What was your best phone ever? Here’s mine!
I have been thinking a lot, for some UBER strange reason, about the Sony CMD Z5 handset. Do you remember it?
Here’s a picture:
It was, without doubt, one of the best handsets I’ve ever owned. Obviously it doesn’t cut it now in today’s world of high tech gizmos. Stick it next to a Nokia N95 and it looks positively stoneage.
I bought one, a while back. I felt like I should — it was only £20 from eBay. I think I used it once — it’s now sat gathering dust (perhaps rather predictable…).
The battery is still fantastic, the screen nice and large, the 20-second on-board voicemail (you can listen to people leaving the messages) is still operational. I think that was my favourite feature; that and the flip — I always found the little flip bit entirely satisfying. And when the flip was closed, it wouldn’t obscure the entire screen so you could always see who was calling. Sony jog dial. Forget your Blackberry jog dial, the CMD-Z5 had that years before they did! Perfect size too. Metal. You didn’t have to worry about it in your pocket (unlike the StarTac - remember that? I remember putting the StarTac in my pocket the wrong way and almost crushing it as I sat down).
I’ve no idea why I was thinking about this phone. I might, actually, have a bet with myself and try using it for a week! Goodness knows how I’d sync all my contacts to it. I doubt the memory goes beyond a few hundred numbers (I looked it up — 500 numbers max).
It’s potentially worrying, if you stop for a moment and consider: Who else sits daydreaming, now and again, about age-old handsets?
Well, perhaps you could help make me look less of a weirdo but confessing what your favourite-ever handset is?
(Photos from GSM Arena)
yes yes yes, this was the best phone ever. I remember it well, i was working in london and got it from the upstairs phone shop in victoria station. Amazing! The jog wheel, the games, the amazing menu!
ON BOARD ANSWER PHONE! Back in those days when voicemail was not free this was simply… well.. yes, best phone ever!
Dave
Posted by David on October 9th, 2007 at 9:53 am.I’ve got to say the nokia 7650. Built like a tank, packing Java, bluetooth, video, camera and GPRS. Had such fun this phone as it brought everything that was exciting in mobile at the time into one device.
Not the most handsome handset - but for sheer fun this has got my vote.
Posted by Steve Green on October 9th, 2007 at 10:21 am.For me it has to be the Nokia 6310i. In many ways boring, but it was solid, fitted well in your pocket and hand and did everything you needed at the time. The battery was a real trojan, going forever. It was my first phone with a modem and getting mobile (albeit exceedingly slow) data like that was a revelation. I still keep one in my laptop bag with a Virgin PAYG sim in it in case I can’t get data any other way. It’s been a lifesaver, even abroad. I’ve had many phones, but that one stands out to me
I still think fondly of my first ever phone, but I can’t remember the name/model and now it’s annoying the hell out of me and a Google hasn’t solved it! I think it was the first digital Nokia offered by Orange when they launched (1993?), a smashing little(ish) candy bar one with a pull up antenna (remember those?). It was dead solid and in the days when mobile ownership was far from the norm I was exceedingly proud of it. Anyone remember what it was called or have a link to a pic? Just for nostalgia’s sake…
Posted by MarkW on October 9th, 2007 at 10:47 am.The first digital Nokia offered by Orange when they launched was the “Nokia Orange” I think this was followed by the “Nokia Orange 5.1″
The Nokia Orange 5.1 version for other networks was the 2110, I had both and would say that it was the best phone Nokia made untill the 6310.
Posted by NTS Paul on October 9th, 2007 at 11:55 am.@NTS Paul: That’s it. Of course, it was just the Nokia Orange. I really loved that phone, I suppose mostly because of the novelty value and the fact that it was the cream of the crop in its day. I look back on it fondly (when I’m being so sad as to look back fondly on mobiles (eh Ewan?!)). Thanks for the memory jog.
Posted by MarkW on October 9th, 2007 at 12:26 pm.One for sale on ebay at the moment. Had I not changed to a 9000 comunicator and then a 9110, I would have used it untill the 6310 came out. HP did a PDA that the phone docked with - the original comunicator.
The Vintage Phone section on ebay has some real classics - even strong interest on the old Motorolla bricks - now that WAS a phone!
Not much use since they turned off TACS in the UK, but maybe OK overseas.
Posted by NTS Paul on October 9th, 2007 at 12:47 pm.I have that sony too… it was very cool but my flip front bit broke when I took it out of my pocket.
I loved the Nokia 7610. It, for me, was a huge step forward and was totally bullet proof.
Mark
Posted by Mark on October 9th, 2007 at 12:51 pm.Nokia 6150… absolutely rock solid. I still use them with in home-made SMS gateway.
Coincidentally I just popped into the missus’ office where she listens to BBC Radio London and there was a chap on there talking about when he had the 3rd carphone in britain in the 1960’s.
Posted by Dan Lane on October 9th, 2007 at 1:51 pm.@NTS Paul: Motorola did a GSM “brick” (the “International 3200″) that still works on 900MHz GSM networks… I’ve often considered getting one for comedy value at events like Ewan’s unlimited drinks
Posted by Dan Lane on October 9th, 2007 at 1:53 pm.It’s the Nokia 7650 for me, too - although I did buy a Nokia 1011 from eBay because it was the first GSM phone I ever saw. It was a long time before something genuinely better than the 7650 arrived.
Posted by Where's Mike? on October 9th, 2007 at 2:46 pm.DAN: “Motorola did a GSM “brick†(the “International 3200″) that still works on 900MHz GSM networks.”
Now that is cool! everyone in the dodgy car and building trade had a brick - what a great way to show you are “well established”
The first “mobile” I used was a hired Motorola 4500. Imagine a car battery with a car phone handset nailed to the top.
For some great retro phones check out http://www.retrobrick.com - how many do you recognise?
Posted by NTS Paul on October 9th, 2007 at 4:28 pm.whatever next?
Posted by SE Fanboy on October 9th, 2007 at 7:48 pm.coke or pepsi!
@NTS Paul: I can’t believe the 3200 is selling for £149!!!
@SE Fanboy: If there is one thing that goes hand-in-hand with the old brick mobiles it’s copious amounts of coke
Posted by Dan Lane on October 9th, 2007 at 8:04 pm.The MDA compact… aka the imate Jam.
A small PDA/windows mobile phone that was incredibly solid, and worked beautifully with voice command.
Posted by psionandy on October 10th, 2007 at 11:20 am.No need to learn any voice tags, it could ‘read’ the items in your address book, and instead of ringtones you could get it to say ‘Call from Joe Smith’….
I think mine would have to be my Nokia 6630. I was going to say Nokia 6600 (as it was my first Symbian device) but I think the 6630 just pips it…
Man I LOVED that funky desktop charger/cam combo…
Just looked so good on my desk..
*sigh*
Posted by James Whatley on October 10th, 2007 at 12:24 pm.Andy what’s with was? I’ve still got two MDA Compacts. Hubby uses one as his everyday phone and the other one is my backup handset in case I lose/break my current one. The only reason I upgraded was to get GPS and WiFi builit in instead of on SDIO card.
Posted by cyclist on October 10th, 2007 at 12:57 pm.@WhatleyDude: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danlane/1533241929/
Posted by Dan Lane on October 10th, 2007 at 6:36 pm.I’d take the one on the right every day…
Posted by James Whatley on October 11th, 2007 at 7:29 am.I loved the MDA compact, and it only went back because of network problems with t-mobile, In the end they decided it was easier to lose me as a customer than try to fix it
It was replaced by a SE k750 (nice camera phone) on O2
2 years later I have a t-mobile Vario II, which is nicer in many ways, better camera, 3G, Wifi, more memory… but its a bit bigger and it doesn’t work nicely with Voice command.
Posted by psionandy on October 11th, 2007 at 10:09 am.I had a Vario II, bought it for the built in WiFi. It lasted less than a week - slower, fatter and heavier than the Compact. Still, it was a free upgrade and I was able to seell it.
Posted by cyclist on October 11th, 2007 at 1:17 pm.You need to try the Trinity, similar size to the MDA Compact, nearly as fast, much better camera.
How do you find Windows Mobile 5.0 on those MDA devices?
Posted by Ewan on October 11th, 2007 at 1:45 pm.Quite slow perhaps?
Posted by RogerWLC on October 11th, 2007 at 1:47 pm.There’s a definite improvement with 6.0 though. Much faster, smoother.
Posted by Ewan on October 11th, 2007 at 1:48 pm.I’ve got no complaints with wm5 on my vario II… The only time I really have any issues is when I’m downloading several 40MB podcasts over wifi/3G at the same time. Or anything thats trying to throw large amounts of stuff on the sd card. Otherwise Its stable. Its quick for contacts and PIM stuff.. mobile web browsing and email are fine.
When I got it I realised I’d have to trade off 3G against built in GPS. My logic was I can always bluetooth to a gps unit, but I couldn’t do anything about the 3G if I didn’t have it.
The HTC Kaiser has both, but alas I’ve still got plenty of time left on my contract, and cant justify the price of a new one.
Posted by psionandy on October 11th, 2007 at 2:03 pm.The MDA Compact had the previous OS, WM2003SE. It was very fast on that device.
The Vario II had WM5 and was slooooow, one of the reasons I got rid of it.
The Trinity (HTC P3600) I have now is WM5 and although a bit slower than the Compact it’s fast enough for me.
Posted by cyclist on October 11th, 2007 at 2:39 pm.Ah I have ALWAYS admired those MDAs….
Posted by Ewan on October 11th, 2007 at 3:00 pm.How about the WORST phone ever?
Mine was the HP iPaq 6515. Brutal ‘Windows Mobile 2003′ (in quotes because it is really just horrible, awful Windows CE) OS, dog slow, terrible battery life and it did almost everything, just none of it very well.
Posted by Daniel Gibbons on October 11th, 2007 at 10:10 pm.Non-smartphone - Nokia 8310
The Nokia 8310 was the smallest mobile phone I’ve ever owned – it used to sit horizontally in a shirt pocket. I was used to the Nokia esoteric menus, and it supported IR for my notebook, but the big plus was the FM radio. As I cycled 10 miles each way into the centre of London four days a week, it was my constant companion to the noise of road traffic. Generally BBC Radio 4; the Today programme on the way in to work, the comedy half hour, The Archers and Front Row on the way home. If I was late leaving work XFM normally won out. It was also incredibly tough; it was dropped, sat on, thrown halfway across the kitchen (by accident) on numerous occasions and it survived for over two years.
Smartphone – Orange SPV C500
Replacing the Nokia 8310 this was my first smartphone, and arguably the first usable phone running Windows Mobile. It had all the extra features the 8310 missed – MP3 playback, synchronising via ActiveSync, even MSN Messenger. It also charged from the laptop over a standard cable (joy!). This phone replaced both my 8310 and an aging first generation iPaq, and with the Futurama theme downloaded on it the interface looked damn fine too. Similar to the 8310 it survived terrible physical abuse and only the headphone socket gave out in the end.
I now have a HTC TyTN II, and I’d dearly miss the keyboard and the bigger screen, but I do yearn after something the size of the 8310 and the C500. These were both real phones, in that they were a perfect size for a mobile phone and didn’t let any additional functionality interfere with the actual job of receiving and making phone calls. They are also both still working and released from their Orange network lock so, who knows, they may both find a new role in the future.
Posted by Liam Westley on October 12th, 2007 at 8:36 am.Sony Ericsson T68i - first of the new generation - colour screen, add-on camera, email, mms… FIVE years ago. very good for it’s time
Posted by dylan on October 14th, 2007 at 2:19 pm.The Nokia 6100, by miles. It was the best small phone I’ve ever had. In fact, the last small phone I ever had. I then moved on to the N70, the N73, and the N95. Phones that sit in my handbag, and don’t get picked up half the time because I don’t hear it ringing.
I want to go back to a tiny phone I can keep in my pocket. Yet… I want an iPhone, which is even bloody bigger! You’d think I’d have learned by now.
Posted by Vero Pepperrell on October 18th, 2007 at 11:18 pm.I think my Bosch 509e was great. Dropped it a hundred times, it was orange with built in LED’s that made it glow and the text tone was fantastic.
Beauty: http://images1.reviewcentre.com/sent-in/item288.jpg
Posted by Giles on October 19th, 2007 at 9:32 am.Best phone ever. Loved the fishing game on it too!!!! Wish it would come back.
Posted by Aaron Mason on January 11th, 2008 at 10:51 pm.