Vintage Cell Phones

[lnx64]

So something that might come as a surprise to some, 2G service is still in use in America, some carriers won't activate them but will let you keep your old 2G phone if you're still using them, while others (like anything on the T-Mobile network) will happily let you activate them no question asked.

As someone who's not a fan of smart phones, I decided to go back to my Nokia 5190 a couple years ago. It's old, very very old, but STILL has service. It's now 21 years old, old enough to drink alcohol, and I'm not going to lie, people keep telling me 2G service is limited, especially if I travel. At least on T-Mobile's network that hasn't quite been the case for me. I've traveled around with this phone, and had great service, only once in 2 years has a call dropped, and it might have been the other party (had to call some call center and it was busy sounding and overseas). I've had people tell me I sound so clear when using this phone vs my smart phone I used to use. They say specifically I'm louder, less muffled sounding, and it sounds less compressed, no real artifact. They think it's a landline. In my home I get full coverage, at the grocery store I get 3/4. In fact when I was hospitalized in 2017, I was using my Nokia already, and that got 1 to 2 bars of service in the hospital room whereas the nurses and their smart phones got nothing, and were forced to use wifi calling.

Here it is today.
https://i.imgur.com/usuFG6P.jpg

I know, the days are numbered (T-Mobile originally said they would shut off 2G at the end of 2020, but I've been told this is now delayed until further notice as there's apparently still a few 2G customers), and I love vintage cell phones, specifically the basic "dumb" phones. They were simple, they did what they were designed to do, and they usually end up lasting longer than the other phones. They don't need software updates, and I can still text on it just fine (I was actually able to Tweet on Twitter with this Nokia up until recently when they shut off SMS Tweeting).

Does anyone else here have a fascination with older cell phones?

I actually get a kick that this Nokia refers to itself not as a phone on the back, but as a handheld tranceiver. (Which is indeed what a cell phone really is!)