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:

cmd z5

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)

  • bitflung
    i can't remember what it was called, but back in... 2000 perhaps... i had a Handspring (palm pilot clone) with a Voicestream (bought out by T-Mobile later) phone attachment. man that was great - it turned my monochrome palm clone into a GSM mobile phone with completely integrated CSD services for email, web, etc. eventually they enabled HCSD and brought my connection speed up to 9600 baud!

    back then i was dialing into an ISP with the service, as this proved faster and cheaper than the available data services from Voicestream (that changed over time and i eventually used Voicestream's data directly).

    yup. i had the precursor to the iPhone 7 years (or so) before it came out. on a side note, i also bought the Sprint version of this Handspring add-on, but never used it. i only bought it because it came with a bigger battery and that battery was compatible with my Voicestream device... i still have the sprint version tucked away in a closet, but sadly i've misplaced (or gave away for all i know) the GSM variant :(

    -bit
  • Yeah, the handspring visor, I had a load of those.. kept breaking them because they came with a screwdriver in the stylus! :P

    Had to import them too because they weren't available in the UK until a while after they were launched :(
  • ziggy
    well, thats amusing. i've gone through a fair few phones. after my w810i died, i spent a long time looking for a phone that would be unique. i have a practical nature and thought it wouldnt be so bad having a retro phone, i had my eyes set on that sony but they kept selling for over 20.. i bet its a brilliant phone at heart.

    to conclude, i don't have a favourite phone, because theyre all rubbish for one reason or another... no matter how "helpful" they can be... >.<
  • Agreed
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