My Three Favorite Nokia Phones, Ever

My buddy Jason Harris recently posted on Nokia Conversations a list of his top three Nokia phones ever. His list is decent, but mine differs. I got my first Nokia cellphone in 1998, and since then have used nearly every smartphone the company has produced. I’ve personally owned more than half of those, and still have six different Nokia smartphones laying around my office. Thus, here are my three favorite Nokia phones of all time, and why:

6230 – this is an oddball, because it’s not a smartphone. The 6230 runs Nokia’s own S40 dumbphone interface, but even today it’s a stellar device. When the 6230 launched, it was unbelievably small, but packed quite a punch. Full Bluetooth capabilities, EDGE data speeds (Class 10, no less), and a classic design all contributed to this little phone. Cingular (now AT&T) released the U.S. variant of the 6230 in a really horrendous glittery-navy-blue color scheme, but luckily, Nokia’s original parts all fit, so I was able to order a full custom black housing, with the silver keypad. The 6230 was such a great phone that I actually bought it twice, and still regret not keeping one around, just for grins.

N73 – the Nokia N73 was an epic phone when it launched, mainly due to its 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss optics. In 2006, when this phone was released, most phones had a VGA resolution camera, or perhaps a 1 megapixel shooter. 3.2 megapixels with autofocus was completely unheard of, and the mechanical slider to activate the camera was also quite a big deal. Like the 6230, the N73 fit all of this in a completely classic and tight package, and it was just a stellar phone. I also owned 2 different N73s – one the extremely rare white/mocha color scheme and one of the later released ‘Music Edition’, which featured a dedicated music player button and a larger memory card (the M.E. was also clad in all black).

N95-3 – the Nokia N95 was one of the first phones that Nokia released in about 5 different configurations. The N95-1 featured support for European 3G frequencies and had a manual camera shutter cover. It also shipped with a small battery and minimal internal storage. The N95-2 was later launched, again with European 3G support, but this time clad in all black, with 8GB of internal storage and a larger display. The N95-3 was one of the first Nokia smartphones to support U.S. 3G frequencies, and dropped the mechanical lens cover but added a much bigger battery and plenty of internal storage. The N95-4 was later released, and was a U.S. 3G variant of the N95-2 (also known as the N95 8GB). Many enthusiasts felt the N95-4 was the ultimate N95 model for the U.S., but the N95-3’s microSD card slot made it a superior choice for many, myself included.

I still have my N95-3, and use it periodically. Considering the N95-3 was launched in 2008, it’s quite impressive that it’s still alive and kicking. I used it as my primary handset for over a year, and my mom used it for at least 6-9 months, as well, so it’s seen some duty.

What are your three favorite phones of all time? They don’t all have to be Nokia.