Do You Even Know What Dial-Up Sounds Like?
We've had some real fun in the office this week reminiscing about the good old days of mobile phones and everything that went along with them.
It only seems like yesterday when I got my first phone. When I finally did, it felt like a big deal. I could now be contacted by my friends and family at any time, day or night. Although I couldn't contact anyone else because I was saving my credit and was only allowed to top-up by £5.00 at a time, and you were limited to the number of texts and minutes that would get you. Looking up the specs of that phone today, it seems like something from the stone age.
Virgin Sendo S230, complete with a 2G connection and 96px X 64px, 6 line, Monochrome display.
They don't make them like that anymore, which is probably a good thing.
Others in the office have shared similar experiences and talked about the excitement around the big releases of their day; the Motorola Razr, Nokia 3210, Sony walkman Series, there's too many to mention. It seems like every phone we remembered was marketed with some crazy gimmick, that either seemed revolutionary or crazy. From a free detachable speaker, a special new way to flip/twist/fold, etc.
In a way, it seems a shame that, with the modern smartphone, we have lost a bit of that magic and excitement. It's gone from something that would go through extreme changes in both form and function, to something that, for the most part, stays the same every year. Only incremental improvements, (mostly internal), set one model year apart from the other. It appears that some manufacturers are trying to recapture some of that excitement, with the re-release of old models, and new designs, like the folding phone. Yet it doesn't feel as exciting as it used to be?
One of the best things to come up was that with no app stores, the only way to get the latest ringtones, wallpapers and extras, was with a subscription service, or overpriced one-off payment, from the back of a magazine. Oh and that damned crazy frog, which I think we'd all prefer to forget.
Image Credit: @amiiwg
Hopefully, this has brought some cheer to your day, as you remember your first phone, or even how you wasted a few quid on a silly wallpaper or ringtone.
If you have a spare minute, we'd love to know what your first phone was, or the craziest thing you remember buying from one of those magazine ads. Follow us on Facebook, or Instagram or you can send us an email at sales@repairoutlet.co.uk
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