Top 10 Best Cell Phones of the 2000s
Between the years 2000 and 2009, cell phones advanced quite a lot from being simple flip phones to being smartphones with access to the internet. From companies such as Motorola to Nokia to BlackBerry, many phones that were released in the 2000s became icons of the decade.Also, as of February 2022, 2G internet has sadly shut down and 3G is already in the process of shutting down. This means most of these phones will unfortunately no longer work after January 1st, 2023, if they haven't stopped working already, which is bad news for many flip phone and early smartphone users. With that being said, at least you can still upgrade to a 4G phone, since at least 4G isn't going away anytime soon.
Released in 2004, the iconic Motorola Razr V3 flip phone quickly became one of Motorola's most successful phones, with 50 million units being sold by July 2006. The Motorola Razr is one of the most iconic phones of the mid-2000s.
I'm sure most of you remember a time when phones had physical keyboards, and this 2008 model BlackBerry phone is certainly no exception. Similar models were also popular, but the BlackBerry Curve 8330 takes the cake.
Wow, I have vague memories of playing Breakout and other games on that phone.
Released in late 2000, the Nokia 3310 sold 126 million units between 2000 and 2005 and was a very successful product. It later became known for its durability and long battery life. It's so durable that it's almost impossible to destroy. I dare you to try destroying a Nokia 3310. You probably won't get very far with that.
This might have been my first cell phone. It was definitely something similar. Yes, I did drop it on the concrete at school, and it didn't break.
I know that this is the most durable phone ever. It's very hard to destroy, which makes it memorable.
How could I forget about the T-Mobile Sidekick phone? Developed by the now-defunct Danger, Inc., the Hiptop/Sidekick was known for its sliding horizontal keyboard and was first released in late 2001. It was sadly discontinued in 2010. Initially released under the Hiptop name, T-Mobile branded it as the Sidekick in 2002.
One of the coolest features was that you could access websites such as AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo, and MSN Messenger, as well as email, internet, and web apps from the phone - a feature that was revolutionary at the time. Additionally, later versions of this phone came with a built-in camera. This phone was also popular with the deaf community.
For those of you who didn't know, the HTC Dream was the first Android phone and was released to the public in late 2008. A prototype that looked very similar to a BlackBerry Curve was initially developed, but Google decided to scrap it after finding out that the iPhone had a touchscreen. They then decided to work on the HTC Dream, which features a touchscreen and a sliding keyboard instead.
I never knew the first Android phone was released in 2008.
Prior to their days of making smartphones, LG made flip phones with a sliding number pad and called it the LG Chocolate because it resembled a chocolate bar. The LG Chocolate was first released in 2006 and was the most popular phone in the company's history.
The Motorola Droid was released in October 2009 and was advertised as an alternative to the iPhone. TV commercials, as well as an associated website, made entertainingly combative claims listing features lacking on the iPhone, such as "iDon't multitask" and "iDon't have a real keyboard." These claims were only mentioned in the final frame, reading "Droid Does." You have to admit that it's hilarious, especially because it's true even to this day in 2024, particularly the latter claim.
Released in 2003, the Sony Ericsson T610 was one of the first mass-market mobile phones to include a built-in digital camera, Bluetooth, and a color screen.
Released in 2002, the Motorola V70 flip phone had a cool front cover that would open by rotating instead of bending backward like most flip phones. Although it was not as popular as the Motorola Razr V3, which was released a few years later in 2004, the V70 deserves a spot on this list for its cool feature.
Also, the keypad came in a few different colors such as red, black, blue, silver, and purple.
Released on September 12, 2006, the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 was the first in the BlackBerry Pearl series of phones. It was also the first BlackBerry phone with a camera and a media player.
This is what made the touchscreen popular, but it was the second phone to have a multi-touch screen (LG Prada was first).
