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Old Mobiles — the Bad and the Ugly
CrazyPhrog writes "File under nostalgia? This round up of mobile hardware from days of yore includes the Dynatac ("the world's first proper mobile phone"), which looks like something likely clamped to Joan Collins' cheek in an episode of Dynasty; the frankly violent-on-the-eye jade T10, courtesy of a pre-Sony Ericsson; and the unwonderful Siemens Xelibri which looks as if it was designed to give simultaneous ear, eye and finger ache. Thankfully they really don't make 'em like they used to."
I certainly wouldn't classify the Motorola StarTAC as bad or ugly. In fact, as far as mobile phones went, it was certainly ahead of its time. I remember seeing those things years and years ago... I thought they looked pretty sweet, to be honest. From the picture they have on the site, it certainly doesn't fit under bad or ugly.
..if I didn't have my StarTac in my pocket right now. When your cellphone is listed at number two in a list of mobile design classics, perhaps it may be time to get up to date.
You may be joking (I can't tell for sure; I've seen such phones still being used in cars), but you're not too far from what some of us experience. For ages, I've been using the Nokia 3589i. My contract with Verizon has expired a long time ago, and they've been offering some new, bery compelling contracts, but I'm remaining a month-by-month customer because I don't see a reason to upgrade my phone. All I want is a wireless device I can use to place phone calls, receive them and exchange SMS messages. I don't need anything more, and yet Verizon is trying to push on me phones that are either status symbols or miniature computers, cameras and entertainment centers in one.
I know what you mean, my Nokia 6310 has every feature I want, and none of the features I don't. Sadly its' showing it's age. I can't see any modern phone surviving the years of abuse it has suffered - Its battery life is like new despite over 1000 hours talk time on the clock.
Philip
Signatures are broken
I've read through most of the posts, and the general consensus is that newer phones with more and more features are not what people want.
I couldn't agree more.
About 5 years ago, I bought a Audiovox CDM8150 as a cheap phone for sending/receiving calls, text messages, and some very light web browsing. It worked like a charm - I never had any problems with that phone. Unfortunately, I let the account lapse (it was prepaid), and it suffered to the fate of a dresser drawer.
6 months ago, I was in need of a cell phone yet again. I was faced with a choice - reactivate my old one for $75+tax (but with $75 in prepaid credits), or buy a Samsung A630 for $150 with the same amount of credits. Stupidly, I thought the A630 was a better choice.
Now, bear in mind, I bought this just before I left for basic training. What's worse was it was defective, and this wasn't apparent until about 1 week in. The A630 has an internal battery because it uses VRAM, and the internal battery was malfunctioning - causing the phone to cut off calls and randomly reboot itself even when plugged in. Bear in mind, I could not leave the base to get my phone replaced until 3 weeks later, which left me stuck to payphones until then.
I ended up getting the phone exchanged after 31 days - 1 day over the limit (thanks to the very understanding and professional staff at TELUS) - a fresh new A630 - and it too was defective. Same problem, internal battery (this one was a little better though, I could make a 15 minute call before it cut off). Another trip into the city, and alas another A630. This one has been working well so far.
Towards the end of basic training, I realized how much better I would have been with my old CDM8150. Considering I never downloaded images or ringtones, played any games, or did anything "new" that my CDM8150 couldn't do, I kicked myself for not having my CDM8150.
Frink: Nice try floyd, but you were designed for scrubbing, and scrubbing is what you shall do.
I agree. When I started my new job they gave me a list of phones and said choose one. The only one on the list that even came close to the functionality of my trusty 6310 was the 6230. The 6310 went to my wife, but now she has needed to "upgrade" since the 6310's battery keeps disconnecting momentarily, switching off the phone, and the keypad is a bit dodgy from years of (my) abuse. Having said that, the 6230 is no where near as sturdy. I would have loved a new phone in the 6230 form-factor with upgraded processor, color display etc but keeping most of the core "functionality" of the phone. Maybe the mobile companies should do incremental upgrades to the phones instead of ditching the old designs completely every time a new phone comes out.
"And then I visited Wikipedia
But I want my 1997 cellphone back. The earpiece was actually at my ear, and the mouthpiece was actually at my mouth, more or less. It had buttons that a full grown man could actually press one at a time. It made calls. It worked if you dropped it.
... cricket chirp ...}
So given the technology and network improvements, I should be able to get the same thing now with a free phone and $5/mo service with free airtime, right? {cricket chirp
My first cell-phone was the Dynatac featured in the article summary. I primarily used it to call air traffic control for departure clearances from the non-towered airport where my plane was based. It made things much easier when I could taxi to the runway, do my run-up, call ATC and say: "I'm ready to take off". They could issue an immediate clearance with a short void time, and not tie up the airspace for a long time.
Motorola offered the Star-Tac shortly afterwards, but it was really expensive. They also released a slightly smaller version of the Dynatac. It wasn't as thick and heavy, but it was still substantial. And it was affordable.
About that time, several of my women friends bought cellphones to carry in their cars for use in an emergency. I warned all of them to buy a car charger, because the battery will probably be dead when it was needed most. One responded: "well, if the phone is dead, at least this model is heavy enough to use as a weapon."