From Brick Phones to iPhone 15: My Mobile Evolution Diary

Our first phone wasn’t really ours. It sat in a box—switched off, admired, and returned like a sacred relic.

My father received a gift—an old Vodafone cell phone. But we were living in a village, and couldn’t afford a network provider. So he preserved the phone carefully in a box. On some evenings, he’d take it out, turn it on, feel it in his hands, and put it back. Just for the experience.

It was around 2001 or 2002.

By 2004, things had changed. Mobile phones started moving into every family. Nokia was a huge part of that revolution. But we still didn’t have our own number. Whenever I needed to call someone, I’d use the phone at a shop right across from our house. I had memorized their landline number—along with my best friend’s and my school’s.

Our first actual phone was a black Nokia 1600, with an Airtel SIM. I had moved to Ranchi by then. During one visit home, I convinced my mom to let me take the phone back with me. Was it third-hand? Fourth? Who knows. It worked.

In January 2010, a friend gave me a Vodafone SIM. That number? I still use it.

Next time I went home, I did a little exchange—traded the Nokia for another phone we had lying around: a full-metal Spice handset. Felt like an upgrade.

The First Phone I Bought Myself

It was 7th August 2011. A Sunday. I still remember.

I bought my very first new phone—a Nokia 5233—from my hometown. We were going to perform in a cultural dance competition at church, and I wanted to capture the day.

I had a budget of ₹8,000. Samsung was tempting me—flashy features, better screen. But my mom? She trusted Nokia with her life.

Now here’s the funny part—I told my parents the smartphone would help me in my studies.

What did it actually do? Distract me. Completely.

Even now, whenever I think of buying a phone, I pitch myself ideas about all the “work” I’ll do on it.
And every time, I end up gaming, scrolling, doing everything but work.

Tell me—what trick did you use to get your first phone?

Phones That Served, Despite the Abuse

That black Symbian Nokia? It was a soldier.

I used it rough. It got drenched in the rain once. One night, it literally spent hours soaked in a drain. Still worked.

It was also the first time I installed WhatsApp. Not many used it yet—just three of my contacts were on it. I also used WeChat, and played my favorite games—FIFA was one of them.

I used that phone until 2015, when I got my first Android: the Redmi Note 4G. Affordable. Decent size. Functional. But it aged quickly. Still, I had no choice but to use it for years.

The Gift That Clicked

In September 2019, a friend gifted me the Redmi Note 7 Pro—a beautiful glassy blue phone.

I still think it had one of the most underrated cameras of its time. Especially the Pro mode—surprisingly efficient.

I’ve tried newer models of the same series. Somehow, that 7 Pro still remains my favorite in terms of image output. Maybe it was the handling. Maybe it was the memories.

And Now…

After the Note 7 Pro died (RIP) while I was travelling abroad, I finally made the switch.

Currently, I use an iPhone 15.

Do I love it? Absolutely.
Am I looking to upgrade? Of course.
I’m just waiting for the right time… and the right deal.

Got suggestions? I’m all ears.

📱 Your Turn!

What was your first phone? Did you buy it? Borrow it? Snatch it from a cousin?
Drop your mobile memories in the comments—I’d love to know how your tech trail began.

📣 Next Up on Nostalgipedia…

From Orkut to Insta: My Social Media Starter Pack

In the next post, I’ll take you through my journey from Yahoo Mail and Orkut scraps, to my first Gmail, Facebook, and beyond.

Let’s rewind to that magical moment when “poking” someone was a thing, and status updates were emotional poetry in brackets. 😄
Stay tuned!