Dialing Back to the Phones of Yesteryear
Ah, who remembers the satisfying feel of flip phones: the flick of the wrist to snap them open and the dramatic slam to end calls? While clamshell and candybar phones are no longer the norm, they still spark nostalgia for those who grew up cherishing these iconic devices. From the Motorola Razr to the BlackBerry Curve 8900, here are 20 retro cell phones we all miss using.
1. Nokia 8110
The Nokia 8110, released in 1996, was considered revolutionary at the time. With a graphic LCD screen and a slider keypad, it looked like something from the future—so much so that it even appeared in The Matrix. Because of its slide-out feature and slight curvature, it was aptly nicknamed the "banana phone."
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2. Sony Ericsson W800
Before iPhones and iPods, there was the Sony Walkman. This portable music player was more than just a fashion piece; it was lightweight and could be used anywhere—even during exercise, making it an instant hit. Given this, it came as no surprise that when Sony Ericsson released the W800, the first phone to incorporate the Walkman brand, it became just as beloved and popular.
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3. Motorola Razr
If you had a Motorola Razr back in the day, you were instantly envied. Everybody either wanted or owned the Razr, with V3 being the most coveted. Its razor-thin silhouette—measuring just 13.9 mm—made it one of the slimmest phones on the market, a rare feature at the time.
4. Motorola Flipout
Motorola didn't just dominate the market for making a slim, sleek phone. When the Flipout was released just half a year later in 2010, the brand was also praised for its groundbreaking concept. A square-shaped device that flipped open, switch-blade-like, with a full QWERTY keyboard? Truly creative design at its best.
5. Nokia 3310
Just one look at the Nokia 3310 and you'll be immediately hit with a punch of nostalgia. This was the phone since its release in the fall of 2000, so iconic that it still remains a favorite of many even to this day. Not to mention it was practically indestructible.
6. Nokia 9000
Back when Nokia dominated the cell phone market, it seemed like everything they released came from 20 years in the future. The 9000 Communicator was no exception: featuring a full QWERTY keyboard, a grayscale LCD screen, and dedicated buttons for the web and fax, it was nothing short of extraordinary.
7. LG Chocolate
Beloved for its fashionable design, with its slide-out keyboard and red accent touch buttons, it's no shocker that the LG Chocolate is such a memorable device. It was particularly popular in South Korea, where its advertising campaign featured endorsements by actors Daniel Henney and Hyun Bin, and actress Kim Tae-hee.
8. Nokia 5110
With the rise of personal cell phones, Nokia began to buy into the fact that many would likely want a device they could customize, and what better than having interchangeable covers you could swap out to match your style every time? From orange to purple, this phone had it all. It even had everyone's favorite game: Snake.
9. Motorola StarTAC
First released in 1996, the Motorola StarTAC pioneered the clamshell flip-phone design, and its widespread popularity meant every phone afterwards adopted the unique feature of flicking up and snapping down to pick up and end calls. The only drawback was its price; at the time, it cost the equivalent of a new iPhone.
10. Ericsson R380
The Ericsson R380 was the first phone to be deemed a "smartphone." In fact, its design was considered to be a great example of major developments in science and technology, leading to it being featured in the American magazine Popular Science.
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11. BlackBerry Bold 9000
Remember the days when BlackBerry dominated the market? That rolling trackball nub, the full, semi-squished keyboard, and the large color screen—this was when BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) was the place to chat with your friends back in the day. Though the brand is no longer half as popular as it was then, the Bold 9000 remains a device we miss.
12. LG Rumor Touch
Initially released for mobile communications giant, Sprint, the LG Rumor was another well-known and loved series, particularly the Rumor Touch. Where previous iterations had pixel screens, this one came with an interactive touchscreen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
13. BlackBerry Curve 8900
The Bold 9000 wasn't the only BlackBerry device people were using—there was also the Curve 8900, which had similar features and design elements, though a slightly smaller screen. But the real reason why these devices were so popular at the time was because they had full keyboards without having to slide them out.
14. Motorola Pebl
There's a reason why the Motorola Pebl was so beloved, and it's not just for its digital clock face, its magnetic hinge closure, or its vast range of colors from black to matcha green. In addition to all that, it was also smooth, shiny, and resembled exactly what its name suggests—a pebble.
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15. HTC Legend
Stepping away from flip phones and pull-out keyboards with touch screens, the era of touchscreen smartphones might not feel all too nostalgic since they're still in widespread use today, but their initial, imperfect iterations make them devices we miss. The HTC Legend is a prime example, and despite the domination of the iPhone in 2010, it still fared extremely well.
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16. Samsung Galaxy Note
Though now extinct, the Samsung Galaxy Note series had a great run. First released in 2011, its 5.3-inch screen looked like a giant TV to us back in the day, classifying it as a "phablet" (phone and tablet). While later iterations only tried to make it better, nothing beat the original.
17. iPhone 4/4S
You may think we'd include the first iPhone on this list of retro mobile devices, but the iPhone 4/4S has a particularly special place in everybody's heart. For one, after the bulky, rounded design of the first few versions, the sleek, sharp lines of the 4/4S came as a relief. Made of (fragile) glass that covered its back, this was the first iPhone that looked and felt premium.
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18. LG U8110
Sure, the LG U8110 might look like every other clamshell flip phone out there at the time, but it had an interesting, unique twist: your alerts could come up as a flash of different colors. Simply set which color you wanted for each kind of alert—calls, messages, alarms—then watch your notifications light up vibrantly.
19. Nokia 7280
Perhaps what was most endearing about the Nokia 7280 was that it didn't look like a phone at all; in fact, it looked like a tube of lipstick with a screen. Its peculiar design made cameos in several music videos, including "Beep" by the Pussycat Dolls.
20. BlackBerry Pearl
Released in 2006, the Pearl was one of BlackBerry's most iconic series, considering it was the brand's first device with a built-in camera and music player. It also featured the familiar full QWERTY keyboard and a light-up notification LED on the top right of the device.
