In the last few decades, there are a few electronics that saw tremendous breakthroughs in technology, advancing in leaps and bounds. One of them is without a doubt the mobile phone. If you told me about smartphones and what they can do 20 years ago, I would have laughed at you. But look at where we are today.
These days, we essentially have miniature PCs in the palm of our hands these days. Of course, it hasn't always been that way. The handphones we used to have back in the day were far from the fancy multi-purpose devices we now have, but a lot of them were iconic devices that many would remember. Today, let's talk about 5 iconic mobile phones and what made them special.
Nokia 3210
The company's star may have dimmed in recent years, but Nokia definitely has some of the most iconic phones of all times, especially during the late 90s to the early millennium. One of them would definitely be the Nokia 3210. This phone was perhaps the first mobile phone that ditched the external antenna, prompting other brands to follow suit. I'd say this one is the most memorable for me personally, as it was my first mobile phone. All those days spent playing Snake remain fond memories today.
Nokia N-Gage
There was a time when Nokia tried all kinds of ideas, some successful and some not so much. If there's one that was considered far from successful but no less iconic, then it would be the N-Gage. Originally designed to compete with the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, the Nokia N-Gage was essentially a handheld game console that doubled as a phone. But the layout of the buttons was horrendous, which made it ill-equipped to function as a gaming device. One of my friends owned one back in the day, so I got to try it out. I thought it would at least be a novel experience, but boy was it clunky as hell...
Kyocera VP-210
Now 99.9% of you have probably never heard of Kyocera. Heck, I don't know about the company either. But when I was reading up different articles in preparation for writing this one, I found something interesting. Launched way back in 1999, the Kyocera VP-210 is probably the first mobile phone that came with a camera. What's more, it was a camera on the front. That's right, the first phone with a selfie camera appeared 21 years ago, neat huh?
BlackBerry Bold 9000
Since this is a topic of iconic phones, there's no way we can forget to include something from BlackBerry. Many corporate execs used to own one of these and one of the most famous would have to be the BlackBerry Bold. Launched back in 2008, the BlackBerry Bold featured the brand's signature QWERTY keyboard and a trackball. It had a sleek look and a premium feel to it that most phones lacked at the time. This phone was treated as a status symbol back then, kind of like what the iPhone was in its early days.
Motorola Razr V3
When it comes to design, most phones back then used to be thick and chunky. But things inevitably change and Motorola brought about one of those notable changes with its Motorola Razr series. Specifically, we're talking about the Motorola Razr V3. It was a good looking clamshell phone that had two displays and was easily the slimmest device of its generation. The phone was so good that it went on to sell 130 million units, and is likely the inspiration for the new foldable Moto Razr. Honestly, I'd buy that foldable if I could afford it.
And that's it for my list of five iconic phones and what made them special. How about you, do you have a particular mobile phone that you considered special and memorable? Please share your list in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more articles like this!
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