A Trip Down Cellphone Memory Lane
RandomIt amazes me how a device that served such a small purpose when I was in high school has become such an essential part of everyday life. Cell phones have conquered the world, for better or worse. They've brought us some amazing apps, plenty of stupid ones, cameras in our pockets, instant messaging, and a constant connection to the outside world.
I'm still not convinced all of that has been for the best, but there's no arguing that cell phones are here to stay.
I've had a cell phone since sometime in early 2001. My dad got me one when I started working so I'd always have a way to get in touch with him. Since then, I've had a phone near me pretty much every day for more than twenty-five years.
Recently, I started thinking back on all the different phones that became such an intricate part of my daily life and thought it might be fun to revisit them.
Nokia 3310
My first phone was the infamous Nokia 3310, better known these days as “The Brick.”
The Nokia 3310 has become something of an internet meme because of its legendary durability, but honestly, the reputation is deserved. The thing really did seem indestructible.
It didn't have a whole lot going for it by today's standards, other than an awesome version of Snake, but the interchangeable faceplates, small size, great reception, and long battery life made it one of my favorite phones I've ever owned.
There was something nice about carrying a phone that was simply a tool. It made calls, sent basic text messages, and that was about it.
I think I'd miss modern texting and a few other conveniences, but part of me would happily carry one of these again.
LG L1200
I remember when cell phone releases weren't a big event. There really wasn't much to them, so upgrading was mostly about finding something a little smaller, nicer looking, or more durable.
When I decided it was time to move on from the Nokia, I went to the Cingular store, opened my own account, and picked out the LG L1200. It wasn't exciting, but it was a solid little phone.
I carried it for four or five years, which seems almost impossible now. The phone worked well the entire time, and I don't remember ever having a major issue with it.
Kyocera Oystr
Eventually, I became frustrated with paying around $50 a month for cell service. Recently, I found an old journal entry where I was complaining about how outrageous that amount seemed. Now, fifty bucks sounds pretty cheap.
At the time, though, I decided I'd had enough. I left Cingular and tried Virgin Mobile's pay-as-you-go service. I bought a cheap Kyocera flip phone that seemed like it would do everything my old phone did without the monthly bill.
It didn't.
The service wasn't nearly as reliable, the phone wasn't as good, and after four or five months I was already looking for another carrier. So much for saving money.
Palm Centro
I wanted to switch to Sprint after discovering their employee referral plan. The problem was that I didn't actually know any Sprint employees. So, I looked up the email address of one of the executives online, plugged it into the signup form, and it worked. Ha!
For $29.99 a month, I had unlimited everything and it was fantastic.
For my phone, I picked the Palm Centro. This was my first real experience with anything approaching a smartphone. It had a full keyboard, apps, email, internet access, and even a stylus.
I liked all the options it offered, and the phone itself felt great in the hand, but It was slow.
The Centro served me well for around two years, but by the end I was more than ready to move on.
Samsung Reclaim
For my next phone, I wanted something smaller that still had a full keyboard and that's how I ended up with the Samsung Reclaim, a compact slider phone made partially from recycled materials. I liked the whole environmentally friendly angle, and I loved how small it became when the keyboard was closed.
I signed a new contract and proudly brought my new phone to work the following day. It took maybe five minutes before the jokes started. I got made fun for it being recycled, for it being green, and for it looking pathetic. It was quickly nicknamed my frog phone.
LG Rumor 2
Eventually, I wanted something that would let me text a little faster, so I found a used LG Rumor 2 on eBay for around thirty dollars.
It wasn't glamorous, but that phone got me through some difficult times and became one of my favorite devices for texting. The slide-out keyboard was simple and fast, and I could type on it without even thinking about it.
I still miss physical keyboards on phones.
Apple iPhone 4
Only a couple of months after getting the LG Rumor 2, I made the leap to an iPhone 4. I wasn't interested in a smartphone, but I needed one.
After getting divorced, I was temporarily living with my mom and didn't have reliable access to their internet. That made simple things like paying bills and taking care of everyday business online incredibly difficult.
I needed a dependable way to access the internet, so I broke my Sprint contract, switched carriers, and bought an iPhone.
At first, I loved it.
The iPhone 4 felt fantastic in the hand, worked reliably, and became a lifesaver more than once. Having a real web browser in my pocket suddenly made everyday tasks dramatically easier. Over time, though, I started wanting more customization and control over the device. I knew my next phone was going to be an Android.
Samsung Rugby Pro
When I switched to Android, I chose the Samsung Rugby Pro. What attracted me most was the phone's rugged design. It was water resistant, built to take a beating, and seemed perfect for someone who wasn't always gentle with his electronics.
Unfortunately, it didn't have much power or storage, so Android updates stopped pretty quickly. As apps became more demanding, the phone became slower and slower until using it started feeling like a chore.
Samsung Galaxy S3
I inherited a Galaxy S3 with a badly cracked screen, so I ordered a replacement piece of glass for about five dollars and attempted the repair myself. Surprisingly, it worked.
The phone wasn't exactly new by the time I got it, but it was still a considerable upgrade from the Rugby Pro. I installed a different launcher to keep things running smoothly and managed to get a surprising amount of use out of it.
That little repair probably extended my smartphone budget by quite a while.
LG Stylo
Eventually, the Galaxy S3 couldn't keep up anymore. I switched to T-Mobile, and that was basically the final straw. The S3 struggled with the network, and I needed Wi-Fi calling just to reliably get a signal at work.
I bought an LG Stylo from Walmart for around $120. For the price, it wasn't a bad phone, unfortunately the camera sucked.
I really regretted it when I went to Wizard World Chicago and came home with a bunch of photos that looked awful. I had gone to this huge convention surrounded by interesting people, costumes, and celebrities, and most of my pictures looked like they'd been taken through a dirty window.
That experience convinced me it was time to spend a little more money on my next phone.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
I came home from Wizard World so frustrated with my photos that I promised myself I'd buy a better phone. Luckily, Best Buy was running a good promotion, so I picked up a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
The S7 Edge was the phone that made me realize there really was a difference between buying a budget device and buying a flagship phone. It was faster, the screen was better, the camera was dramatically better, and everything simply felt more polished.
I carried it for well over two years and probably would have kept it longer if it hadn't eventually started showing its age.
Nokia 3310, Again
At some point, Nokia released a modern version of the 3310 and since the original had been my first and favorite phone, I couldn't resist.
I bought one to use as a weekend phone, hoping it would help me disconnect from the world a little. I loved carrying something so small and lightweight again. It felt like a tool instead of a toy, which was refreshing after years of smartphones demanding my attention.
For a while, the experiment worked.
Unfortunately, when I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon, the phone wasn't compatible with Verizon's network and that ended my brief attempt at going old school.
Google Pixel 2 XL
After nearly three years, my Galaxy S7 Edge started slowing down and the charging port began giving me trouble. One day, after spending way too much time wiggling the charging cable around trying to get it to connect, I finally got fed up and drove straight to Verizon.
They were running a great promotion on the Google Pixel 2 XL, so I bought one.
After less than two years, software support began winding down and the power button started failing. I tried keeping the phone usable through accessibility features and workarounds, but eventually it became too much.
The breaking point came when I got a flat tire and couldn't reliably unlock my phone to search for nearby tire shops.
I literally threw the phone in a rare act of rage and after I got my tired replaced, I drove to Verizon and replaced the phone.
iPhone 13
I never expected to buy another iPhone.
Being locked into Apple's ecosystem didn't appeal to someone like me who enjoys customizing everything. Android always seemed like the better fit, but over the years, I slowly lost more and more trust in Google. I became increasingly aware of how much of their business model involved collecting information about me and monetizing everything I did.
I'm not under any illusion that Apple is perfect, but I began to see them as the lesser of two evils. The previous fall, I had received an iPad for my birthday, and it turned out to be a fantastic gift. Using it regularly helped me become familiar with iOS again and reminded me of how well Apple's devices worked together.
As my Pixel 2 XL slowly died, I finally decided it was time to jump back onto the Apple bandwagon. I bought an iPhone 13, and honestly, I didn't regret it.
There were still Android features I missed. Android's ability to separately control different volume levels immediately comes to mind, along with the greater freedom to customize the interface.
But overall, I felt a little more secure using iOS and, strangely enough, a little more organized.
iPhone 16
My current phone, the iPhone 16, came into my life mostly by happenstance. The battery in my iPhone 13 had started to decline just under five years, so I began looking for a reputable place that could replace it for a reasonable price. I never found one I felt great about, but during the search I stumbled across a really good deal on the iPhone 16. Rather than keep messing around with battery replacements, I decided to just upgrade and move on with my life.
So far, I've been really happy with it. The phone is fast, everything feels responsive, and I actually like having the dedicated camera button. It makes pulling up the camera much quicker, which is useful since I take a lot more photos with my phone than I ever expected to.
My only real complaint is how the phone feels in my hand. Because of the camera button, my OtterBox case has to leave part of the side exposed, which makes the whole thing feel a little awkward compared to my iPhone 13. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's one of those small design changes that I notice every time I pick up the phone.
Overall, though, the iPhone 16 has been a solid upgrade. It wasn't one I had planned on making, but sometimes the best technology purchases are the ones you stumble into while trying to fix something else.
Looking back at all these phones, what's interesting isn't really the technology itself. It's how clearly each device connects to a particular period of my life.
The Nokia reminds me of starting my first job. The Palm Centro reminds me of discovering what a smartphone could actually do. The LG Rumor reminds me of a difficult transition in my life, while the iPhone 4 reminds me of trying to put things back together. Even the terrible LG Stylo camera takes me straight back to Wizard World Chicago.
These phones weren't just gadgets I replaced every couple of years. They were sitting in my pocket while life happened around me, and maybe that's the strangest part of looking back at them. I can barely remember what apps were installed on most of these phones, but I remember exactly where I was when I carried them.