Top 12 Most Beautiful Classic Mobile Phones of All Time

BL40 is a model from the LG Chocolate series, developed by the South Korean electronics giant. It was launched on August 3, 2009, as part of the "New Chocolate" lineup. The LG BL40 New Chocolate looked almost nothing like a conventional mobile phone. In fact, it resembled a buttonless remote control more than a typical phone. Its design was one-of-a-kind, featuring a 4-inch screen with a unique 21:9 aspect ratio, the first of its kind in mobile history. It ran on the S-Class 3D user interface that had previously debuted on the LG Arena.

The glossy plastic construction gives the LG New Chocolate BL40 an elegant and eye-catching appearance. The upper and lower sections are red, creating a striking contrast with the black parts of the phone. The BL40 features a massive 4-inch capacitive TFT touchscreen with an impressive 345 x 800 pixel resolution and support for 16 million colors. This model supports tri-band GSM with HSDPA capabilities. Its 5-megapixel camera with an f/2.8 lens, Schneider Kreuznach Tessar optics (also seen in the LG Renoir and LG Viewty), and 335MB of internal storage are complemented by expandable MicroSD storage up to 32GB. Additional features include an accelerometer for automatic screen rotation, proximity sensor, gesture control, multi-touch support, and a scratch-resistant surface.

The Nokia 8800 is a luxury mobile phone from Nokia, powered by the Nokia Series 40 operating system. It features a stainless steel body with a scratch-resistant screen and weighs 134 grams. The Nokia 8800 was first introduced on April 7, 2005, and became available in the UK in October 2005 through O2 mobile network. The Nokia 8800 Arte is an upgraded version of the 8800, offering a 2.0-inch scratch-resistant OLED screen, a 3.15 MP camera with autofocus, and comes in four distinct variants.

Like its predecessors, the Nokia 8800 Arte continues the tradition of featuring ringtones composed by renowned electronic artists, with Kruder & Dorfmeister, an Austrian downtempo duo, providing the signature tones. The phone runs on the S40 operating system and boasts a sleek minimalist design. The Arte's body is made from a combination of metal and glass, with a sliding front that reveals only the screen and navigation keys until a call is received or the slider is opened. There are no buttons along the edges of the device, and the black and copper hues of the Arte are complemented by a silver trim along the edges.

Sony Erion Xperia Pureness is a phone designed specifically for fashion enthusiasts looking for the simplest device possible. The transparent screen is visually striking but difficult to read, offering no privacy protection, making it purely an aesthetic feature. Pureness has an elongated, angular shape that gives it a model-like appearance, featuring a futuristic design from top to bottom, with black and silver tones, white LED lights, and a minimalist keypad. Its sleek, modern form aligns with the growing trend of mobile devices becoming less boxy and more stylish.

You can see through the Sony Erion Xperia Pureness screen while texting or listening to music. Moreover, it creates an intriguing experience when the screen illuminates in your hand like a glowing crystal. However, a downside is that the screen is entirely monochrome. Another interesting aspect of the design is that the letters on the keypad only appear when the phone is powered on. In sleep mode, the keypad of the Xperia Pureness disappears, but when pressed, the keys light up in a layered fashion. Due to the narrow frame of the Pureness, there isn’t much space between the keys, which may affect typing efficiency.

The Motorola Razr is a series of mobile phones from Motorola, part of the 4LTR line. The V3 was the first model in the series, introduced in December 2003 and released in the third quarter of 2004. The V3 was soon followed by the improved V3i model, which included a collaboration with Apple Inc. to integrate iTunes. The Motorola RAZR V3 hit the market in 2006. With its unique design and slim profile, it was initially marketed as a premium fashion phone. However, within a year, the price dropped, and the phone went on to sell over 100 million units by July 2006.

The Motorola RAZR V3 was the thinnest flip phone at the time, featuring a backlit keypad made from a single metal plate and a mini-USB port for data, charging, and headphones, all encased in a body made of aluminum with a glass screen. Over its four-year production run, the V3 sold over 130 million units, making it the best-selling flip phone worldwide. The first pink version was released in October 2005, and by June 2006, it was available in the U.S. via T-Mobile under the name Razr V3 Magenta.

MP3-capable mobile phones were not a new concept, but for most models, the feature was underdeveloped, with basic interfaces, limited functionality, and poor sound quality. However, with the Sony Erion W800i Walkman, this trend began to change. The W800i was a beautifully designed phone packed with features, combining multimedia functions seamlessly with a stylish mobile device. While its design might not have been flashy, the Sony Erion W800i Walkman elegantly merged calling and multimedia features into a powerful package.

The Sony Erion W800i didn't replace your standard MP3 player, but it was a valuable device when it launched. The phone was compact, measuring 3.9 x 1.8 x 0.8 inches, and its 1.75-inch screen displayed 262,000 vibrant colors, making it easy to read even under direct sunlight. It also offered a great user experience for navigating menus, viewing photos, and playing games. The five-way navigation key provided quick access to the menu and four customizable user functions.

LG Chocolate is a brand name used for a series of stylish mobile phones produced by LG Electronics, available in various colors and designs. This name refers to two different phone models: one available in Asia, Europe, and Canada, and the other in the United States. The LG Chocolate series is primarily distinguished by its touch-sensitive arrow buttons and sleek sliding design. Common features include MP3 music players, games, cameras, and internet browsing. The first model was part of the LG Black Label Series.

LG Chocolate boasts a sharp design, solid overall performance, and a rich set of multimedia features, including Bluetooth, a digital music player, and a megapixel camera with impressive photo quality. The stunning 2-inch display (320x240 pixels) supports 11 lines of text and 262,000 colors, making it one of the most attractive screens at the time of release. The LG Chocolate became immensely popular, especially in the U.S. and South Korea. Released in 2006, the LG Chocolate VX8500 became the company's best-selling phone, with over 21 million units sold worldwide—an achievement many brands could only dream of. LG has since launched a successor to the Chocolate to celebrate its success.

BlackBerry Pearl was an incredibly popular phone when it was first released. Developed by Research In Motion, the BlackBerry Pearl was the first BlackBerry device to feature a camera and multimedia player. It was launched on September 12, 2006, with T-Mobile being the first U.S. carrier to offer it. The final model in the BlackBerry Pearl series, the 9100, was released on May 13, 2010, after which RIM discontinued the line once it was sold out.

The BlackBerry Pearl was designed to appeal to both business users and consumers. Its advertising campaign featured figures like Mariska Hargitay and Douglas Coupland. The phone supported Quad-Band networks across GSM/GPRS and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz frequencies, allowing for international roaming between North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The Pearl featured a modified QWERTY keyboard layout with 4 rows and 5 columns, utilizing an exclusive predictive text algorithm called SureType. Unlike earlier BlackBerry models, the Pearl included a music player, camera, and other multimedia functions. It required a MicroSD card to store multimedia files exceeding the 64MB of internal storage provided.

Vertu is a British manufacturer and retailer of luxury handcrafted mobile phones, founded in 1998. Previously owned by Finnish phone maker Nokia, Vertu was officially launched on January 21, 2002, with its first collection available later that year. The flagship model, "Signature," debuted in 2003 and featured a keyboard adorned with nearly 5 carats of ruby bearings. Other models include Ascent (2004), Constellation Classic (2006), and Constellation Ayxta (2009), among others. The Ascent line was designed to be lightweight yet durable, made from materials like aluminum, titanium, hardened rubber, and leather. The Constellation models are simpler, more compact devices. The Ayxta series features flip phones in various styles and colors.

The Constellation Quest was Vertu's first smartphone, launched in October 2010, featuring a full QWERTY keyboard with sapphire-engraved keys. It resembled the Nokia E72 and ran on Symbian S60. Vertu phones are manufactured at its facilities in Church Crookham, Hampshire, UK, and are sold with an emphasis on craftsmanship, style, and premium service, rather than just mobile functionality. In 2006, Vertu released the Aerius Bluetooth Headset, designed by Jacob Jensen Design.

Perhaps more than any other mobile phone manufacturer, Nokia has focused heavily on form, pushing the envelope with creative designs such as the Nokia N90 and Nokia 7280. With the Nokia 8800, many of these elements were streamlined to provide a balanced fusion of advanced features. The Nokia 8800 boasts a 262,000-color display, Bluetooth connectivity, external speakers, and a VGA camera. Its first impression is striking, with a sleek silver frame accented by black and carbon gray highlights. The phone is also compact and slim, measuring just 4.2 x 1.7 x 0.6 inches, making it pocket-friendly.

Without the Nokia branding above the display, one might not even realize the Nokia 8800 is a phone, as it lacks the typical visible keypad or other standard phone features. The 1.7-inch display is bright and gorgeous, showcasing 262,000 vivid colors and a resolution of 208x208 pixels. The black-and-silver keypad maintains the phone's elegant tone. The camera lens is located at the top rear and is visible and functional only when the phone is open. There’s no flash or mirror for selfies on the Nokia 8800. The phone comes with a premium accessory package, including wired headphones, a desk stand/charger, a suede carrying pouch, and a travel charger.

LG GD900 is a stylish slider phone that combines high-end specs with fashion-forward design. It was officially unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2009 and is considered the world's first transparent phone. The phone includes a Bluetooth headset with matching transparent components. The standout feature of the GD900 is its illuminated sliding keyboard, designed to glow when in use. The body is made of metal, and the device measures 13.4mm thick. LG decided to equip the GD900 with a tempered glass keypad, similar to the screen. The name 'Crystal' comes from its unique feature: the transparent panel doubles as a touchpad.

From a technical standpoint, the LG GD900 Crystal is a variant of the LG Arena, though with clear differences: it lacks a protective glass display, has no GPS, and offers reduced internal memory. It supports HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s and features an 8MP rear camera with a flash. The camera, which initially starts at five megapixels, can now capture video at 720x480 resolution. LG revealed most of the phone's specs during the London launch event on May 28, 2009. The GD900 was released in Germany in mid-June and globally on July 1, 2009.

The Nokia 7900 is a mobile phone produced by Nokia, announced on August 7, 2007. It is part of Nokia's Prism Collection and runs on the S40 Version 5 platform. The device is a quad-band phone and supports WCDMA on 850 MHz and 2100 MHz bands. Its 2-inch (51mm) OLED screen was the first of its kind from Nokia, offering a resolution of 320x240 pixels and displaying 16 million colors. The phone also includes a 2MP camera with flash, an 850mAh battery, and 1GB of internal memory. The Nokia 7900 Prism features a similar design but with different materials and color schemes compared to the Nokia 7900. Its OLED display is particularly striking, offering rich, clear sound and sharp visuals in a compact 2-inch space.

Designed to resemble a gemstone, the Nokia 7900 Prism is primarily made from plastic, though it has a tougher shell and an aluminum back cover. The phone maintains the distinctive 'diamond-cut' design on both the front and back. Lighting is a prominent feature of this phone. When you press a key, the numbers light up, and you can choose from 49 lighting effects in the settings. The phone also features a glow effect when it enters standby mode.

Motorola AURA is a luxury mobile phone series from Motorola, part of their 4LTR lineup. Although it was initially intended as a series, only one model, the Aura R1, was released. However, three special editions of the Aura R1 were launched throughout 2009: the Aura Diamoniqe Edition, Aura Celestial Edition, and Aura Diamond Edition. Marketed as a premium device, the Aura was priced at $2,000. It was crafted from high-end materials like stainless steel and sapphire, designed to captivate attention, and was packaged in a wooden box.

The Motorola AURA features a round display with a high resolution of 300dpi. The user interface was specifically designed to suit this unique round screen, running on Motorola's MotoMagx operating system. One of the standout features of the device is its unique rotating mechanism, powered by Swiss-made gears crafted from Rockwell 50-55 hardened steel and 130 precise ball bearings. The Aura's display is capable of showing a wide color gamut, with up to 26 million colors.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, Motorola released a special edition based on the AURA in July 2009. This version featured exclusive content, including images, sounds, and videos provided by NASA. The phone was engraved with a laser-etched message and came with 9 commemorative stamps to honor the mission. The first unit produced was gifted to Neil Armstrong.