Long before iPhones and Android smartphones, there was a whole generations of cell phones that ruled the consumer market. From flip phones to BlackBerry’s and everything in between, cell phone manufacturers competed to have the coolest phone out there. Majority of these phones on this list were released during the rise of text-messaging as a mainstream form of communication.

Just like a meteor knocking out the dinosaurs though, once iPhone was released in 2007 ,these non app based cellphones eventually fell to the wayside leaving other phone manufacturers desperately trying to keep up with Apple’s success.

We thought it would be fun to look back at some of our favorite cell phone designs from the early 2000’s. Who knows, maybe even you have owned one of these phones at one point in your life. Check them out below:

 

 

Motorola RAZR:

The Motorola RAZR was one of the most popular flip phones of the 2000’s with a sleek design. The phone was released with a camera which helped make it even more desirable. The RAZR was first released in 2004 and received multiple versions since its origin. If you had one, you were one of the cool kids compared to the kids with a any other phone.

Don’t deny it, you definitely have taken a mirror selfie with this once in your life! I loved the fact that you could barely tell that it was in your pocket. It was also great that it worked as an MP3 player as well making it nice to not have to bring another device in your pocket.  Motorola was able to sell around 130 million devices factually making it one of the best selling phones.

LG enV2:

The Envy was one of the first cell phones to feature a full QWERTY keyboard without being a smartphone. Text messaging at this time became a mainstream way to communicate so having a device like this was crucial. The Envy 2 improved upon the original envy in many ways but most importantly, a more attractive design.

The phone was a fully functioning cell phone on the outside just like any other device but when you flipped it open, it was a whole different beast. The Envy 2 also had respactbly sized speakers making it a great multimedia device. The phone was originally released in March 2008 for $129

Sony Ericsson W580i:

The Sony Ericsson W580i was a fun looking candy-bar style phone was a focus on music. This slider phone featured a 2mp camera with Sony’s Walkman name branded all over. At the time, Sony pushed their creativity with their production of cell phones. It came in all different colors and could also stream video. The Sony Ericsson W580i was innovative and pushed boundaries with other companies following suit.

 

BlackBerry Curve 8330:

There is no denying that BlackBerry was one of the most important phones of the 2000’s. It was the original smartphone and was meant for business and professional use. Blackberry also had its own chat system allowing for even quicker communication. It was a non-flip phone with a fully equipped QWERTY keyboard and a track ball making it easy to navigate.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 was the most popular version of the phone with a thin design and flashy looks. BlackBerry eventually couldn’t keep up with the release of iPhone and other android devices like the Samsung Galaxy due to the lack of a proper app store among other reasons.

N-Gage QD:

The N-Gage was a smartphone that took mobile gaming to the next level. The phone featured it’s own chip based video game software and had a reputable collection of games. From Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater to Super Monkey Ball, you could now play 3d games on the go.

As a phone, it was awkward to use which ultimately led to it’s downfall. The N-Gage also had it’s own online gaming service called N-Gage Arena which was ahead of its time. It was released in 2003 at $299 and had roughly 50 games for the device. There has been other devices like this since then but would love to see something like the N-Gage return!

Nokia 1100:

The Nokia 1100 was probably the first cell phone for a lot of people and was made popular with its connection to Tracfone, a pay-as-you-go cellphone service. Countless hours were spent playing snake for most folks. It was also something that you could bang around and not worry about it breaking. Simplicity is the best way to sum up the Nokia 11o0. Since it was released in 2003, Nokia has sold over 250 million 1100’s which eventually became the world’s best selling cellphone of all time.

T-Mobile Sidekick:

The T-Mobile Sidekick was a phone with the cool-factor taking the best of was smartphones and candy bar cell phones had to offer. It had many features including a great email system, software designed specifally for the phone and of course a QWERTY keyboard. Kids also loved this becasuse you could use AOL Instant Messenger on it. This was the phone that made Verizon, Sprint and AT&T users very jealous.

LG Chocolate:

The LG Chocolate took what the Sony Ericsson W580i was able to do and did it much better. The phone had a sexy slider design with a touch based circular pad all based around it’s MP3 player. It had a 1.3mp camera and sold over 21 million units. It was released exclusively for Verizon who had a popular line of cell phones at the time.

Motorola i Series i530:

Motorola i series i530 was a phone for the blue-collar man due to it’s internal walkie-talkie features. They called it Push-To-Talk and the device was mostly recognized on Sprint. What made it intriguing was that it was rugged so you were never worried about breaking it.

LG Voyager:

 

The LG Voyager was one of the last great cell phones before the iPhone/Android take over. It had a fully functioning touch screen and QWERTY keyboard on the inside. It took the success of the enV and improved upon it in every way. It had a 2mp camera and was stacked with a ton of internal features.