Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
What was your favorite "dumb phone" you ever used?
- Thread starter Meyvn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Not really a dumb phone in my opinion, as it was an incredible phone and I enjoyed so much. At 13 I definitely had the best phone compared to my friends.
Palm 600p (Sprint)
Palm 600p (Sprint)
My Cell Phone History
1. Audiovox 9155GPX, Verizon (December 1999 - September 2000)
My first cell phone that I got on Christmas of 1999. I was already 19 when I got my first phone which is OLD for today's standards, but remember I came from the pager era. It was for Verizon. Decent phone with solid reception. Lost it in a rave club. Slipped out of my pocket while on XTC. A kid picked it up and used my minutes. Luckily, I was insured and would get a replacement phone.
2. Qualcomm QCP-1960, Verizon (September 2000 - December 2001)
The replacement phone from Verizon. I hardly used it. I actually thought I lost it, but it was hidden in m backpack for months. I liked that it was thin, but I never cared for it. It was during this time when I didn't use or have a cell phone at all.
3. Nokia 3360, Cingular (December 2001 - September 2003)
My first GSM phone. This phone was ROCK SOLID. Dropped it so many times and it still chugged along. I got this for my 21st birthday as a free phone for signing up to Cingular. Served me well. Had a wallpaper of boobs and Linkin Park's "One Step Closer" as my ringtone. This was the phone that got me into text messaging with the "envelope with wings" flying away animation and that popular Snake game!
4. Nokia 3595, Cingular (September 2003 - January 2004)
My first phone with a color screen. I got it for free when I sent my old 3360 back to Cingular. I dropped this several times and it sucked. Cheap quality where the rubber padding would peel off. Hated the keypad. Eventually, it got submerged into liquid and stopped working. Had to buy another phone without contract. My dad did fix it, but I just gave it away to my aunt who needed a phone because she lost her's. Didn't care too much with this phone. My trusty 3360 was better and regret sending it back.
5. Sony Ericsson T616, Cingular (January 2004 - May 2004)
My first cameraphone. This was a sexy phone when I first saw it. My mother actually got it a month prior when her contract was up. As for my experience with it, I didn't really have time to enjoy it because I would eventually get a Sanyo and Motorola in the upcoming months. The T616 was quickly demoted as a third wheel and GSM back-up phone once I got my V600. The reception sounded softer compared to my Nokias. This phone would introduce me to Bluetooth and gave me a taste of being a phone junkie.
6. Sanyo SCP-5500/VM4500, Sprint (February 2004 - February 2006)
Like mentioned in the first page, this was my favorite dumb phone of all-time. This CES Award-winning phone was the best phone on Sprint at the time of purchase. Sanyo > Samsung back in those Sprint days. It was a $400 phone, but my GF at the time and I got it for $279 with contract. Had the cool LED rainbow flash when I talked on the phone. Had Natasha Yi wallpaper and all these cool ringstones for it. The UI was cleaner than my V600. Had the external screen that showed the person's pic when they called. Had 15fps at 15 seconds max. Epic! lol Good times! This phone and my T616 I still have in my drawer somewhere. I became a full-blown cell phone enthusiast after this one.
7. Motorola V600, Cingular (May 2004 - April 2007)
I got this phone for the no contract price of $399 after I won $400+ playing nickel slots. My third phone in four months to fulfill that phone addiction. This is probably the sexiest flip phone I ever owned, but it had a design flaw where the bezel would scratch up every time you flip it open. I had the rubber strip and it still didn't help out. I anticipated for this phone for months. Unfortunately, it wasn't my favorite. Just a sexy phone with mediocre features. Didn't even have video recording. I eventually lost in an airplane. Must have slipped out of my pocket after my trip from NYC. that's why I carry a holster case for my phones now.
8. Motorola RAZR V3, Cingular/AT&T (February 2006 - January 2008)
Ah, yes. The infamous RAZR phone. To tell you the truth, I wasn't the biggest fan of this phone. More like my V600, but in a thinner casing. The OS was buggy. I owned two of these. The first one I thought I lost. But after two years, it was found in the home theater of my parent's house. I gave that to my GF who became an ex and never gave it back. My second RAZR was given from my mom. I gave that one eventually to my uncle. This phone held me back another two years when I could have got better versions of it like the V3i with a music player. Thin phone, but BORING compared to my Sanyo phone.
9. Nokia N82, T-Mobile prepaid/AT&T (January 2008 - June 2010)
My first smartphone. This was the COMPLETE phone for a non-touchscreen when it came to features. Bought it unlocked. Won multiple awards for photography among cameraphones. I sold it a month ago on Craigslist and I'm already starting to miss it so much. Basically, the candybar cousin of the N95 with Xenon. Took wonderful pictures. A great phone to have in bars. This was what the SE K850 should have been. WiFi and a stronger Xenon flash. Even had the same Crash racing game I downloaded for FREE that iTunes sold for $5. So many cool wallpapers and I could turn any mp3 into a ringtone. I believe this is my second favorite phone of all-time just nosing out the original iPhone. I have a soft spot for this one because it worked better as a phone and I bought it online. The iPhone 2G was already used up and was given to me as a hand me down. When I sold my N82, the buyer was such a nice guy and mentioned how great the condition was. Always in a holster and no scratches. Only negative was the battery was getting far worse after 24 months and the software updates stopped coming after a year. But overall, long live the N82 and I hope the Nokia N8 carries on its legacy in cameraphone photography...
10. Apple iPhone, AT&T (November 2008 - June 2010)
The most revolutionary phone I have ever owned. The game changer. Still, this was still Episode 1. Still rough around the edges like the Batmobile in Batman Begins. When I got it, it gave me constant crashes. But I still have to say this was the most durable of all the iPhones. Had mines jailbroken and all. I miss some of the things on it including my MxTube videos that no longer exist on YouTube. I probably could have enjoyed it more had I got a new one and never got an iPod touch to spoil me from the JB goodness. But it was no doubt one of the biggest leaps in cell phone software we have ever seen and deserves its place among my Top 3 fav phones ever.
11. Apple iPhone 4, AT&T (June 2010 - Present)
Take the best features of the Nokia N95 and marry it with the iPhone aesthetics and software, and we have close to cell phone perfection for 2010. This is what the iPhone should have been a few years ago. It carries my lucky number of "4" and the first phone I bought on launch day. My experiences with it have been top notch from the day I got it until right now. Easily has become my favorite phone of all-time. The battery will die out as years go by and it will eventually get dead pixels like what happened to my 5-year old PSP, but this one is still a keeper even years after I plan to retire it as a main phone by 2012.
1. Audiovox 9155GPX, Verizon (December 1999 - September 2000)
My first cell phone that I got on Christmas of 1999. I was already 19 when I got my first phone which is OLD for today's standards, but remember I came from the pager era. It was for Verizon. Decent phone with solid reception. Lost it in a rave club. Slipped out of my pocket while on XTC. A kid picked it up and used my minutes. Luckily, I was insured and would get a replacement phone.
2. Qualcomm QCP-1960, Verizon (September 2000 - December 2001)
The replacement phone from Verizon. I hardly used it. I actually thought I lost it, but it was hidden in m backpack for months. I liked that it was thin, but I never cared for it. It was during this time when I didn't use or have a cell phone at all.
3. Nokia 3360, Cingular (December 2001 - September 2003)
My first GSM phone. This phone was ROCK SOLID. Dropped it so many times and it still chugged along. I got this for my 21st birthday as a free phone for signing up to Cingular. Served me well. Had a wallpaper of boobs and Linkin Park's "One Step Closer" as my ringtone. This was the phone that got me into text messaging with the "envelope with wings" flying away animation and that popular Snake game!
4. Nokia 3595, Cingular (September 2003 - January 2004)
My first phone with a color screen. I got it for free when I sent my old 3360 back to Cingular. I dropped this several times and it sucked. Cheap quality where the rubber padding would peel off. Hated the keypad. Eventually, it got submerged into liquid and stopped working. Had to buy another phone without contract. My dad did fix it, but I just gave it away to my aunt who needed a phone because she lost her's. Didn't care too much with this phone. My trusty 3360 was better and regret sending it back.
5. Sony Ericsson T616, Cingular (January 2004 - May 2004)
My first cameraphone. This was a sexy phone when I first saw it. My mother actually got it a month prior when her contract was up. As for my experience with it, I didn't really have time to enjoy it because I would eventually get a Sanyo and Motorola in the upcoming months. The T616 was quickly demoted as a third wheel and GSM back-up phone once I got my V600. The reception sounded softer compared to my Nokias. This phone would introduce me to Bluetooth and gave me a taste of being a phone junkie.
6. Sanyo SCP-5500/VM4500, Sprint (February 2004 - February 2006)
Like mentioned in the first page, this was my favorite dumb phone of all-time. This CES Award-winning phone was the best phone on Sprint at the time of purchase. Sanyo > Samsung back in those Sprint days. It was a $400 phone, but my GF at the time and I got it for $279 with contract. Had the cool LED rainbow flash when I talked on the phone. Had Natasha Yi wallpaper and all these cool ringstones for it. The UI was cleaner than my V600. Had the external screen that showed the person's pic when they called. Had 15fps at 15 seconds max. Epic! lol Good times! This phone and my T616 I still have in my drawer somewhere. I became a full-blown cell phone enthusiast after this one.
7. Motorola V600, Cingular (May 2004 - April 2007)
I got this phone for the no contract price of $399 after I won $400+ playing nickel slots. My third phone in four months to fulfill that phone addiction. This is probably the sexiest flip phone I ever owned, but it had a design flaw where the bezel would scratch up every time you flip it open. I had the rubber strip and it still didn't help out. I anticipated for this phone for months. Unfortunately, it wasn't my favorite. Just a sexy phone with mediocre features. Didn't even have video recording. I eventually lost in an airplane. Must have slipped out of my pocket after my trip from NYC. that's why I carry a holster case for my phones now.
8. Motorola RAZR V3, Cingular/AT&T (February 2006 - January 2008)
Ah, yes. The infamous RAZR phone. To tell you the truth, I wasn't the biggest fan of this phone. More like my V600, but in a thinner casing. The OS was buggy. I owned two of these. The first one I thought I lost. But after two years, it was found in the home theater of my parent's house. I gave that to my GF who became an ex and never gave it back. My second RAZR was given from my mom. I gave that one eventually to my uncle. This phone held me back another two years when I could have got better versions of it like the V3i with a music player. Thin phone, but BORING compared to my Sanyo phone.
9. Nokia N82, T-Mobile prepaid/AT&T (January 2008 - June 2010)
My first smartphone. This was the COMPLETE phone for a non-touchscreen when it came to features. Bought it unlocked. Won multiple awards for photography among cameraphones. I sold it a month ago on Craigslist and I'm already starting to miss it so much. Basically, the candybar cousin of the N95 with Xenon. Took wonderful pictures. A great phone to have in bars. This was what the SE K850 should have been. WiFi and a stronger Xenon flash. Even had the same Crash racing game I downloaded for FREE that iTunes sold for $5. So many cool wallpapers and I could turn any mp3 into a ringtone. I believe this is my second favorite phone of all-time just nosing out the original iPhone. I have a soft spot for this one because it worked better as a phone and I bought it online. The iPhone 2G was already used up and was given to me as a hand me down. When I sold my N82, the buyer was such a nice guy and mentioned how great the condition was. Always in a holster and no scratches. Only negative was the battery was getting far worse after 24 months and the software updates stopped coming after a year. But overall, long live the N82 and I hope the Nokia N8 carries on its legacy in cameraphone photography...
10. Apple iPhone, AT&T (November 2008 - June 2010)
The most revolutionary phone I have ever owned. The game changer. Still, this was still Episode 1. Still rough around the edges like the Batmobile in Batman Begins. When I got it, it gave me constant crashes. But I still have to say this was the most durable of all the iPhones. Had mines jailbroken and all. I miss some of the things on it including my MxTube videos that no longer exist on YouTube. I probably could have enjoyed it more had I got a new one and never got an iPod touch to spoil me from the JB goodness. But it was no doubt one of the biggest leaps in cell phone software we have ever seen and deserves its place among my Top 3 fav phones ever.
11. Apple iPhone 4, AT&T (June 2010 - Present)
Take the best features of the Nokia N95 and marry it with the iPhone aesthetics and software, and we have close to cell phone perfection for 2010. This is what the iPhone should have been a few years ago. It carries my lucky number of "4" and the first phone I bought on launch day. My experiences with it have been top notch from the day I got it until right now. Easily has become my favorite phone of all-time. The battery will die out as years go by and it will eventually get dead pixels like what happened to my 5-year old PSP, but this one is still a keeper even years after I plan to retire it as a main phone by 2012.
This phone served me well for 3 long years. It was built like a tank, took very decent photos at the time, and played AAC tracks from iTunes.
The built in LED flash/light was handy and easy to activate.
Also made a good hacky sack when I got bored, and the phone still works now.
I agree... Such a nice phone. Still got mine too.
Nokia 6265i. One of the last CDMA handsets from Nokia. Sure there were more CDMA Nokias but they were rebrands.
This phone served me well for 3 long years. It was built like a tank, took very decent photos at the time, and played AAC tracks from iTunes.
The built in LED flash/light was handy and easy to activate.
Also made a good hacky sack when I got bored, and the phone still works now.
+ 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 7!!!! Man I love this phone!! It was my all time fav and BEST phone!!
agreed. I loved my E815. It was one of the last verizon phones without their terrible UI on it
My first phone was a Nokia 101 on Bell Mobility (big, AMPS analogue, around 1990.) I remember standing at the entrance to Square One mall around 1990 waiting for a bus and hearing its distinctive ringtone and going for my phone and seeing six or seven other people doing the same...
Some time after that, I gave up the cellphone for a time. Then, in 1997, Fido opened the first GSM network in Canada in the Toronto area and I got a Nokia 2190 (GSM 1900 only).
Later I gave that to someone else when they signed up with Fido, and I got a Nokia 6190. I also got a large extended battery and a "surfboard" accessory that clipped between the battery and the phone. The "surfboard" was an AMPS analogue adaptor; Fido had an arrangement with Bell to roam on their analogue network when outside of Fido's GSM-1900 coverage area. The combination was quite chunky, but hey, it worked, as long as the case was on tightly to keep everything together...
When I went to Europe in 2000 I got an unlocked Motorola L7089 triband (GSM 900, 1800, 1900) from Fido to use over there. Unusually, Fido sold it openly and unlocked--this was the only time I remember them doing this.
Around 2005 Fido got bought by Rogers and their GSM networks were merged. Rogers started rolling out GSM-850 in the rural areas. Around 2008 Rogers and Bell shut their AMPS analogue networks down to make more room for GSM-850, and the Nokia 101 became useless, even if I could have found a working battery for it.
As a ten-year gift from Fido in 2007, I got a quad-band phone, a Siemens unit with a really low-resolution screen. But hey, it was in colour! And it had GSM-850!
Then, in 2008, the iPhone 3G (GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900, plus HSPA) reached Canada, and I rushed out and got one and signed up for a 3-year Fido contract even. I have an unlocked Motorola PEBL (quadband GSM as well) in a box as an emergency backup phone.
And now I have an iPhone 4.
I think my fave dumbphone was the Nokia 2190. I know there were other versions in the 2100 series for other networks; if I could get an unlocked 2100 series with quadband or quintband, it would be worth picking up. That phone was solid and just kept on going.
Some time after that, I gave up the cellphone for a time. Then, in 1997, Fido opened the first GSM network in Canada in the Toronto area and I got a Nokia 2190 (GSM 1900 only).
Later I gave that to someone else when they signed up with Fido, and I got a Nokia 6190. I also got a large extended battery and a "surfboard" accessory that clipped between the battery and the phone. The "surfboard" was an AMPS analogue adaptor; Fido had an arrangement with Bell to roam on their analogue network when outside of Fido's GSM-1900 coverage area. The combination was quite chunky, but hey, it worked, as long as the case was on tightly to keep everything together...
When I went to Europe in 2000 I got an unlocked Motorola L7089 triband (GSM 900, 1800, 1900) from Fido to use over there. Unusually, Fido sold it openly and unlocked--this was the only time I remember them doing this.
Around 2005 Fido got bought by Rogers and their GSM networks were merged. Rogers started rolling out GSM-850 in the rural areas. Around 2008 Rogers and Bell shut their AMPS analogue networks down to make more room for GSM-850, and the Nokia 101 became useless, even if I could have found a working battery for it.
As a ten-year gift from Fido in 2007, I got a quad-band phone, a Siemens unit with a really low-resolution screen. But hey, it was in colour! And it had GSM-850!
Then, in 2008, the iPhone 3G (GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900, plus HSPA) reached Canada, and I rushed out and got one and signed up for a 3-year Fido contract even. I have an unlocked Motorola PEBL (quadband GSM as well) in a box as an emergency backup phone.
And now I have an iPhone 4.
I think my fave dumbphone was the Nokia 2190. I know there were other versions in the 2100 series for other networks; if I could get an unlocked 2100 series with quadband or quintband, it would be worth picking up. That phone was solid and just kept on going.
Not really a dumb phone in my opinion, as it was an incredible phone and I enjoyed so much. At 13 I definitely had the best phone compared to my friends.
Palm 600p (Sprint)
lol
Palm and Blackberry *invented* smartphones. They do not count.
...punks.
Nokia 6300 and 3110. I still have the former and I had the latter in around 1999. The 3110 was one of my first mobile phones and I loved it. I replaced it with a Timeport, but that was nowhere near in usability. Actually, both were grey/graphite.
I still use my 6300 for making calls, the battery in my 3G is so poor that even without making any calls and BT turned off, it doesn't last half a day.
I still use my 6300 for making calls, the battery in my 3G is so poor that even without making any calls and BT turned off, it doesn't last half a day.
Attachments
I gotta get this one out of the way. I had this pager in 1994, and everybody thought I was a dealer in grade 11!!! Gotta love the old codes. 911 was call back right away... hahaha, good old times
My Cell Phone History....
Nokia 2110, My first cell phone in 1996. Prob my favorite dumbphone next to the RAZR
Nokia 5110
Ericsson T28
Nokia 2100
Motorola T720
RAZR V3
RAZR V3i
My Cell Phone History....
Nokia 2110, My first cell phone in 1996. Prob my favorite dumbphone next to the RAZR
Nokia 5110
Ericsson T28
Nokia 2100
Motorola T720
RAZR V3
RAZR V3i
My first ever mobile phone was probably my favourite. It was THE phone to have at the time, as made famous by The Matrix.
I think I next had a Sony Ericsson T28:
A couple more Sony Ericssons followed, first the T68i and then the T610i:
I then had a couple of Windows Mobile devices. Starting to move into smartphone territory I think.
Then I splashed out on the iPhone 3G, and now have the iPhone 4.
I think the one I enjoyed most at the time was probably still The Matrix phone.
I think I next had a Sony Ericsson T28:
A couple more Sony Ericssons followed, first the T68i and then the T610i:
I then had a couple of Windows Mobile devices. Starting to move into smartphone territory I think.
Then I splashed out on the iPhone 3G, and now have the iPhone 4.
I think the one I enjoyed most at the time was probably still The Matrix phone.
Thanks, dude!
I made that post personally for myself as if it was like a journal. I've bookmarked this thread so if anyone ever asked me about my previous phones, I can give them an idea with this thread.
This is such a great thread. Feels like a trip down memory lane. I see many of these older phones and I would be like, "Yeah! I remember that one!" And quite a number still look very nice after all these years. Their looks really held up well. And with those brick/Zack Morris phones that can also be used as a weapon, it is like looking at an old high school yearbook pic and be like, "I used to have that?" What was I thinking?" Just sitting and smiling at the pic of that phone from many years ago. That's what makes it so cool about cell phones. We may get a new experience like every few years or less. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Like having a fling. Constantly changing, constantly new experiences. Cell phones are like a time capsule of our lives.
This thread made me appreciate the past and present while also look forward into the future. And this is a thread where we are not bashing on Apple's competitors, but appreciating them all for laying the groundwork for us.
I currently only have my SE T616, Sanyo SCP-5500, and iPhone 4 as my other phones were either lost, stolen, sold, or given away. But to all of them, thanks for the memories...
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
i agree with this....Startac with the slim battery was awesome....very loud ! reception was great every where...
Motorola e815 was the phone I was using for over 3 years, until I got my first iPhone last weekend. Honestly, I do miss having a flip phone, it had an amazing speakerphone, great reception, and with verizon, coverage was amazing.
My biggest regret with the iPhone is the lack of coverage (sorry but CDMA is much better in rural areas I frequent), and the slight compromise in form factor.
With that said, having been an iPod Touch user since it's release, it is nice to have a constant on internet connection, and having 2 devices in one. No longer do I need to carry 2 devices, though I still bring with, and use my iPod Touch as my primary portable media player.
My biggest regret with the iPhone is the lack of coverage (sorry but CDMA is much better in rural areas I frequent), and the slight compromise in form factor.
With that said, having been an iPod Touch user since it's release, it is nice to have a constant on internet connection, and having 2 devices in one. No longer do I need to carry 2 devices, though I still bring with, and use my iPod Touch as my primary portable media player.