Evolution of cell phones

[Gumbo4x4]

I think it's funny that they started huge, became tiny, and are now huge again.

Still have yet to experience a cell phone that gets reception as good as the bag phones of 20 years ago.

 

[Erzengel]

Did this on another messageboard.

My first phone in 1995. I think it was the Motorola Micro TAC 820.

My next few phones were I believe the Nokia 1610. I believe I had a blue one, then a couple of black ones. Think I had these up between 1995 - 1999.

I had this in 2000 until I ran it over. Motorola v 120c.

I got this in 2001. The LG TM510.

My first color screen that could take pictures. LG VX6000 This came out in 2003

This was one of my favorite ones. LG VX9800, loved the keyboard in 2005.

The first time I ever returned a cell phone. In 2008, Samsung Glyde. I thought it was like the LG VX9800. It wasn't.

So a week later, I picked up the LG Dare.

HTC Incredible in 2010.

Broke my Incredible in late 2010/early 2011 and had to go back to the Dare again.
In 2011, I picked up the HTC Thunderbolt.

Switched up to Samsung in 2013. The Samsung Galaxy S IV.

Currently from 2015, iPhone 6s.

Almost time for an upgrade.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

My first cell phone was a Motorola purchased in 1995. That was just out of college for me, and I don't know how we made it through college without a portable phone.

When I first got my cell phone, it was pretty big, and each phone got smaller and smaller. I remember my exH saying that he wanted the smallest phone possible. Then, they started getting bigger and bigger. At the same time, we watched a transformation from home phone to personal organizer to personal computer. My phone today (iPhone 7+) does more than my computer did at the time I got my first cell phone!

 

[wenrob]

It's hard to imagine where we will be in 10 years. I can't see there being anything new, just improvements on what we have now.

I currently have a 6 and my contract is up in March. I will wait until the 8s are free and then upgrade. I really hope they went back to having a headphone jack. I know you can use an extension in the charging hole and I'll do that if need be, but it just seems like an extra step.

There's no such thing as a 'free' cellphone. If you're in a contract, you're paying for it and if you continue to pay that contract price after it's up, you're paying extra for it. I'm glad most providers here have mostly done away with the 2yr contract model. Its deceitful and gives a false sense of value. Payment plans are much more transparent and straightforward. When you're done paying for the phone, you're done and the bill goes down.

It's hard to remember my exact cellphone history but my first real one was that Motorola Micro Tac posted above. We forgot to carry them 80% of the time. They went into full use when oldest DD was born (21 years ago). I remember DH carrying both of ours and using them from the delivery room right after she was born.

I had the first iPhone back when people would go, "Ooooh, is that an iPhone?!?! LET ME SEE IT!!!" I put the first POTC movie on it and thought that was the coolest thing ever. Have a 7 now and it's my calendar, alarm, timer, grocery list, recipe keeper, weight tracker, books, mags, tv, movie, tunes, maps, tickets, credit card, reservation maker, camera, video, texting, kid stalker device. Oh yeah, I can make a phone call on it too.

I keep saying "We'll see what the iPhone 8 brings to the table" but chances are I'll be getting it. I'm a shameless fan girl.

 

[kimblebee]

There's no such thing as a 'free' cellphone. If you're in a contract, you're paying for it and if you continue to pay that contract price after it's up, you're paying extra for it. I'm glad most providers here have mostly done away with the 2yr contract model. Its deceitful and gives a false sense of value. Payment plans are much more transparent and straightforward. When you're done paying for the phone, you're done and the bill goes down.

It's hard to remember my exact cellphone history but my first real one was that Motorola Micro Tac posted above. We forgot to carry them 80% of the time. They went into full use when oldest DD was born (21 years ago). I remember DH carrying both of ours and using them from the delivery room right after she was born.

I had the first iPhone back when people would go, "Ooooh, is that an iPhone?!?! LET ME SEE IT!!!" I put the first POTC movie on it and thought that was the coolest thing ever. Have a 7 now and it's my calendar, alarm, timer, grocery list, recipe keeper, weight tracker, books, mags, tv, movie, tunes, maps, tickets, credit card, reservation maker, camera, video, texting, kid stalker device. Oh yeah, I can make a phone call on it too.

I keep saying "We'll see what the iPhone 8 brings to the table" but chances are I'll be getting it. I'm a shameless fan girl.

I meant free in the sense that I didn't have to pay anything up front for it. I pay $15 or so a month on my bill for the purchase of my phone.

 

[Micca]

I remember the bag phones for cars.

I had one of those for work--late 80s/early 90s?

 

[elaine amj]

We fully switched over to iPhones but to be honest, the shine is wearing thin. The iPhone 6S has not been operating as smoothly as I would like. It's not even 2 years old (we got it Dec 2015 I think) and it's already sluggish. I've NEVER been able to get MDE working successfully on it. On vacations, I usually trade my crappier Blackberry with Dh and take his iPhone 6S. I was annoyed enough by the sluggishness of the iPhone that I kept my (new) Blackberry in my hands the whole trip and enjoyed working on the Android platform.

I have a feeling we will gradually switch back to Androids. It will be some time though as both my kids just got brand new iPhone SEs. I really, really hope my DH's iPhone 6S lasts at least 2 more years. The main reason we got it is because I really liked the longevity of iPhones. Our old iPhone 3GS lasted forever and a day. As did the iPhone 4. The iPhone 5 kicked around for quite a while too although not quite as long as the 3 and 4.

 

[wenrob]

We fully switched over to iPhones but to be honest, the shine is wearing thin. The iPhone 6S has not been operating as smoothly as I would like. It's not even 2 years old (we got it Dec 2015 I think) and it's already sluggish. I've NEVER been able to get MDE working successfully on it. On vacations, I usually trade my crappier Blackberry with Dh and take his iPhone 6S. I was annoyed enough by the sluggishness of the iPhone that I kept my (new) Blackberry in my hands the whole trip and enjoyed working on the Android platform.

I have a feeling we will gradually switch back to Androids. It will be some time though as both my kids just got brand new iPhone SEs. I really, really hope my DH's iPhone 6S lasts at least 2 more years. The main reason we got it is because I really liked the longevity of iPhones. Our old iPhone 3GS lasted forever and a day. As did the iPhone 4. The iPhone 5 kicked around for quite a while too although not quite as long as the 3 and 4.

What is MDE? A 6S should not be sluggish at all. My kids use the 6 fully updated and have no issues. Heck, my Dad is using a 5C that he accidentally updated (when I explicitly told him not to!) and it was snappy as ever when I had to re teach him everything. Have you taken it to an Apple Store? It could be as simple as a bad software update. Anyway, cool if you just don't like it but a barely two year old phone shouldn't be acting that way.

 

[amberpi]

What is MDE? A 6S should not be sluggish at all. My kids use the 6 fully updated and have no issues. Heck, my Dad is using a 5C that he accidentally updated (when I explicitly told him not to!) and it was snappy as ever when I had to re teach him everything. Have you taken it to an Apple Store? It could be as simple as a bad software update. Anyway, cool if you just don't like it but a barely two year old phone shouldn't be acting that way.

I'm anxiously awaiting the 8, because I was in the hospital last year when the new ones came out and by the time I was thinking about phones again, I decided to just wait for the 8 as I was still enjoying my 6s well enough and the "new" was off the 7. My 6s never gives me any issues. My mom had a bad software update as you suggested and it was *poof* all fixed.

 

[SC Minnie]

My Dad gave us bag phones for Christmas 1993. I was pregnant with DD and he wanted us/me to be able to reach someone if needed. I actually found that phone in a closet a couple of years ago.

I now have the iPhone 7, DD has the 6 Plus and DH has the 5. He's waiting to upgrade to a 7 when the 8 comes out.

 

[wenrob]

I'm anxiously awaiting the 8, because I was in the hospital last year when the new ones came out and by the time I was thinking about phones again, I decided to just wait for the 8 as I was still enjoying my 6s well enough and the "new" was off the 7. My 6s never gives me any issues. My mom had a bad software update as you suggested and it was *poof* all fixed.

That's the most common cause especially if you've updated over the air. It could be any number of very minor things that can be fixed very easily.

My plan had been to hang onto the 6 one more year and then get the 8 but the battery in the 5 I handed down to my younger DD swelled just a few days before the 7 announcement. I knew Apple would take care of me (it was a known issue) but it was the perfect excuse to get the 7. It's not *that* much different than the 6 so I imagine less so than the 6S. We'll pass down our 7s to the younger two if (if, ha who am I kidding?) we get the 8. They're still in excellent shape. Not sure if I'm going to sell them or maybe I'll upgrade my dad though I'm loathe to have teach him everything again.

 

[usnuzuloose]

To costly, so many other things that are needed here than an expensive phone.

 

[Domo]

As a PP said, it truly is funny how phones have gotten tiny and then big again!

We appear to be into phablets now. Never seen the point of them. I agree with the late Steve Jobs - if you can't operate the entire phone with one thumb, it's too large.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I still use a flip phone which I bought for ten bucks at a Target in Delaware a couple of years ago. I only use it to make calls when I need a ride home or I'm waiting on my sister to call me that she's on her way to pick me up for an outing. Other than that, it's turned off and at the bottom of my purse. I *despise* cell phones.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

My dad had a very early car phone. One that was actually installed in his car with a big box in the trunk. He had it installed several weeks before the first cell tower in the area that could service it was operational.

 

[Domo]

Phones aren't even phones anymore. People primarily use them for web browsing, video watching, music playback and as cameras. Not phones.

 

[elaine amj]

That's the most common cause especially if you've updated over the air. It could be any number of very minor things that can be fixed very easily.

MDE is My Disney Experience. I don't know why but it has never worked well on the 6S. Even when the phone was new. Just crashes all the time. So bizarre. I have uninstalled and reinstalled multiple times. I just gave up and used the mobile site through Safari. Works smoothly there.

Hmm..I am going to have to look into this further. That's interesting that the sluggishness could be a bad software update. Or something. Never thought of taking it to an Apple Store as we have passed the warranty period. Actually, I've never been inside an Apple Store - never had any reason to enter one.

I'll have to get DH to look into it a little deeper. He is techy but hasn't been bothered enough to fuss with figuring out how to improve the phone's performance.

 

[wenrob]

MDE is My Disney Experience. I don't know why but it has never worked well on the 6S. Even when the phone was new. Just crashes all the time. So bizarre. I have uninstalled and reinstalled multiple times. I just gave up and used the mobile site through Safari. Works smoothly there.

Hmm..I am going to have to look into this further. That's interesting that the sluggishness could be a bad software update. Or something. Never thought of taking it to an Apple Store as we have passed the warranty period. Actually, I've never been inside an Apple Store - never had any reason to enter one.

I'll have to get DH to look into it a little deeper. He is techy but hasn't been bothered enough to fuss with figuring out how to improve the phone's performance.

It could be any number of little things, bad software update, an app gone rogue, being at the tippy top range of your storage etc. An Apple Store will not charge you to fix any of that. They don't charge you to look at it and if it's something major they'll quote you a price to repair or replace. And they could Pixie Dust you as well. I've seen that happen many times. Apple wants you coming back and their CS reflects that. I'd place good money it's something small though. When is the last time you've cleaned things up on it and rebooted? Can't help with the app as I've never used it.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I have always been obsessed with them

I started off in like the late 90's with the Motorola flip phone. I remember being all excited for "nights and weekends" because of all the free minutes. From there, I ended up with some type of Kyocera crappy phone that I thought was awesome because of all the faceplates. I had a darn drawer full of faceplates. I had way too many colors and themes. I also had some kind of ugly Nokia because that seemed to be the thing to have. I moved on to like the Motorola Razr and thought that was the bee's knees. I got some kind of Sony Ericsson, it was cute and it really wanted to be an mp3 player, but was just soooooo complicated to use. I got the original iPhone and kept that quite a while. I did get a Motorola Droid X, but sold it pretty quickly and bought an iPhone 4. I have also had iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 6 Plus (which was just waaaaay too big), and now have iPhone 6s.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

It's rumored that the OLED display version of the iPhone 8 is going to sell out very quickly. If any of you are hoping for that one, I'd jump on it.