I’ve seen some pretty weird stuff in my time, but mobile phones being my forte I decided to pick some of the oddest-looking handsets I’ve come across. Many of these may not be around any more, but those of you who were mobile way back in time will remember how odd the handsets looked when they were launched.
The manufacturers were undoubtedly trying to capture our imagination, and it must be admitted that they did succeed in doing so, irrespective of the features present (some of which would have surely been state-of-the-art at the time).
Nokia 5510
The 5110 may not have been overly easy on the eye, but I personally used this handset for a long time simply because it dared to be different. It may have been one of the first handsets to incorporate a QWERTY keypad. Though the display was monochrome, the keypad was a boon. The raised keys made typing a cinch.
Though it looked rather like a compass box I used to carry to school, the 5510 was comfy to handle. It had plenty to offer in terms of features too, with WAP, FM radio, and MP3 player.
Samsung T700
I believe I saw just one person using this handset, and I remember thinking: why in the name of all that's good and pure would ANYONE want to own a mobile that looked like this? Luckily, it was a member of the opposite sex that was using it. But naturally. Without intending to sound sexist, I ask: why would any man want to carry a handset that looked like a woman’s compact?
The T700 flip phone (or more accurately ‘clamshell’) had a color display on the inside and no display of any kind on the outer flip. It supported basic WAP and came with a calorie counter and a biorhythm app. But it’s the odd circular shape that made it truly stand out.
Motorola V70
I was never sure whether the V70 was a stylish handset or simply an odd flip-spin-slider. The idea, although rather innovative, was too freaky for its time. Instead of designing a simple flip phone or slider, Motorola made a spinner. To access the keypad one had to turn the front panel all the way around, 180 degrees. The round display would remain stationary.
As for features, the V70 supported WAP and had other regular features including a calculator. The monochrome display didn’t offer too much by way of vibrancy, but hey, you have to give it to them for the design...
"To access the keypad one had to turn the front panel all the way around, 360 degrees. "
