DS Forums

 
 

What is the oldest phone you have seen somone still using?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 20-12-2014, 00:35
Everything Goes
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: In the future....
Posts: 11,257

What is the oldest mobile phone you have seen someone still using? The phone should be 5 years old or more to qualify.

Back in November 2014 I saw an elderly gentleman with a Motorola M3788 (first released in 1999) still in its carry case! Never got the chance to speak to him but was intrigued as to why someone would still be using such an ancient phone (approx. 15 years old).

You can still find new batteries for them!

http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_m3788-66.php

http://www.batterylogic.co.uk/mobile...-batteries.asp
Everything Goes is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 20-12-2014, 01:49
diablo
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Fylde Coast
Posts: 8,103
Well I have a spare phone in the car which I think dates to the late 90s. A Nokia which still works well, I charge it up about once a year.

A friend of mine had a phone of similar date which he used as hie main phone until about two years ago. He is almost up-to-date now with a cheap smartphone.

If all you want to do is to make calls (quite shocking that that is all some people want I know ) then no point updating.
diablo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 05:39
Pencil
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,252
I saw someone using a Nokia 3510i the other day.

All I could think of was WHY??
Pencil is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 06:29
Carlos_dfc
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Bishop-Auckland / Darlington
Posts: 6,636
I saw someone using a Nokia 3510i the other day.

All I could think of was WHY??
If it still works, why not?

I'm only on my third phone ever - an Ericsson k770i - and I currently have no desire at all to own a smartphone.
Started around 2000-ish with a Nokia 3210, moved on to a 5210 a few yrs later.
Then after a brief dalliance with a borrowed k800 (or maybe an 850, I don't remember), I bought a k770 around 2008/9, and still have it.

*I realise that's 4 phones, but don't really count the k800/850, because I only used it for a few weeks when my 5210's 2nd battery died, and it went back to it's original owner when I bought the k770
Carlos_dfc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 10:49
d123
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,987
What is the oldest mobile phone you have seen someone still using? The phone should be 5 years old or more to qualify.

Back in November 2014 I saw an elderly gentleman with a Motorola M3788 (first released in 1999) still in its carry case! Never got the chance to speak to him but was intrigued as to why someone would still be using such an ancient phone (approx. 15 years old).
I can beat that , I sometimes use a Nokia 5110 (released 1998). It does elicit some looks and comments .
d123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 12:16
david16
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Central Belt
Posts: 12,277
What is the oldest mobile phone you have seen someone still using? The phone should be 5 years old or more to qualify.

Back in November 2014 I saw an elderly gentleman with a Motorola M3788 (first released in 1999) still in its carry case! Never got the chance to speak to him but was intrigued as to why someone would still be using such an ancient phone (approx. 15 years old).

You can still find new batteries for them!

http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_m3788-66.php


http://www.batterylogic.co.uk/mobile...-batteries.asp
I still have one of those. But I've not used it for several years now.

Still good for a calls only sim.

It's the size of one of today's cordless phones.
david16 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 12:20
hunter23
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,013
I have a Nokia 7610. It still looks a nice phone imo. Don't use it much though
hunter23 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 13:51
wb9999
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 139
I have a working Ericsson GA628 (released 1996) and a Motorola Timeport L7089 (released 2000). These come in useful when relatives need a temporary phone.

Sadly, my Nokia 2140 from 1994 needs a new battery.
wb9999 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 14:23
preecey
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Swansea, Wales
Posts: 146
My first ever phone was an Ericsson A1018s, but no longer have it.

However, I still have an Ericsson R310s, and won't be getting rid as it's now considered to be a very rare phone.
preecey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 15:06
d123
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,987

Sadly, my Nokia 2140 from 1994 needs a new battery.
Quite common, both my 2110 and 2146 struggle to hold a charge now.
d123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 22:42
Jack_Wilson2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Posts: 561
I sometimes use the Skype S2X which is pretty much my dedicated skype phone.

also the nokia 106 because it's got fm radio and a normal headphone jack so I can listen to radio.
Jack_Wilson2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 22:49
alan1302
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 6,180
but was intrigued as to why someone would still be using such an ancient phone (approx. 15 years old).]
Because it still works and does what the owner wants I expect
alan1302 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 22:57
DevonBloke
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Totnes, Devon
Posts: 6,693
I have a working Ericsson GA628 (released 1996) and a Motorola Timeport L7089 (released 2000). These come in useful when relatives need a temporary phone.

Sadly, my Nokia 2140 from 1994 needs a new battery.
Now you see I was going to say I had got my "Nokia Orange" (2140) out the other day.
My battery is shot too.
They seem to have one here http://www.mailorderbatteries.com/ne...e-battery.html
Looks a bit dodgy, should we go for it.

Funny story,
I'M such an anorak I got this phone in June 1996 before orange were even down here.
You could activate the phones by dialling 150 (you could do that then) so I had to drive to Clevedon (Weston-super-mare) to get the signal (the most Southerly coverage at the time) to enable it!! Hahahahha
How sad is that.
Luckily at the time, and at 28, I happened to have a V6 180HP Nissan 300ZX to drive up there in.
Oh, those were the days!!
: )
Now it's much more 21st Century.
I have an iPhone 6, a b593, a knackered Peugeot 406, a divorce and a cat.
Where did it all go wrong???
: )
DevonBloke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 23:43
d123
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,987
Now you see I was going to say I had got my "Nokia Orange" (2140) out the other day.
My battery is shot too.
They seem to have one here http://www.mailorderbatteries.com/ne...e-battery.html
Looks a bit dodgy, should we go for it.

Funny story,
I'M such an anorak I got this phone in June 1996 before orange were even down here.
You could activate the phones by dialling 150 (you could do that then) so I had to drive to Clevedon (Weston-super-mare) to get the signal (the most Southerly coverage at the time) to enable it!! Hahahahha
How sad is that.
Luckily at the time, and at 28, I happened to have a V6 180HP Nissan 300ZX to drive up there in.
Oh, those were the days!!
: )
Now it's much more 21st Century.
I have an iPhone 6, a b593, a knackered Peugeot 406, a divorce and a cat.
Where did it all go wrong???
: )
Blowing all your money on a top of the range Nokia

You should have bought a Dancall DC1 and it would have been so different
d123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2014, 23:58
jchamier
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: This forum
Posts: 3,389
Where did it all go wrong???
: )
I bought mine as a student from a Tandy store in dec 94, launch year. Still have the number and it's now on EE but been via a few other networks.

People thought i was mad buying the Nokia, but it was an excellent phone, and I even had the PCMCIA data card kit for my laptop back then. You could send lower case SMS which wound up my friends
jchamier is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2014, 00:24
d123
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,987
I bought mine as a student from a Tandy store in dec 94, launch year. Still have the number and it's now on EE but been via a few other networks.
I wish I still had my original Orange number, it was a gold number I got free when we tagged a few extra numbers onto the end of a large corporate contract we were signing up with Orange at the time, but I left the job and started working for one2one and lost the number when I took out a staff contract (with a new number) and cancelled the Orange contract (it was pre-MNP ). I do still have the old one2one number.
d123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2014, 01:15
Everything Goes
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: In the future....
Posts: 11,257
Now you see I was going to say I had got my "Nokia Orange" (2140) out the other day.
My battery is shot too.
They seem to have one here http://www.mailorderbatteries.com/ne...e-battery.html
Looks a bit dodgy, should we go for it.

Funny story,
I'M such an anorak I got this phone in June 1996 before orange were even down here.
You could activate the phones by dialling 150 (you could do that then) so I had to drive to Clevedon (Weston-super-mare) to get the signal (the most Southerly coverage at the time) to enable it!! Hahahahha
How sad is that.
Luckily at the time, and at 28, I happened to have a V6 180HP Nissan 300ZX to drive up there in.
Oh, those were the days!!
: )
Now it's much more 21st Century.
I have an iPhone 6, a b593, a knackered Peugeot 406, a divorce and a cat.
Where did it all go wrong???
: )
Buying the iPhone 6 is were it all went wrong

Still on the bright side you do have a cat

Battery website looks ok. They use PayPal so that makes it a bit more secure plus its cheap at £12.
Everything Goes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2014, 09:10
David_bl1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 118
My community first responder group uses a Nokia 3210 (1999) as the on-call phone.

It's simple, reliable, and has a battery life of almost a week even with regular use. Plus it's got snake for those quiet times!

By comparison we recently trialled a smartphone running an app. Half the members couldn't figure out how to use it, the battery life was terrible and the software kept crashing.

I think the Nokia will still be around for a few years to come!
David_bl1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2014, 09:35
M1kos
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 499
well I have a 2110i here in front of me now lol same prob as the others thou re the battery. i wonder if it picks up a signal better than todays smart phones with its bumper car antenna....i bet it does!!
M1kos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2014, 11:10
wb9999
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 139
Where did it all go wrong???
: )
Getting married?

I'm a bit wary of buying the battery. Who, in their right mind, would stock a battery for a 20 years old phone? I can't think their's much demand.

I remember the 2140 cost £199, with a 12 months contract back in 1994 and £30 connection charge. And I think the contract came with 50 minutes of talk time (and no texts or data back then) - for £25 per month. And people complain at Three's One tariff changes!

The phone I had before that was an analogue on Cellnet (possibly the Nokia 101) - £9 per month with no inclusive minutes, and call charges were 80p per minute to make or receive a call.

How times change.
wb9999 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2014, 16:50
Neil_N
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Cuddling MyLee
Posts: 4,732
I have a Nokia 3310 that is my second phone, as my Mum is on Lebara so I get the free calls.

My main phone is a Samsung Galaxy S3.
Neil_N is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply



Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 17:36.