Nokia N-Gage

7 October 2003 phonehome 0

It is October 2003, and Nokia has decided to declare war on Nintendo. If you’ve stepped into a Carphone Warehouse lately, you’ve likely seen the N-Gage taking pride of place in a plastic display case, looking less like a mobile phone and more like a high-tech Cornish pasty. For the princely sum

Nokia 1100

1 October 2003 phonehome 0

It is late 2003, and while the tech-elite are preening over their colour screens and camera lenses that take photos of what appear to be smudged ghosts, Nokia has quietly released the 1100. If you walked into a Carphone Warehouse today, you might overlook it in favour of the shiny Samsung flips,

Nokia 6600

1 October 2003 phonehome 0

The ‘Fat Phone’ has arrived in the UK, and it’s here to tell you that your PDA is obsolete. Launched in October 2003, the Nokia 6600 is a significant technical milestone; it is the most advanced Series 60 device Nokia has ever produced. It’s a chunky, soap-bar shaped beast that feels substantial

Motorola V300

Motorola V300

1 October 2003 phonehome 0

If the Samsung E700 is a sleek sports car, the Motorola V300 is a reliable, rubberised family hatchback with surprisingly good speakers. Launched in late 2003 as a mid-range contender on the T-Mobile and Orange networks, the V300 is Motorola’s attempt to bring high-end clamshell features to the average punter. It’s a

Samsung E700

1 September 2003 phonehome 0

It is late 2003, and Samsung has officially decided that the external antenna is a fashion crime that must be abolished. The E700 is a design-led masterpiece that has turned the heads of every mobile user in Britain, finally providing a clamshell that doesn’t look like a walkie-talkie from a 1970s police

Sony Ericsson T610

1 June 2003 phonehome 0

If the Samsung T100 was the flashy newcomer, the Sony Ericsson T610 is the sophisticated graduate who’s just walked in and taken over the room. Released in the UK in mid-2003, the T610 is the phone that finally validated the marriage of Sony and Ericsson. After a few “getting to know you”

BlackBerry 6210

1 March 2003 phonehome 0

The ‘Quark’ has arrived, and for the professionals of the City, life will never be the same. Released in 2003, the BlackBerry 6210 is a pivotal moment in telecommunications history; it is the first BlackBerry that actually functions as a phone without requiring you to plug in a clunky external headset. Before

Nokia 3510i

1 December 2002 phonehome 0

While the 7650 is for the tech elite, the 3510i is the phone that’s bringing colour and “the internet” to the rest of us. Launched in late 2002, it’s a brilliant mid-range worker that replaces the monochrome 3510. It’s got a 4,096-colour display that makes the menus look vibrant, even if the

Orange SPV

1 November 2002 phonehome 0

The Orange SPV (Sound, Pictures, Video) is a bit of a historical moment: it’s the world’s first Windows-powered smartphone. Produced by HTC but branded by Orange, it launched in late 2002 as a direct challenge to Nokia’s Symbian dominance. It looks and feels more like a PDA than a phone, featuring a

Nokia 7650

26 June 2002 phonehome 0

It is June 2002, and Nokia has just released a device that feels like it fell off the back of a spaceship. The 7650 is a landmark for three reasons: it’s the first Nokia with a built-in camera, the first with a colour screen, and the first to run the Symbian OS