The Brick...the coolest fucking phone you'll probably ever still see...
Yes, as of early 2013 the brick is still kicking around, roaming the cell phone networks of America, drawing attention wherever it goes.
"Yes, it's a real phone." / "Yes, it gets texts." / "No, I'm not fucking with you." / "Seriously. This is my phone." / "Here, I'll call you." / "See?"
"Yes, it's a real phone." / "Yes, it gets texts." / "No, I'm not fucking with you." / "Seriously. This is my phone." / "Here, I'll call you." / "See?"
The Motelona 158x / XY968 is a neat little pirate hardware Chinese retro phone made by the Shenzhen manufacturer "Hauna Technology Trade". The body is a knockoff of an old motorola design (the Ultra Classic), using an off the shelf motorola v180 chipset on the inside. Even the name "Motelona" is a bad rip-off of "Motorola". The phone looks old school, but it's got (reasonably) modern GSM/CDMA cellphone guts so you can use it on modern cell networks, send and receive MMS and SMS, etc. It's not fancy though.
It's a basic phone that's got basic features. The Motorola V-180 had a stateside release in 2003-2004. It has GPRS data capability and a JAVA runtime built in, so you can do limited browsing and game playing, but the phone's memory is limited to something like a few megabytes of memory, so it has modest abilities. It will play MP3 ringtones though, and 3GP video files.
Official list of Features/Specs for the Motorola V180 / Motelona XY968 / 158x
It's a basic phone that's got basic features. The Motorola V-180 had a stateside release in 2003-2004. It has GPRS data capability and a JAVA runtime built in, so you can do limited browsing and game playing, but the phone's memory is limited to something like a few megabytes of memory, so it has modest abilities. It will play MP3 ringtones though, and 3GP video files.
Official list of Features/Specs for the Motorola V180 / Motelona XY968 / 158x
- Has a SIM card holder for accommodating a GSM SIM card. (Regular subscriber or prepaid)
- (Can be) Unlocked for use on all GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz Networks in US, Canada, UK, Australia and Europe.
- Menu in English or Chinese. A supplementary Quick Start User Guide in "English". (Hope you can read Chinglish!)
- SMS, MMS, MP3 / MP4 (MP4 is a generic Chinese way of saying "3GP")
- 1.5" LCD Color Display Screen (128x128 pixels)
- Java compatible, Internet access via GPRS
- Keypad with background LED illumination for ease of dialing in the dark
- Calculator, Datebook, Alarm Clock, Chat, Voice Dial, Games (Tetris is good game, no?), Web Access
- Li- Ion battery with 4800 mAH rating. Support up to 14 days standby time. (!!!)
- Dimensions: H 27.5 cm x W 4.7cm x D 6 cm. (Chunky!)
- Weight of Phone: 480 g with battery. (over a pound)
Check it out. It takes a regular SIM card in the back. If you crack it open you'll see that it's just a standard phoneboard in a new body.
What does a plain old Motorola V180 look like?
Unfortunately, the phone predates the wide adoption of BlueTooth and the 3G network, so you are limited to using a miniUSB data cable to load anything onto the phone, unless you have the time (and patience!) to download something via the GPRS data service...However, if you're the kind of person who is down with the old school brick phones, you probably don't give a shit about any of that anyway. This is not the kind of phone you get because it will do tricks and play fancy games. You really only get this phone because it's a straight-up 1980's brick phone that actually works.
Why get some crazy ass Chinese brick phone knockoff?
That's a fair question. I like how it's fullsize. I like to feel like I'm talking into a real phone. I like how you have to hold
it in one hand and really grip it. None of that dainty fingertip-only business like those other cellphones. This phone requires your full attention. But isn't that the point? You're TALKING ON THE PHONE, for crying out loud.
Maybe phones SHOULD be big and obvious, and interfere a little bit. Perhaps they are meant to be that way, and it is the natural form of the telephone to be big and clunky. It certainly gets the job done in a brutal, no-frills fashion.
Since it is big and clunky, it also encourages you to leave it on the table, or in the car, etc. It will not fit in a pocket. You can put it in a cargo pocket on the side of a pair of pants, but it's heavy, so it's just easier to not carry it.
To carry it with you you have to keep it in a backpack or hold it in your hand. It's a little bit inconvenient, and it does make you a little harder to get a hold of, but I like that. I can check my messages, missed calls, texts, etc. when I get around to it. It's a phone, not a tracking device. It's actually for my convenience, not the convenience of other people. A shocking thought, I know!
For me, the brick phone experience is like taking back the portability and convenience of a cellphone, without the "constantly in your pocket factor" that's both annoying and fragile. Also, the battery lasts for ages, the buttons are big, and it comes with a couple of good, solid 1980's "phone" sounding ringtones..as if your phone were actually RINGING when someone was calling you.
And of course it goes without saying that you automatically win all retro points in play for the duration of the turn. :)
Why get some crazy ass Chinese brick phone knockoff?
That's a fair question. I like how it's fullsize. I like to feel like I'm talking into a real phone. I like how you have to hold
it in one hand and really grip it. None of that dainty fingertip-only business like those other cellphones. This phone requires your full attention. But isn't that the point? You're TALKING ON THE PHONE, for crying out loud.
Maybe phones SHOULD be big and obvious, and interfere a little bit. Perhaps they are meant to be that way, and it is the natural form of the telephone to be big and clunky. It certainly gets the job done in a brutal, no-frills fashion.
Since it is big and clunky, it also encourages you to leave it on the table, or in the car, etc. It will not fit in a pocket. You can put it in a cargo pocket on the side of a pair of pants, but it's heavy, so it's just easier to not carry it.
To carry it with you you have to keep it in a backpack or hold it in your hand. It's a little bit inconvenient, and it does make you a little harder to get a hold of, but I like that. I can check my messages, missed calls, texts, etc. when I get around to it. It's a phone, not a tracking device. It's actually for my convenience, not the convenience of other people. A shocking thought, I know!
For me, the brick phone experience is like taking back the portability and convenience of a cellphone, without the "constantly in your pocket factor" that's both annoying and fragile. Also, the battery lasts for ages, the buttons are big, and it comes with a couple of good, solid 1980's "phone" sounding ringtones..as if your phone were actually RINGING when someone was calling you.
And of course it goes without saying that you automatically win all retro points in play for the duration of the turn. :)
**Update** Sheeeeeeiiiit....2013 and still rocking the brick. They gonna have to change the network to kick me off. I'm officially O.G., dawg.
The Motelona Brick Phone has been featured in several interweb pages:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2007/12/motelona-1980s/
http://www.mobilewhack.com/motelona-gsm-e158-proudly-retro/
http://100visionsandrevisions.blogspot.com/2007/10/motelona.html