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What was your favorite "dumb phone" you ever used?

M

Meyvn

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 3, 2005
498
0
With all the Android vs. iPhone and problems with the iPhone 4 grief going 'round, I thought I'd bring it back to a slightly more nostalgic place. Obviously I love my iPhone 4 and certainly wouldn't part with it now, but I've got some pretty fond memories of a dumb phone or two from the old days.

Anyone remember this beauty?

042505samsung_phones.jpg


The Samsung SCH-N330. As far as I can tell, this was virtually a one-of-a-kind phone in terms of its "pop-up" style. Not quite a slider, or a flip phone, the SCH-N330 had buttons on the side you pressed to answer calls, and to enlarge the screen. To hang up, you'd just slide the screen back down into the base. I actually had more people asking to play with that phone when they saw me answer it than I've ever gotten with either of my iPhones.

31313309-2-440-back-4.gif


Also had a hell of an antenna, powerful, weird vibration rhythm options, and a hell of a long battery life.
 
My wife had that phone and she went though 3 of them in 1 year. I think the "pop-up" style is what made it the problem. Also it wasn't a 1st of it's kind, I remember the 1st PrimCo phone that I had also had a pop up ear piece. It didn't have a button to press and it popped up, but still the same idea.
My favorite 'dumb phone" was the LG V. It was my 1st full keyboard phone and I still have it in my desk. That phone got abused and it kept on working.
 
515a12d3ac7a4746a9368af5b020c012.png


The trusty ole Motorola.

*flip it open, pull the antenna up* Everybody within site could just smell the money.

XD What days those were. I even remember catching some people with a home phone they stuck in their car and they would say, "Oh, I don't wunna use it, it uses up my minutes" as a cop-out.

Bahahahahahahahaha!
 
The Motorola Startac.... Clamshell style with a pull out antenna. That thing had coverage everywhere and had a nice large speaker to hear the other caller :p
 
MrCheeto said:
515a12d3ac7a4746a9368af5b020c012.png


The trusty ole Motorola.

*flip it open, pull the antenna up* Everybody within site could just smell the money.

XD What days those were. I even remember catching some people with a home phone they stuck in their car and they would say, "Oh, I don't wunna use it, it uses up my minutes" as a cop-out.

Bahahahahahahahaha!
Click to expand...

I had one of those for work, that sucker was so big and heavy it doubled as a weapon!! :p
 
Nokia 3320

The OP's phone is 2 advanced + color, here is my old favorite mate which still is in working condition!

nokia_3320-1.gif
 
For me it was the Motorola Razr. Still really like them and wouldn't mind having another for those times when I would prefer not to bring my iphone 4 along. Prior to that it was one of the first really small grey screen nokias. Man I thought that thing was awesome back then!
 
Primejimbo said:
I had one of those for work, that sucker was so big and heavy it doubled as a weapon!! :p
Click to expand...

You're joking! This thing is just heavier than the classic Nintendo DS.

Yes, this thing got coverage like nothing else and a light-up number pad!!!

Although, I did require two batteries. I suppose it just didn't have great battery life?
 
Carlanga said:
The OP's phone is 2 advanced + color, here is my old favorite mate which still is in working condition!

nokia_3320-1.gif
Click to expand...

My god!,,,, BEST phone Ever!!!!!! i had it for so long, survive many..many falls, a car ran over it, and even survive being in my pocket while I jumped into a pool :D:D:D:D:D

WOw...memories!!
 
Hahaha, Rockr, RAZR, SLVR. Phones were SUCH gimmicks.

Even today, phones have tiny gimmicks to try to grab the market that can't afford an iPhone.

"Well, you can get the phone with the high-quality camera OR you can get the phone that can identify music. Then there's the one that, get this, has 3D games!!"

Too bad, the iPhone has that all XD

Not to mention poor droid... They try, oh how they try.
 
My favorite dumbphone was the Motorola Startac. Awesome phone ahead of it's time. Mine died in the rain, riding my motorbike.
 
3720-main-large-lg-fusic-lx550.jpg


This phone was pretty incredible when I first got it back in 2007 I think it was. This picture is of the Sprint version, mine was from Bell here in Canada.

It even has a flash for the camera, and it takes video as well. It could transmit MP3s on it to a radio to listen through your car speakers. It could do a lot of cool stuff.

It has two screens, an external screen with a resolution of 96 x 96 and an internal screen with a resolution of 176 x 220. It also has 23MB of internal storage.

It has a 1.3MP camera capable of Still Images of up to 1280 x 960, and video recording resolution of 176 x 144 at 15fps with a max of 30 minutes.

It's pretty incredible how far phones have come in only 2-3 years...:eek:
 
Sony Ericsson w810i, and I loved it.

I still use it for music/calls when I cycle, so I don't have to worry about shattering my glass phone in a wreck.

1250883741-2.jpg
 
MrCheeto said:
The trusty ole Motorola.

*flip it open, pull the antenna up* Everybody within site could just smell the money.

XD What days those were. I even remember catching some people with a home phone they stuck in their car and they would say, "Oh, I don't wunna use it, it uses up my minutes" as a cop-out.

Bahahahahahahahaha!
Click to expand...

My boys got class
IMG_0389.jpg
 
sanyo_scp5500_l.jpg

Sanyo SCP-5500

Used it from Feb 2004 - Feb 2006 for Sprint.

It won a CES award for innovation. I believed it was the first cameraphone to feature a video recorder here in the U.S. Most cameraphones in 2003/2004 in the States did not have one yet. I remember having some cool ringtones and wallpapers back then. Had a cool Natashi Yi wallpaper for it most of the time. The "color" screen was AMAZING to me back then after going through an older Audiovoxx and Nokia phone. It even had an LED flash for pictures that changed in color and also had this animated dog on there. My only problem with it was the battery life at the end and how it would roam without any warning. I still have it and it is an amazing condition. Doesn't charge anymore even with the charger. Just turns on and dies. Never dropped it on concrete and it was naked since Day 2 when I had it.

I had two lines back in 2004 - 2006. Cingular and Sprint. The Sprint line I shared with my GF and the Cingular for my family. In May of 2004, I also bought a Motorola V600. This was the last time I fell for "looks" in a phone. I am more of a practical guy that prefers function over looks. Don't want just a pretty brick. My Sanyo just had better features while the V600 was just prettier to me. I used my Sanyo more and it was better at customizing. My biggest mistake was getting a black RAZR V3 in Feb 2006. It was no different than the V600, but thinner and had video recording. Wasted FOUR years with the same phone that just had a different housing. Was the last time dealing with Moto and their crappy software back then. I should have went with the SE W810 or any top of the line Nokia. Not as pretty or thin as the RAZR V3, but they were far more useful in the long-run with their better features.

image_54025_superimage.jpg

Motorola V600

Luckily, my iPhone 4 is not only useful, but pretty too. :cool:
 
UCLAKoolman said:
Sony Ericsson w810i, and I loved it.

I still use it for music/calls when I cycle, so I don't have to worry about shattering my glass phone in a wreck.

1250883741-2.jpg
Click to expand...
That should have been my phone back in 2006! 2MP camera with auto-focus. Great audio quality since this was a Walkman phone. Had great battery life from what I hear.

Wasted two years with that black RAZR that lacked putting music in it or taking better photos. The W810 would have complimented perfectly with my PSP and Vaio laptop because of the memory cards.

Just recently, I went to Disneyland and was having lunch at a table. Right next to me was a lady who had a Nokia 6500 Slide. I knew it was a real beauty back when it was released in 2007, but first time seeing it in person, I was still amazed at the looks even if it was a dumbphone from three years ago. I just wished the original Nokia N95 had the same, stainless steel build quality as that S40 phone. I would have bought the N95 for top dollar if it had the same build quality as the 6500 Slide. I thought the 6500 Slide is one of the best-looking phones Nokia ever made. One of the best looking sliders.

nokia6500slide.jpg

Nokia 6500 Slide

^^ I could always buy a new one online for $200 or less. But I said to myself, "Nah". If I wanted a cheap back-up phone, I would probably just get an older iPhone on Craigslist. I can get the original iPhone from 2007 for $100 or less. I'll get bored of a dumbphone real fast even with a nice design. Just waiting for my PSP phone or any smartphone that could bring real console gaming to the phone industry.
 
Nokia 3555 and Nokia 3100 (glow in the dark phone with changeable covers). Really loved those phones.

Least favorite phone? Blackberry 8320. Loved it for a while and then I realized it was so limited that I used about 2% of my data plan because it couldn't really do anything.
 
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