2004 saw many groundbreaking innovations when it came to mobile phones. From Motorola RAZR (which became a multifaceted phenomenon over time) and NEC E228 3G phones that pioneered new technologies in Europe to several quirky offerings from this year alone, 2004 provided consumers with many interesting handset options to consider.
As was often the case, Nokia led the smartphone market. Pushing forward with their sleek designs and cutting-edge features, Nokia continued to set new trends with their smartphones such as the 7610 which featured an innovative 1-megapixel sensor and worldwide roaming capabilities.
Motorola continued its innovations with the V60 flip phone, an eye-catching combination of design and functionality that was both beautiful and functional. Svelte yet slender in design, its electroluminescent dial pad could even hypnotically glow in the dark - truly unforgettable and still considered an icon of design in mobile phones today.
Samsung was an unknown entity at the time and struggled to gain recognition among networks and retailers. Their flagship slender flip phone sold more than 100 million units and offered all essential features without adding unnecessary bells and whistles that were more often seen at that time. One such phone was their SGH-X426 which sold over 100 million units due to its affordable price point and impressive camera. People picked it up because it offered all essentials while lacking extraneous extras that had become common at that point in time.
LG was another brand looking to establish themselves in the mobile world, and their VX-6000 phone proved successful at doing just that. Notable for its clear external OEL display that wasn't washed out like other screens at the time and its clever clamshell mechanism, the phone proved itself as a top contender amongst other handsets at that time.
Australian business professionals were known to favour Palms during 2004, with the Treo 650 being particularly popular with savvy business people. This small device offered GPRS connectivity, a 1-megapixel camera and full-sized SD card support - along with being unique due to running Linux operating system.
Sometimes companies experimented with form factor, as in Nokia's 7610 phone. It had an unusual look with its keyboard having an odd layout that the advertisement highlighted with "Looks weird, sounds right." Unfortunately, its prototype proved unsuccessful; Nokia were more successful with their next attempt, the 6670, which featured more conventional proportions as well as features such as telescopic antennae and flashlight capabilities not usually found in phones at that time.
