped phones.....
Pizzagirl 91 3 years ago
Since when did we have clothes with pockets? Wait. You're a guy, right? Women only ever had handbags with "phone" pockets to small for anything larger than a Nokia 3310...
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Henrita Manuel 3 years ago
Oh my god i remember i was devastated that i couldn't afford this bad boy because i was damn poor😂 but since i had the 6600 the pain was quite bearable.
#6
Blaze Fitzwater 3 years ago
Wow I had this phone and someone stole it off of my hip in the subway. Then I called my number and they pretended like they were gonna meet me and give it back for some money. Why did I agree to pay for my own phone LOL. Thankfully they never showed up. I was a gullible 15 year old.
April Caron 3 years ago
Same thing happened to my brother-in-law. Guy actually showed up with the phone, too. My brother-in-law had the police with him. They arrested the guy. He claimed he found it and my brother-in-law had offered him a reward… otherwise, why would he walk up to my brother-in-law’s truck with a police cruiser sitting two parking spaces away. Like “I’m not doing anything wrong!” But the officers had previously listened to the voicemails the guy left… admitting he lifted it off my brother-in-law and demanding payment or else he’d sell the cell phone to someone else.
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However, the comedy writer pointed out that we tend to be blinded by the less enjoyable things that were present in the past.
“For example in the phone thread, nobody complained about slow internet service or poor reception or the lack of features that have become so useful such as screengrabbing, etc. But we remember the fun parts and our mind may trick us into thinking it was all fun, all the time! We also have fond memories of our old phones because we personalized them so much ourselves. We had to search out wallpapers or tap in ringtones ourselves. WE did that, so it made it feel just more OURS,” he said.
“As mobile phone technology was evolving, companies did their best to make their product stand out on the shelves. They weren't afraid to try something crazy,” Gerry explained to Bored Panda that there was a far bolder approach towards phone design a couple of decades ago.
“But this is true in the design of everything; look at old bicycles, for example, the big penny farthing types that seem so impractical today! Eventually, these things settle into a design that works best, and that becomes industry standard. It's why all bicycles today look basically the same, why all cars are more or less the same, and why all phones look the same,” he said.
#7
LizzieBoredom 3 years ago (edited)
Well, my phone turned into Madison Square Garden and Taylor Swift held a ticketfree concert there.
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Cheesenacho 3 years ago
From the movie The Saint! I remember seeing this phone when the movie came out and thought it was way cool!
Lauren Wilder 3 years ago
Reminds me on one of those Casio electronic organizers. I loved mine.
#8
Alex Boyle 3 years ago
I had one of those. It looked cool AF around sundown when you could actually see the screen.
Kel_how 3 years ago
I think it was so people who were texting and walking wouldn't walk out into traffic.
Binky Melnik 3 years ago
You mean so they’d see the cars around their knees? Because people don’t hold their phones up to their faces, but rather tilt their faces down towards the phone, so they’d only see their own feet!
Load More Replies... bigfoot🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 3 years ago
the whole point of phones these days is looking at the screen and nothing else. Now you can watch twerking dogs and your friend's goofy face at the same time. F*cking genius.
Binky Melnik 3 years ago
It looks as if they’ll be back, as Samsung filed for a handful of patents in early 2020 having to do with transparent phones. Maybe if they think of a reason people would wanna use ‘em, we’ll see ‘em on the market again.
Slim 864 GVG 3 years ago
Ethan, turn on your phone's heads up display."This message will self destruct in 60 seconds."
#9
Michele Monfrecola 3 years ago
No, just it doesn't have a touchscreen, it was better than T9
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grotesqueer 3 years ago
I kinda like it. It's weird, but kinda neat too. Fits in a small pocket without being inconveniently small.
Professor Johnson, the author of 'Branding that Means Business,' told Bored Panda that there are a variety of reasons "why the innovative designs of the 'Razr' era have quelled."
"But it all likely comes down to a single word: Apple. As the pioneer of the smartphone industry, they have placed a premium on functionality over form, and from their very first model in 2007, have instilled their sleek minimalist design. Apple's UX and aesthetic is fundamentally no frills. Camera technology aside, all of the innovation that has taken place has been on the user interface itself and not on the overall shape and design of the phone," he said.
"As the pioneers of the category, they have the lion's share of the smartphone market, and have defined for their competitors what a smartphone is and what it should look like. This is not to say that competitors can't get innovative—the Samsung Fold is a great recent example of design innovation, but it does make doing so a much riskier proposition."
#10
MimSorensson 3 years ago (edited)
Yeah. I won’t lie, it is kind of awesome.
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#11
#12
Sheila Stamey 3 years ago (edited)
I had this one!! Sometimes it would get so hot!!! Scared me until my ear fell off. It was a job lease of course, they were extraordinarily expensive and for going into very remote places. Don't know why I had one ,came with the job. I think I used it twice, maybe, because the calls were so expensive. I had a flat tire in a deserted place at night and the other occasion I think was an actual job thing. I remember that I was told to use all other resources before using this, including asking " aggressively????" To use a landline in a house we knocked at. Uh no.
Shyla Bouche 3 years ago
I do, and there were no transparent electronics allowed.
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According to the consumer psychology expert, "functionality is supreme" when it comes to something so ubiquitous as smartphones.
"This is the device that wakes you up in the morning, and stays with you until you go to sleep. It's what you check your email with, capture life's moments with, call loved one's with, etc. It's arguably the most important piece of technology you own," Professor Johnson said.
"And so, given this, it's very important that it works, and works well in an intuitive and fluid manner. Design for design's sake, without a commensurate improvement on the functionality of the UX, does not convey value to the median consumer."
#13
Daniel Atkins 3 years ago
Nokia was once the largest manufacturer of cell phones so they tried a little of everything to see if people would buy the phones.
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Daniel Atkins 3 years ago (edited)
I had this phone it had a keypad under the numbers you pulled it up and it latched to reveal the full length board. You can see the pivot points that are on either side of the display. There were metal contacts on the top to connect the keyboard. Not a bad phone I got it when I signed up for the service because it looked cool and didn’t cost extra so why not. Oh and it had a fm radio built in.
VonBlade 3 years ago
I can't work out if this is offensive to Dads for suggesting they're incompetent bumbling fools, or offensive to women for suggesting they text so much they learnt T9 in a "real men make calls" way. I'm just saying you could replace Dads with People and .. oh well here come the downvotes.
Cooter McCoughlin 3 years ago
That's the best pre-smart phone I had. I loved that thing! I just found it a few years ago and it still worked. It's crazy how amazed I was back then with the awful grainy photos it took.
Arizona Cowboy 3 years ago
As for the grainy pics well, we were amazed cos we had nothing better to compare it to at the time
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Stephanie Austin 3 years ago
I used to have one of these. Robust little things. I received a text that I didn't react well too, threw it out of the 3rd floor window. Regretted it, went downstairs to rescue it AND THE TEXT WAS STILL SHOWING ON THE PHONE. No damage, no battery popping out, perfect! Not so perfect to my ego at the time though
#14
Bill Swallow 3 years ago
So they went for the old "Bell Telephone Rotary Dial Desk Phone" vibe? Pity the dial doesn't spin...
Lainie 3 years ago
SPIN? Something was also spinning but was still attached to the wall?
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MimSorensson 3 years ago (edited)
The description, man, I’ve got coffee up my nose now thanks to the description. Curse you, Gerry McBride, and your overly humorous descriptions! Dastardly description fiend!
Natz Mercado 3 years ago
My favorite!! I loved the old phones because you can text or make a call without looking! Those buttons made it so easy.
Andrew Smeets 3 years ago (edited)
I had this phone and remember it was a nightmare to use the keyboard for texting or calling. Later they released the same phone but with a standard keyboard...
Pjerrot 3 years ago
Sort of miss those times when Our fones was this “Basic”! Cause we still talked to each other more face to face!!! Everyone is having there face Down in there Fone now,Cause They are On the Media or internet Reading ….
ken murirah 3 years ago
Sean Paul came to perform in Nairobi. He had this phone and some stole it. The airport was almost closed searching for it.
#15
gas station cola 3 years ago (edited)
i had a phone case with a built-in kickstand. only cost six or seven dollars & lasted several years until my constant fidgeting broke off the support arm. it was kinda like this, but the kickstand was vertical instead of horizontal. it locked into place & could be used horizontally too, though. 15/10, would recommend! 1668978145...930685.jpg 
VonBlade 3 years ago
As someone with giant hands so doesn't use a pop socket, I don't understand why anyone would because as far as I can see it would make it a real pain to put your phone in your pocket now it's two inches thick. Can anyone explain? Or do you just carry them at all times?
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Binky Melnik 3 years ago
It’s built into many cases. No need for a kickstand that can snap off and will be covered by a case anyway when the case has the kickstand.
Kevin Sutton 3 years ago
Still got this somewhere, has a pile of decent mixtapes saved on it. Bet I've lost the charger
Henrita Manuel 3 years ago
Ooo i loved soner w series. I had one but not this one. Mine was a pink W200. Cute phone but i loved it so much. That and my siemens C55 were my favs.
Any good product will have a delicate balance between its functionality and its form (i.e. aesthetics), though that balance will look different depending on the item in question. When you’re splurging on technology, you don’t just want the best in terms of performance—you want the item to tell the world a little bit about who you are. Your phone is a statement piece, whether you think it is or not. Though functionality still reigns supreme.
In this day and age, pretty much the only ways to stand out with your phone is to either: a) opt for the most cutting-edge release every single year; or b) decorate your smartphone cover with whimsical designs… or 14-carat gold and diamonds. In short, your aesthetic options are limited when you’re working with a rectangular slice of touch-sensitive technology.
But back when screens were smaller and you had to use honest-to-God buttons (!) to navigate your phone, make calls, send messages, and play games, there were a ton more options available to the designers. You could change the shape of the phone to give it a silhouette that instantly stands out in adverts and in real life.
#16
OhBlahDi OhBlahDa 3 years ago
Same! Found it in my old stuff the other day. This was a great phone.
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Phobrek Taz 3 years ago
I'm digging the 2 columns of buttons. And I'm guessing the top part swiveled? Fun!
BasedWang12.7 3 years ago
yessss the juke is always missing from these lists..... I hate this f****n phone
#18
FakeOptimist 3 years ago
I wonder how long the contacts lasted in those pivot points. And what happened after they wore out.
Nonna_SoF 3 years ago
Well, it's Nokia so probably until the heat death of the universe.
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Were all of these phones ergonomic? Probably not. Some of them definitely looked impressive, but weren’t all that comfortable to use or all that useful to have, beyond a conversation starter at parties.
Others, however, were surprisingly comfortable to hold. Moving away from the generic screen-and-button layout created an avalanche of innovation. We saw some really cool stuff that put boldness first. Phones that we instantly knew we wanted because they looked so incredibly futuristic. Look, yours truly has been in love with the Nokia N-GAGE since the moment I laid my eyes on it. It’s the tail-end of 2022 and I still want that bad boy. (Side note: I still use my 15-year-old iPod daily and I always have a couple of spare batteries for my GameBoy Color.)
A while back, Aaron Genest, an Applications Engineering Manager for Siemens Software, told Bored Panda that we can more or less tell where technologies are headed by looking ‘upstream’ in the investment space.
“For instance, it takes almost two years to develop and produce a computer chip and get it to market for a phone, and five years to get something into a new kind of car. So if we want to have a sense for what, for instance, the gadgets in our cars will look like in 2026, we just need to look at what the car manufacturers are asking their suppliers to design today,” he said.
Companies aim to get a return on their investments. So you can more or less bet that certain technologies will be around until that happens.
#19
Angela Turrall 3 years ago (edited)
Oh I was just talking about this one the other day, we got these as work phones (i worked for a telco), it was our first 3G phone, and I remember the intense headaches I used to get after using it. Still loved it though, it was a pretty standard design for a while. I’d had a Sony Ericsson thing before that which had a toggle that always broke off (because Nokias didn’t have cameras yet eke I’d have had a Nokia!j So this was a step up from that.
My O My 3 years ago
Alas these toggles...coolest s**t and a pain in the a*s at the same time
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Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
I had one of these back in the day. Not a bad phone, and wasn’t overly expensive either. Almost tempted to get a dumb phone just for calls, since they can’t be hacked.
MimSorensson 3 years ago (edited)
Yeah, I was also cool like that. One of the first in the teen crew to be able to take pictures with my phone - thanks for the clout, GX10.
#20
Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
"Honey, the remote WON'T WORK." "Yes, darling, I know. You've been calling 911 for the last half hour. The police is here."
grotesqueer 3 years ago (edited)
Multipurpose! The vibration back then used to be fairly strong if I remember correctly. And different ringtones had their own patterns too.
#21
Alison Hobbs 3 years ago
I had this phone! It was about the size of a lipstick, looked good but, was a complete pain in the arsenal! To text you had to scroll using the outer ring then press the button to register the letter (or number) then carry on like that for the whole of the text. The screen appeared under the little mirror but, was so small that you could hardly see it. I soon got a new phone 🤣
Dolly_of TheCowboy 3 years ago
I had the other one that looked a bit like this but with the swivel top half in the gold. It still works if you charge it. Only gave it up because they literally disconnected the mobile network band it ran on out here. Had a great battery life, nice size and such pretty ringtones. Still miss it and would happily go back to just a text/call phone if I could use that one again
Meanwhile, Professor Suzanne Degges-White, from Northern Illinois University, told Bored Panda all about nostalgia, during a previous interview. There are certain pros and cons to thinking back about the Good Old Days(™). A bit of daydreaming is great. Too much, however, can impair your present and future.
"Nostalgia has the 'super power' of helping us feel better about the 'now' by connecting us to positive feelings from the 'then.' Nostalgia can help us feel better about ourselves and more in control of current situations if we're able to channel that positivity into concrete actions or a reframed mindset about the present. However, when we begin 'living in the past,' we may be inviting into our lives less than optimal mental wellness and potentially compromised physical wellbeing, too," the licensed counselor told us.
"When we succumb to memories of how things 'used to be' and refuse to address the 'what is,' we may find ourselves overwhelmed by our current conditions and less able to manage current challenges," she shared.
"It's often memories of home and the people who surround us that keeps us able to deal with significantly concerning or dangerous conditions. For instance, letters from home can be a lifeline for those who are engaged in warfare far away from what they consider 'home,'" the professor told Bored Panda earlier.
#22
BlueHunter 3 years ago
I had this exact one! Constantly misplacing it so I put a lanyard on it
David Zeller 3 years ago
They seem larger than the keys on an onscreen keyboard for most modern phones.
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Giovanna 3 years ago
I think this is the one that my sister had and she used to always misplace it or lose it in her purse! When I first saw it, I thought it was stupid and it doesn't really show you how really small it is. It seriously was super small and thin that you can lose it very easily. Very bad invention! I don't even know how long she ended up keeping it for.
#23
DancingPanda 3 years ago
I think it’s cause it folds to be small and clothing industries skimp on woman’s pockets
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Puzzle head 3 years ago (edited)
I had this in black back in 2011/12, btw the back of screen is a mirror
#24
Michele Monfrecola 3 years ago (edited)
You could never understand😪 once ago your "cellphone" (as it wasn't smart yet) was an extension of your personality, todays you can only change wallpaper, or buy a foldable or a nothing phone to be different from others
Load More Replies... BlueRoseofMystery 3 years ago
Not sure how easy the buttons would be to use but the design and color are very aesthetically pleasing. Not sure I would want a phone that is shaped like a bar of soap, though. I feel I would have a poor grip and keep dropping it.
Joshua David 3 years ago
I just envisioned fast typing on this (my own number) and took a minute. I always wanted the Nokia pebbl!
Mat O'Dowd 3 years ago
Had the Xelibri 2, typing a phone number was an ergonomic fail! siemens_xe...75eb2c.jpg 
MimSorensson 3 years ago (edited)
Dang. Xelibris must never have reached Sweden, I never even heard of them. That’s the downside of living at the icy edge of absolutely everything, some things never make it here.
"It's when we become stuck in our memories of people who have died, places or times in our lives when things were 'easier' or 'better' that invites in the negative effects of nostalgia. When we are unable to make decisions about a current challenge or get stuck in memories of better times from the past, we can sink into a state in which we kind of 'tune out' of the present and ignore very real threats or opportunities in the now,” she said.
The antidote to spending too much time reminiscing about how great the past was is to focus on what you’re grateful for in the present. Think about all of the things that you appreciate in the here and now.
#25
Wood Carver 3 years ago
These were awesome. I saw one driven over by a back hoe and not drop the call.
Bobby 3 years ago
Some people out there probably think you're exaggerating. I know you aren't
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BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
If not, Nextel definitely had a brick and a flip version that looked the same when I was a teen. Everyone did their best to destroy their phones. Those things survived construction trucks and being bulldog chew toys
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meerkatz007 3 years ago
I bought this for my boyfriend. He still uses it, refuses to get a smartphone!
Owen Jarvis 3 years ago
I had one of these! Thought it was epic at the time. I could hurl it at a brick wall and catch it on the rebound. I scared my Dad by dropping it (on purpose) into a sink full of water. I took it down the pub and put it in my beer. I tried really hard to kill it, because of the unlimited warranty and the fact I was 20 and dumb. Great times.
Fitz_N_Fartz 3 years ago
Well, coincidence, I am currently selling one of these. So rugged you could throw it at someone and knock them spark out without getting damaged!
Chucky Cheezburger 3 years ago
This looks like it was ment to take some abuse. We had something similar for work phones when I started my last job.
#26
Owen Jarvis 3 years ago
There were not many people that could text fast back in those days. It was a genuine challenge.
Reinaldo Fuentes 3 years ago
This is the phone Arthur Dent had in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
rumple slunkskin 3 years ago
Texting on this teeny tiny Zoolander phone was damn near impossible
#27
Rachel Reynolds 3 years ago
I wanted on of these so bad, solely because of this commercial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyhffiG6gPg
"It's also helpful to step outside yourself and see how others might see your life. Gratitude can start with the basics—enough food to eat each day, a job that pays you enough to keep a roof over your head, people in your life who care about you and to whom you matter. Recognizing that not everyone in life has been as fortunate as you have and acknowledging your accomplishments is the best way to begin. Making a 'gratitude list' really does help us see our lives in a whole new way if we are committed to acknowledging the way our lives have been touched by success."
Yes, phones used to look way cooler a couple of decades ago and a sizable part of us wants to go back to live in a simpler and far more fun time. But life has a ton of upsides now as well. We just have to open our eyes and be open to finding the silver lining.
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And i was like WTF!! 3 years ago
When phone makers dared to explore and be unique. Now it is all the same
DennyS (denzoren) 3 years ago
Came here to say the same thing. Sure some aren't really practical but they were unique and different.
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bigfoot🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 3 years ago
sry about commenting on every single one. rn im in middle school with a Kyocera duraX flip phone so I just wanted to comment my thoughts on these
$cagsy 3 years ago
Dude, there's no need to apologise! You go ahead and comment as much as you like. Enjoy yourself. Comment sixteen times on every single post if the mood takes you. You have as much right to share your thoughts on BP as anybody else here. Go for it. But if you're gonna apologise to anyone, apologise to your teacher for surfing the net during their class, lol!
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$cagsy 3 years ago
This little brick-sized beauty was my first phone in 1995. The NEC G9. Horrible to look at, horrible to carry, but really rather reliable. I drop-kicked it down a cobbled street by accident as I was walking and it bounced a few times. Not even a scratch. 189_001-63...f0f3a9.jpg 
Kat Min 3 years ago
It drove me nuts while having to go through it (still does) but I really love my age (51) and that it forced me to literally live through every technical development since the 70s. Although, I did give all those mp3 storage and play options a skip and went straight from CD to spotify (which is no real replacement for owning your music in physical form but my stereo broke and I just couldn't be botherd with getting a new one) I also can in all honesty say that while I am glad I had a childhood free of social media, I LOVE modern technology, especially smartphones. No crying about 'the good old times' from me! The only exceptions are modern LED lightbulbs and SUVs. No idea at what point cars started to become these humongous, ugly monsters. I want a corvette with a E-motor not something that looks like it could turn into Optimus Prime.!
Lara Verne 3 years ago
While not all designs were great, I still miss phones being unique. Not they all look the same.
Chucky Cheezburger 3 years ago
Before smartphones became the norm, there could be some unique designs Now the screen is the up front and important feature because it does EVWRYTHING. I really do miss tactile buttons that you actually had to press. Favorite phone I ever had was my Samsung I-547. Small enough to fit in a pocket and tough enough to crack the windshield of a truck and still work.
Science Officer T'Pringles 3 years ago (edited)
I used to work for Nokia in the early 2000's. So much fun, we got to try out all the new mobile phone designs from Nokia (and competitors) before they were launched (well competitor phones usually were already in the market, naturally). Had the most imaginable phones to try out. N-gage, 7280, 7380, etc. Then came iPhone and a whole mobile phone case design industry disappeared. PS. Check the online mobile phone museum: https://www.mobilephonemuseum.com/
Cooter McCoughlin 3 years ago
I loved the new designs that were always coming out and getting something completely new looking every few years and learning all the new stuff about it. It was so exciting. I don't really get that anymore with iPhone. Yes there's new models but it's still basically the same. I don't think I'd want to go back but I do miss those crazy old phones
Cuppa tea? 3 years ago
I remember most of these, though not sure of I saw one in real, mostly from press release. But what time it was. Nokia and Sony Ericsson were on top of the game with design and technology. Now - everything looks the same, 90% of smartphones could be mistaken for any other brand.
And i was like WTF!! 3 years ago
When phone makers dared to explore and be unique. Now it is all the same
DennyS (denzoren) 3 years ago
Came here to say the same thing. Sure some aren't really practical but they were unique and different.
Load More Replies... bigfoot🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 3 years ago
sry about commenting on every single one. rn im in middle school with a Kyocera duraX flip phone so I just wanted to comment my thoughts on these
$cagsy 3 years ago
Dude, there's no need to apologise! You go ahead and comment as much as you like. Enjoy yourself. Comment sixteen times on every single post if the mood takes you. You have as much right to share your thoughts on BP as anybody else here. Go for it. But if you're gonna apologise to anyone, apologise to your teacher for surfing the net during their class, lol!
Load More Replies... $cagsy 3 years ago
This little brick-sized beauty was my first phone in 1995. The NEC G9. Horrible to look at, horrible to carry, but really rather reliable. I drop-kicked it down a cobbled street by accident as I was walking and it bounced a few times. Not even a scratch. 189_001-63...f0f3a9.jpg
Kat Min 3 years ago
It drove me nuts while having to go through it (still does) but I really love my age (51) and that it forced me to literally live through every technical development since the 70s. Although, I did give all those mp3 storage and play options a skip and went straight from CD to spotify (which is no real replacement for owning your music in physical form but my stereo broke and I just couldn't be botherd with getting a new one) I also can in all honesty say that while I am glad I had a childhood free of social media, I LOVE modern technology, especially smartphones. No crying about 'the good old times' from me! The only exceptions are modern LED lightbulbs and SUVs. No idea at what point cars started to become these humongous, ugly monsters. I want a corvette with a E-motor not something that looks like it could turn into Optimus Prime.!
Lara Verne 3 years ago
While not all designs were great, I still miss phones being unique. Not they all look the same.
Chucky Cheezburger 3 years ago
Before smartphones became the norm, there could be some unique designs Now the screen is the up front and important feature because it does EVWRYTHING. I really do miss tactile buttons that you actually had to press. Favorite phone I ever had was my Samsung I-547. Small enough to fit in a pocket and tough enough to crack the windshield of a truck and still work.
Science Officer T'Pringles 3 years ago (edited)
I used to work for Nokia in the early 2000's. So much fun, we got to try out all the new mobile phone designs from Nokia (and competitors) before they were launched (well competitor phones usually were already in the market, naturally). Had the most imaginable phones to try out. N-gage, 7280, 7380, etc. Then came iPhone and a whole mobile phone case design industry disappeared. PS. Check the online mobile phone museum: https://www.mobilephonemuseum.com/
Cooter McCoughlin 3 years ago
I loved the new designs that were always coming out and getting something completely new looking every few years and learning all the new stuff about it. It was so exciting. I don't really get that anymore with iPhone. Yes there's new models but it's still basically the same. I don't think I'd want to go back but I do miss those crazy old phones
Cuppa tea? 3 years ago
I remember most of these, though not sure of I saw one in real, mostly from press release. But what time it was. Nokia and Sony Ericsson were on top of the game with design and technology. Now - everything looks the same, 90% of smartphones could be mistaken for any other brand.
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