While the entire world is talking about the new iPhones and Galaxys, there is a handful few who'd jump right on the chance to get one of the classic phones from the early 2000s. It's the time before specs like 6GB RAM or 16MP cameras and features like fingerprint scanners or even iris scanners wooed us all.
In those early years before smartphones made it large, feature phones with merely no features compared to today ruled the world. The popular names in the mobile phone industry were Nokia, BlackBerry and the list would be incomplete without Motorola, which gave us some stylish phones the industry ever saw.
In wake of that memory, we would like to run you down the memory lane. Not just that, if you are convinced that you can pull off the classic Motorola phones in this modern era of iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7, then we can help you purchase one of your favourites.
Motorola underwent massive changes over the past years and today it stands under the shade of Lenovo. The top selling Motorola phones today are Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus, Moto G4 Play and Moto Z series to an extent. But nothing beats the classic. Let's roll.
Motorola Razr V3/i
One of my favourites. The Moto Razr V3 and V3i struck a style statement like no other phone in its days. The V3 was launched in 2004 and the upgraded V3i was released in the following year.
The sleek metal body and the flip design made it look really cool. Answering the call with a flip was the thing, but if you wish it still can be. Amazon has this antique up for sale on its site for $148.96. That's the price for an unlocked version compatible with international carriers sans warranty (what'd you expect).
Motorola Pebl
We won't judge you for not remembering this tiny piece of pebble-shaped phone, aptly named Pebl. The handset was released in 2005. Motorola Pebl's key highlight was its funky look and the bright colours (you probably showed off with pride during your sophomore days).
If you are feeling confident, you can still order the Motorola Pebl U6 unlocked version from eBay for just $39.99. These shipments will come from China to anywhere in the world.
Motorola Aura
Motorola Aura is yet another discontinued model, which was released in 2008. The stainless steel housing with chemically etched textures and a tiny circular display gave it a premium look and feel at the time. The key highlight of this phone was the slide from either side, challenging the traditional bottom-to-top slide design.
Miss the Aura? Order it online. But let us warn you it is not coming cheap, costing you as much as a brand new iPhone 8. eBay has Motorola Aura listed for $700 (we told you!).
Motorola Rokr E8
The symbol of choice for music aficionados in the late-2000s, Motorola Rokr E8 had a pretty simplistic yet an elegant design. The navigation scroll wheel and the ModeShift morphing keypad pretty much gave it an iPod-like look at the time.
If your love for the Rokr E8 hasn't faded away, Amazon has series of offers for around $100 a piece depending on your choice for a used, refurbished or a new phone.
Motorola ZN200
Motorola ZN200 brought a refreshing look for slider phones back in the days. The company made used of the top edge to show instant notifications, something like LG V20's second screen but in an ancient form. Once you slide up, you'd get the number keypad, much like many other sliders.
You can still buy this tiny slider phone to answer the calls in style with a slide up by spending $55.55 from Amazon.
Motorola Milestone Droid
Motorola came a long way from sliders and flips when it launched the Milestone Droid. It was by far the company's best device at the time. The Milestone Droid resonated the Nokia Communicator series, but with a side-slide instead of a side-flip. The QWERTY keypad and the trackpad on the side were the key highlight of the phone, which made it convenient for messaging and emailing.
You can still fetch the Milestone Droid from eBay if you have a $100 lying around somewhere.
Would we recommend you buying any of the above devices? Certainly not! It's purely based on your love for the antiques and your ability to spare a few hundred dollars for that passion.
