Bragging rights - who's using the oldest cell phone?

[Greenstache]

LG side-flip phone that I got for free sometime 5 or 6 years ago, back when Verizon had the new every two years plan.  It's super resilient and does what it needs to.  Most of the buttons are so worn down that they aren't legible, but it works for me.

I get comments on it all the time - typically from people who can't believe such phones still exist, but recently a teenager noticed it and thought I had a super-cool, totally new kind of device...and I had to explain what it really was. :)

[Stachey]

Nokia 6015i.  And it was almost intergenerational the other way because I almost gave it to my mother but she finally got one of her own.

GuitarStv...it took me the longest time to get a cell phone (I was the last one I knew who didn't have one yet) but I finally did because I was so pissed off at the landline phone company (Telus).  The phone line started to go dead a lot and when I phoned (from work) to complain they would always have some bullshit about this or that even though I lived in an older building and could tell the lines going to the building needed work.  They kept saying it was because I was using some random phone and not an official Telus telephone (which they would be happy to rent to me for x amount per month.)
They charged a ridiculous number of fees on top of fees.  And of course the tax was on top of all of that.  There was always a long distance fee even when I didn't make any long distance calls.  It was one thing after another with them 

How do you not get gouged by your phone company?

[GuitarStv]

How do you not get gouged by your phone company?

We use a voip service as our home phone.  It's pretty cheap, and the service is generally reliable.

[HenryDavid]

iphone 4.

[valsecito]

I've used a motorola F3 for a very very long time. Indestructible. A friend had the same, and someone literally ran over it with a truck. Not a trace of cracks. Great battery life too.



But since I live in two countries now, and it doesn't have dual sim capability, I had to shelve it :-( Might restart using it once I settle down in one country again...

[TravelJunkyQC]

I love that this site allows us to have bragging rights for the oldest phone instead of society, which would necessitate that we have the newest in order to have bragging rights... :)

I'm out of the running. I have an iPhone 4 purchased when the one after that one came out.

I'll be getting a new iPhone this month from my company (need to be available to answer clients on our social media accounts and have told my bosses that I don't have a data plan that allows for this... so, I get a paid for phone. Win).

Will be selling my iPhone 4 on ebay once I receive it.

[LivlongnProsper]

I haven't had a phone of my own for almost 3 years now. My employer provided phone is an old dumb POS does that count?

[BTDretire]

I'm sporting a Convoy 2 (SCH-U660) flip phone on my right hip.
I'll need to look at home to see if I can find a date. but it is at least
5 years since I got it.

[Mariposa]

Iphone 3GS, since Dec 2009. The on/off button broke a few years ago, but it's still going strong otherwise. Do I get an honorary award for oldest smartphone?

[k-vette]

I'm in the galaxy s3 crowd - apparently they last!  I "upgraded" once to the s5.  I put it back in the box and sold it on ebay for $500.  Well worth it!

[thriftyc]

Samsung Galaxy S2

[happy]

I have an old Nokia. My phone company (Telstra) is telling me I have til December to upgrade, since it will be closing the 2G network down and my phone can't run on 3G or higher :(
Awaiting iPhone 7, then I will get a 6 cheaper.

[urover]

Current phone is a 2013 MotoG running Lollipop. It does everything I want it to do, so why bother upgrading?

[kiwiozearlyretirement]

Nokia dumb phone from 2003.
Amazing battery life - lasts a week but same problem as happy and may not be functional at end of the year.
I was given an iPhone 3gs as someone felt sorry for me with the old nokia.
I keep the 3gs going by never upgrading the software.
So partner has nokia now. perfect for him as his texts are one word answers e.g. 'ok' 'yes' 'no' and he never takes photos.
Just have to wait for someone else to feel sorry for me and give me a new i phone.

[nereo]

Nokia dumb phone from 2003.
Amazing battery life - lasts a week but same problem as happy and may not be functional at end of the year.

That's one thing I love about my phone and that all my smartphone-friends complain about. I charge my phone over the weekend and it lasts all week (granted I basically only use it occasionally as, you know, a phone).  Everyone else I know routinely has problems with their phone dying because they forgot to plug it in last night.
Yeah, i understand a full-screen LCD and powerful processor and WiFi chip consume lots of power, but in the end I can still make calls.

[FIREdancer]

Nokia dumb phone from 2003.
Amazing battery life - lasts a week but same problem as happy and may not be functional at end of the year.

That's one thing I love about my phone and that all my smartphone-friends complain about. I charge my phone over the weekend and it lasts all week (granted I basically only use it occasionally as, you know, a phone).  Everyone else I know routinely has problems with their phone dying because they forgot to plug it in last night.
Yeah, i understand a full-screen LCD and powerful processor and WiFi chip consume lots of power, but in the end I can still make calls.

Ahh, yes.  My dumbphone used to last a week.  I still get pretty good battery life with my smartphone because I still primarily use it only for calls, but it's usually about three days instead of all week.

[FireHiker]

I don't even come close in this forum, iPhone 5, bought in December 2012. However, I easily win compared to everyone I know IRL, and I have no plans to replace it until/unless it actually dies. I have considered replacing the battery (I'm an EE, I know it isn't hard), but I'm too lazy so I just leave a charger in my office now. If I have to replace it in the next couple years I'll probably go with an unlocked SE. I will definitely never be upgrading to "the latest" again!!

[slackmax]

Solver Nokia candy bar from around 2005. Still works!

[MVal]

Mine is a Nokia from 2005!  It is older than SIM cards!   
Still chugging along though.
I can't bear to get rid of it since it's still working.

You might have me beat. I've got an LG Expression C395 and this is a recent change from the Samsung Gravity T I'd used for 6 years before that. I agree with you...if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[Roadsidetreasurehunter]

Samsung flip phone from 2009.  I will admit that it can be embarrassing to whip this flip phone out at times, but I don't care, it fits nice in my jeans front pocket.

[sisto]

Does it count if it's on my family plan, but I'm not actually using it any longer? :) My MIL is using my old iPhone 4. I don't think it beats the flip phone, but it's pretty old.

[dang1]

backup to my galaxy s4 is a nokia 3110c

[Rightflyer]

Galaxy S2 purchased at the end of 2011.
(Can't remember the price but it seemed like a lot at the time...$600 CAD???)

[markbike528CBX]

No contest winner, but from late 2011 Casio G'zOne Ravine 2.
Company phone, no camera, intentionally so as I work in nuclear power plants.
Free, as in no costs to me. 

holds charge for over a week.

[Mr. Young Gun]

I've had the Galaxy S3 for the past 4-5 years. Not sure when it was released. I see no need to buy a new phone when this one works fine!

[ahoy]

I've never owned a cell phone.  Five years ago I replaced our corded home phone with cordless ones though.

How have you adjusted to the change in technology? ;-)

The biggest phone tech jump that I've had to deal with was when we moved from our rotary phone to a push button one in the mid 90s.  No longer did I have to fear the multi second delay after dialing a 9!

Love it GuitarStv!   I have been very resistant to them.  However, my husband and I have had a couple over the yrs but we never used them!  A while back my MIL bought us a $40 phone!!!  I have no idea what model or brand it is (just don't care).   But since then I have started a small business and really only text with clients on  it.    I do not use it to contact friends, just my Mother.  I try not to give out the cell number to just anyone including my kids school.  The fact is I very rarely carry it.   How on earth did society survive without them (not that long ago) is beyond me.

[ohmylookatthat]

I still have my Galaxy 6

[jim555]

I have a free cell phone due to low income.  Very bare bones.

[oneday]

Damn, I thought the 2007-era Palm Centro I was using (friend gave it to me) earlier this year would be closer to the oldest!  Sadly, the battery was going and I didn't want to spend money on that, only to have something else go later.

So I switched to another phone somebody gave me, a Motorola Droid Razr M from 2012.  Gotta love the free phones!

[Little Nell]

Iphone 4.

Me too.

[justkeepswimmin]

I still use the samsung flip phone I got in 2006. T9 texting FTW. Battery life of 3 weeks. I love it.

But I think those without cell phones definitely won this challenge.. that is seriously badass!

[SwordGuy]

My flip phone broke, so I'm using my deceased mother's flip phone instead.   I have no idea how old it is.

[radram]

How about lowest overall cost instead of oldest.

$39.99 Samsung Victory 4g LTE from Freedompop in summer of 2014.

$0 since, and includes 500 texts, 200 phone minutes, and 500 MB of data free per month.
Slightly less than $2.00 per month.

Phone is Voice-over-IP, so is just so-so unless you are using Wi-Fi, but texting works pretty much everywhere.  I even used it as a Wi-Fi / GPS device in Italy for 3 weeks and it worked pretty well. When on Wi-Fi, route your day, download the local map and then use GPS for free throughout the day.

[overwhelmed]

My boy-child didn't realize that his phone was in his pocket when he started a wash.....
For the 3rd time now he is back to the very first phone he had an LG Cosmos purchased in 2010.
Thankfully that phone still works.

[Jardeny]

Nokia 1661 bought in 2009 over here. I've given thought a few times to upgrading, but I only use it for emergencies and I love the battery life. All my friends with smart phones keep complaining about their batteries starting to act out 1 to 2 years after buying their phone.

[Stachey]

The battery on mine is great!  I charge it about four times a year.

[Heckler]

My wife is using my Iphone 4S that my employer paid for me to use, then sold to us for $50 when they upgraded me.  She doesn't have a data plan on it.

[GW]

Rocking an iPhone3GS that I bought in 2008. Get sh*t for it all the time, but it still works just as good as the day I bought it.

[Unstoppable]

Rocking an IPhone 4, my first smart phone. Purchased from Ting a year ago for $100.  Took me 3 months to recoup the cost through the reduction in what I had been paying verizon for my old phone. $55 for minutes and texts with no data WTF!

[Unique User]

iPhone 4.  It's is my teen's old phone that we bought used in 2012, she now has a 5, we split the cost since my dumbphone was not working.  I'm on the phone all the time and the battery sucks, but I just keep it plugged into my laptop.  At some point I should get a new battery, but for now I'm just limping along. 

Question for all the technology experts - I'm on TMobile.  Husband has a iphone 4 also, but is on Verizon through his company.  He will get a new company issued phone and he is well past any contact, is there any way for me to stay with TMobile and use his?  Or maybe just switch batteries, is that hard with an iphone?

[Scubadiver]

What's a smartphone?

[Unionville]

Virgin mobile flip phone $6 a month.

[Stachey]

It's a sad, sad time in the life of the world's oldest cell phone.  :(

Even though the phone still works perfectly and the battery is going strong, the phone has to be shuttered because the network it is on is becoming obsolete.  (Damn you CDMA!!!)

So old phone:
-battery only had to be charged about 4 times a year (without exaggeration!)
-weighed a ton (because of said battery)

New phone:
-oh so light
-has to be charged CONSTANTLY (F#$%!!!!!)
-has a camera...Cool!
-and a flashlight...Neat-o!!

Still miss the world's oldest cell phone (sniffle sniffle)

[MoonLiteNite]

I used an old nokia flip from from 1998 up until 2008!
Then i used a 8900 black berry from 2008 until 2012.
Now i use a galaxy S3, think its like 3 years old?

[cadteach]

Boy, I would have cleaned up a few months ago.  Was using this Motorola SLVR L7, I loved that phone. 

It died and I upgraded to a used Moto X, bought off Swappa. A great place to find used phones, by the way.

[Drew0311]

That's great that every is really getting the most out of these old phones, but you may be missing out on some networks and services that a newer smart phone could give you access to. I'm using a broken iPhone5, but I can still download all the must haves...uber, slack, mint, IFTTT, google drive, task rabbit, charge point, turo, etc. These apps are game changers...check them out!

[Poundwise]

Samsung Alias 2, rolled out in in 2009. Held together with Scotch tape. Still going strong although people keep trying to text me photos and videos.

To be fair, though, I also have a late-model iPod, that I thought I would use more.

[otter]

I still have  the Samsung flip phone (looks like a Motorola Razr) that I got in about 2002 and used until mid-2015, when my girlfriend handed down her iPhone 4S to me. It's kind of dumb, but I haven't gotten rid of the flip phone yet (mostly due to inertia.) I do like its usability (I can answer a call one-handed without looking, with gloves on, etc.) but I don't miss much else about it. It is kinda of a POS. Didn't take me more than a couple of weeks to appreciate having my first smart phone, especially for overseas travel (I'm on a T-mobile plan.)

[GoBigRed]

Still on a 1st Generation Moto X, purchased in 2013.  Hoping it can hold out for another 2 years. 

[facepalm]

I had this bad boy up until a few 6 years ago.... from like 2002-2009


Then i had a blackberry curve for 3 years, and now a samsung galaxy s3, most likely will stay with this for a longggg time

edit: holy crap that is a big picture

I had one of those and it was the best phone I ever owned--Even better than the Razr.