Friday, June 15, 2012

Retro phone heaven: Ericsson T28s

This, folks, is the best phone ever made. When it was released in 1999, the Ericsson T28s became aninstant classic. It was, quite literally, the phone to get. I bought this Ericsson T28s via Singlepoint 4U (remember them?) back when it was released. It was only my second ever mobile phone (my first was the Motorola StarTac - another classic in mobile phone design).

I loved the design of this Ericsson flip phone so much that upon my contract renewal, I decided to obtain another T28s. I eventually replace it with the equally brilliant T39m (featuring the same keyboard flip minus the spring action button). These days smartphone (and even dumbphones) features the same boring looking slabs with only a few manufacturers putting much emphasis on design. But back in the late nighties and early noughties, design played a far more important roll in the production process and indeed, the marketing of such devices.
Today I dug out my T28s from the drawer, alongside two disconnected batteries. Amazingly, despite having not been switched on for almost a decade, both batteries were still holding their charge, one at around 30% the other 60%! In fact, upon inserting a spare o2 sim card, the device promptly adjusted the timezone, clock and date! Amazing. Not even the iPhone does that. Okay, it probably does, but I bet the first generation iPhone didn't.

Now I only need to source a charger and I am ready to rock this phone as my main device for a day. With Twitter via SMS, I can't wait! Anyone care to donate me one? Scratch that, is anyone willing to part with a R380?

1 comment:

esteewhy said...

I so much agree with you: this was an engineering masterpiece (wish i could find that genius who'd created it), both exterior and sofware -- are apotheosis of industrial design to this day. If not for a creepy board quality (both in 28 and 39) it would last for ages (some time ago i bought 2x28 and 2x39 "refurbished" bodies on ebay -- only one 28 still works today; they also came along w/ pair pair of li-on batt. and a chargr -- sadly cannot share any with you:-/).