Mobile Phones Through The Ages

Thursday afternoon. Bright and sunny outside (okay, maybe more so overcast). Stuck at home…no car today. So what else is a finished-first-year student to do on the first day of May? Clean out a messy room, of course! [Note: sarcasm]

Digging through my hellhole of a closet with the central vac in hand, I came across a few old mobile phones I kept as a young’un for amusement. In my collection (including the one I use today, which is used for visual comparison) were one four (Sony) Ericssons, one Nokia, and one LG.

To begin, I’ll describe my “comparison phone” so you’ll have an idea of the sizes of the other phones. The new Sony Ericsson W890i sits at under 10mm, and is incredibly small and light. Granted, I need a small lanyard attached for safety support, because this candybar is easy to drop. As for the specs, it’s got an amazing interface including the famed Walkman player (but no shake technology), Bluetooth and 3G support, and a 3.2 megapixel camera that actual takes decent shots, despite the lack of auto-focus or flash. And it comes with a 2GB memory stick.

Now…the other cellular devices…

NOKIA P4000: The Brick

The Nokia P4000 is so old that the only website that I could find with relevant info on it was by an author describing his family’s first cellphone. All I know about this brick is that it dates from 1991 — almost as old as me! — and my mom used it for work (I don’t know how she managed to endure carrying this around in her purse). Oh, and that sticking it in your pocket (if it fits) makes you look like a terrorist hiding a pipe bomb.

You could probably fit about ten W890i’s in one of these dinosaurs!

ERICSSON CA-638: The Walkie-Talkie

Exactly ten years after the release of the aforementioned Nokia, Ericsson (this was right before Sony came into the picture, I’m guessing) introduced a well-praised cell phone that — gasp — came with changeable face plates! How exciting for a phone the size of a big walkie-talkie.

ERICSSON T10sc & T28sc: Surprisingly Small

Ironically, two years prior to the CA-638 release Ericsson had two mobile phones on the market that are comparative in size to the phones we use today. The T10 was a decent 24mm thick, but the real money was definitely found in the 15mm-ultra-slim T28. Judging from the numerous nostalgic reviews on both phones, they must have been a big hit. The only giveaways to these phones hinting their nine-year-old age are the monotone digital display, the cheap, hard plastic buttons, and the antenna (though some recent-enough phones still have them).

LG 8600 (Chocolate Flip): Delicious at first, but left a poor taste

The Nokia and the three Ericssons were never owned by me. In fact, I had never really wanted a cell phone until last year, when Telus introduced the LG Chocolate Flip. I thought it was the most beautiful and thinnest phone ever. It was unlike the RAZR, which I hated, because the buttons were like microwave ones instead of cheap rubber, and the screen and body were flat as a board. (The funny thing is, it’s the same size as the Ericsson T28 minus an antenna, save for a one millimetre difference.) But less than a year later, the excitement wore off quick. After having dropped it once in an elevator, the camera began to malfunction and the screen went crazy every time you opened it; I also began to notice that Telus actually has a terrible interface, and they (or LG, one or the other) restrict a LOT of functions on the phone. So I bought a Sony Ericsson (which I plan to keep for years, it’ll be small and durable enough to last) and switched over to Rogers…it was like escaping cellular prison. However, the Chocolate Flip continues to woo me with its sleek piano black finish every time I glance at it. Too bad it doesn’t take SIM cards.

Batteries

Battery size has shrunk considerably within the past decade, and has become even more efficient despite phones packing more power-consuming features (music, camera, etc.). Take a look at the Ericsson CA-638’s battery size compared to the LG Chocolate Flip and the Sony Ericsson W890i’s battery sizes: you’d need to stack the latter two to almost achieve the thickness of the CA-638! Plus, you could fit two W890i batteries side-to-side in the length of one CA-638 battery. (Though it’s interesting to note that batteries back then were made in Japan and assembled in Mexico, whereas today they’re completely produced in China.)

Nothing Beats The Brick…

My favourite mobile phone out of this entire collection (other than my beloved W890i, of course), however, is the ancient Nokia P4000. What’s not to love about it?! Bigger than modern cordless home phones…heavy enough to pose as a dumbbell for a child…an antenna that can double as a throat swab…I’m SOLD. But seriously…having to carry around this thing that could be used for adequate self-defense would be a good work-out of its own!

These phones are definitely going back into the safety of my closet, especially since they’re actually worth something. I mean, it’s apparently even TRENDY now to own a brick phone!