There’s been a lot of great phones throughout the years. We’ve seen ones that completely revolutionised the market and those which focused on style over features.
While there’s always been one killer phone each generation, which are the one’s which conjure up the most memorable images? What are the phones we remember most?
Here at What Mobile, we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 most memorable phones. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below.
The phone that changed it all. When the iPhone first launched in 2007, nobody could predict the success that awaited it. While it didn’t have the best specifications internally, the amazing design and radically different operating system changed the fabric of the industry. This was the phone that single-handedly killed Nokia.
Remember when Blackberry was a force to be reckoned with and music producer Diplo used to star in their adverts? Well, this was way before then. When keyboards were all the rage, Blackberry nailed it with their perfectly designed QWERTY keys and SureType text entry system. The 8300 featured a new trackball which would continue to be refined in future models. Also, who can forget texting their friends for FREE using Blackberry Messenger?
As the third HTC flagship phone, the Desire had some big shoes to fill. When it landed on the market, it surpassed all expectations and even matched the flagship Nexus One. With its powerful 1GHZ Snapdragon processor and generous 576 MB RAM (the Nexus One only had 512 MB), it was a powerhouse for its time and blistered through tasks.
The first fashion conscious phone, the Razr V3 was the envy of all your school buddies. Razor thin with a metal keypad, it was available in a choice of strikingly vibrant colours. Unfortunately, the phone itself wasn’t actually all that good. With a poor interface and dated hardware versus its competition, it definitely was a case of style over substance.
The classic. The icon. It’s the phone that everyone remembers from their youth. Improving on everything that made the 3210 so successful, it continued the success and sold like hotcakes. With a robust body and removable fascia for easy cleaning, the phone became synonymous for being indestructible; a title it still holds today.
At a time when Nokia was just starting to struggle in the smartphone market, the 5230 was an anomoly that managed to do very well despite its shortcomings. Missing killer features such as WIFI and a speedy processor, it managed to carve a niche as a cheap, competent digital music player that also made calls to friends and family.
Possibly the first most feature-packed phone of its time, the N95 has been hailed by many as the best phone of all time. Featuring many technologies that were considered radical at the time (anybody remember the amazing 5mp camera which took 30fps video at VGA), this phone pushed several technological boundaries but was hampered by Symbian’s slow progression.
There was a time when the Galaxy line of phones was untouchable. The S3 was the pinnacle of its success. Throwing in as many features as physically possible, the S3 was a true powerhouse and universally claimed as the most powerful phone on the planet. Many preferred it over the iPhone 4 because of its removable battery, memory card slot and easily accessible design. It’s just a shame that TouchWiz was so bad.
Another classic bulletproof phone, the Siemens M35 was the more consumer focused variant of the C35. It had a few unique features over its brother such as a concealed antenna and replaceable covers for a bit of personalisation. The rubber edging also gave it added protection, meaning the odd knock would do little to damage this sturdy device.
The K750i was the much-awaited update to the K700i, bringing along some big updates to the previous device. The camera saw a huge bump in resolution from VGA to 2MP and included autofocus; a premium feature for its time. It also had a much better screen and upgradable memory using a Sony Memory Stick Duo card.
