Over the past 40 years, mobile phones have transformed from bulky, expensive gadgets into sleek, powerful devices integral to our daily lives. This list highlights some of the most iconic mobile phone designs that have shaped the world. From the revolutionary Motorola DynaTAC 8000X to the innovative foldables of today, let’s celebrate the milestones that have brought us to the modern smartphone era!
Motorola DynaTAC 8000X (1983)
Designed by Rudy Krolopp (pictured above), this was the world’s first commercial handheld mobile phone, weighing 2.5 pounds and costing £3,000! It offered just 30 minutes of talk time after a 10-hour charge. What type of calls would you have made with that limited amount of time?
Nokia 5110 (1998)
Known for its durability and long battery life, it also featured the classic game Snake, which became a huge hit. Teachers had to remove phones from students who could not stop playing Snake in class. Not much has changed!
Nokia 3310 (2000)
This was a game-changer and the coolest phone to have had at the time. Everybody wanted it! Famous for being virtually indestructible, it also had an impressive battery life and was loved for its customisable cases and ringtones. Look up “Kick” ringtone to hear the sound of the millennium!
Motorola RAZR V3 (2004)
Can we get a flip snap sound! With its ultra-thin profile and sleek design, the RAZR V3 sold over 130 million units, making it one of the best-selling clamshell phones of all time. And, you could get it in bright pink!
iPhone (2007)
Apple’s first iPhone revolutionised the smartphone industry with its touch screen, lack of physical keyboard, and intuitive user interface. It also introduced the App Store, changing how we use mobile devices. What an invention!
Samsung Galaxy Note (2011)
This phone popularised the “phablet” trend with its large screen and included stylus (S Pen), which was initially mocked but later widely adopted. Do you know someone with a tablet and pencil?
iPhone X (2017)
The iPhone X introduced Face ID (where you can open your phone with a scan of your face), an edge-to-edge OLED display, and removed the home button, setting the design trend for future iPhones. The removal of the home button blew people’s minds!
Samsung Galaxy Fold (2019)
As one of the first foldable smartphones, it combined a tablet-sized screen that folded into a pocketable phone, though its initial release faced durability issues.
Nothing Phone (1) (2022)
This phone, from a company founded by a former OnePlus co-founder, features a unique transparent design and a customisable LED Glyph interface. Looks pretty futuristic, hey?
What’s next?
Why don’t you have a go at designing your own phone and adding some cool features that may not exist yet, or improving on those that do! For example, you could have a phone that doubles as a hand-fan to cool you down in the heat!
