to conclude, i don't have a favourite phone, because theyre all rubbish for one reason or another… no matter how “helpful” they can be… >.<

Had to import them too because they weren't available in the UK until a while after they were launched

back then i was dialing into an ISP with the service, as this proved faster and cheaper than the available data services from Voicestream (that changed over time and i eventually used Voicestream's data directly).

yup. i had the precursor to the iPhone 7 years (or so) before it came out. on a side note, i also bought the Sprint version of this Handspring add-on, but never used it. i only bought it because it came with a bigger battery and that battery was compatible with my Voicestream device… i still have the sprint version tucked away in a closet, but sadly i've misplaced (or gave away for all i know) the GSM variant

-bit

Beauty: http://images1.reviewcentre.com/sent-in/item288.jpg

I want to go back to a tiny phone I can keep in my pocket. Yet… I want an iPhone, which is even bloody bigger! You’d think I’d have learned by now.

The Nokia 8310 was the smallest mobile phone I’ve ever owned – it used to sit horizontally in a shirt pocket. I was used to the Nokia esoteric menus, and it supported IR for my notebook, but the big plus was the FM radio. As I cycled 10 miles each way into the centre of London four days a week, it was my constant companion to the noise of road traffic. Generally BBC Radio 4; the Today programme on the way in to work, the comedy half hour, The Archers and Front Row on the way home. If I was late leaving work XFM normally won out. It was also incredibly tough; it was dropped, sat on, thrown halfway across the kitchen (by accident) on numerous occasions and it survived for over two years.

Smartphone – Orange SPV C500

Replacing the Nokia 8310 this was my first smartphone, and arguably the first usable phone running Windows Mobile. It had all the extra features the 8310 missed – MP3 playback, synchronising via ActiveSync, even MSN Messenger. It also charged from the laptop over a standard cable (joy!). This phone replaced both my 8310 and an aging first generation iPaq, and with the Futurama theme downloaded on it the interface looked damn fine too. Similar to the 8310 it survived terrible physical abuse and only the headphone socket gave out in the end.

I now have a HTC TyTN II, and I’d dearly miss the keyboard and the bigger screen, but I do yearn after something the size of the 8310 and the C500. These were both real phones, in that they were a perfect size for a mobile phone and didn’t let any additional functionality interfere with the actual job of receiving and making phone calls. They are also both still working and released from their Orange network lock so, who knows, they may both find a new role in the future.

Mine was the HP iPaq 6515. Brutal ‘Windows Mobile 2003′ (in quotes because it is really just horrible, awful Windows CE) OS, dog slow, terrible battery life and it did almost everything, just none of it very well.

The Vario II had WM5 and was slooooow, one of the reasons I got rid of it.

The Trinity (HTC P3600) I have now is WM5 and although a bit slower than the Compact it’s fast enough for me.

When I got it I realised I’d have to trade off 3G against built in GPS. My logic was I can always bluetooth to a gps unit, but I couldn’t do anything about the 3G if I didn’t have it.

The HTC Kaiser has both, but alas I’ve still got plenty of time left on my contract, and cant justify the price of a new one.

It was replaced by a SE k750 (nice camera phone) on O2

2 years later I have a t-mobile Vario II, which is nicer in many ways, better camera, 3G, Wifi, more memory… but its a bit bigger and it doesn’t work nicely with Voice command.

Man I LOVED that funky desktop charger/cam combo…

Just looked so good on my desk..

*sigh*

A small PDA/windows mobile phone that was incredibly solid, and worked beautifully with voice command.
No need to learn any voice tags, it could ‘read’ the items in your address book, and instead of ringtones you could get it to say ‘Call from Joe Smith’….