18 Things You Forgot Came with Your First Cell Phone
Before smartphones took over, early cell phones had accessories and features that now seem like a distant memory.
- Chris Graciano
- 4 min read
Getting your first cell phone was a major milestone, but looking back, those early devices were packed with things we rarely think about today. From retractable antennas to physical instruction manuals, these once-standard features have disappeared over time. Here are 18 things that used to come with your first cell phone—but are long gone now.
1. A Thick User Manual
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Your first phone came with a hefty booklet explaining everything from setting up voicemail to saving contacts. Unlike today’s quick-start guides, these manuals were long and detailed and usually ended up in a drawer.
2. A Plastic Belt Clip
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Before pockets got bigger, a belt clip was the go-to way to carry your phone. It made you feel important, but in reality, it made your phone an easy target for knocking off.
3. A Monochrome Screen
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Your first phone likely had a black-and-green or black-and-white screen with no fancy graphics. At the time, it felt cutting-edge, even though all you could do was read basic text.
4. A Pull-Out Antenna
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Many early phones had a small antenna that you had to pull up to improve reception. Forgetting to extend it sometimes resulted in terrible call quality.
5. A Physical Keypad
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Before touchscreens, every phone had a physical number pad, complete with T9 texting. Texting was a workout, requiring multiple button presses to type even a short message.
6. A Removable Battery
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Back in the day, if your battery was dying, you could just pop in a fresh one. Some people even carried spares to get through the day.
7. A Tiny External Antenna Port
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Some phones had a small port where you could plug in an external antenna for better reception. It was mostly used in cars or by serious businesspeople.
8. A Free Ringtone—If You Liked “Nokia Tune”
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Your phone had built-in ringtones, but choices were limited—often just basic beeps or the famous “Nokia Tune.” Custom ringtones had to be downloaded or created with keypad beeps.
9. A Carrier Logo Plastered Everywhere
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Older phones weren’t just branded by the manufacturer; they had your carrier’s logo on the front, back, and even on the screen when you turned it on. It was free advertising you couldn’t remove.
10. A Charging Stand
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Some phones had a bulky charging dock instead of just a plug-in cable. You had to carefully align the connectors or risk waking up to a dead phone.
11. A SIM Card the Size of a Credit Card
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Before tiny nano-SIMs, your SIM card came attached to a full-sized plastic card. You had to pop it out carefully to avoid breaking it.
12. A Cheap Wired Headset
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Most early phones included a basic wired headset with a microphone for hands-free calling. The sound quality wasn’t great, but it was better than holding the phone to your ear for hours.
13. A Hilariously Bad Camera (If It Had One at All)
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Early camera phones had grainy, low-resolution cameras that struggled in anything but perfect lighting. Taking a photo was slow and clunky, and sharing it required cables or MMS.
14. An Extendable Stylus (for Certain Phones)
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Some early touchscreen phones came with a tiny stylus stored on the side of the device. It was necessary to tap on small icons that were easy to lose.
15. A Built-In Game—Usually Snake
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Your first phone probably didn’t have an app store, but it did have Snake or a similar pixelated game. It was simple but incredibly addictive.
16. A Clip-On Faceplate (for Customization)
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Before phone cases, people changed their phone’s look by swapping plastic faceplates. Bright colors, clear designs, and even sparkly versions were all the rage.
17. A “Pager Mode” Option
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Many early cell phones had a setting that made them beep like pagers instead of ringing. While this felt professional at the time, it’s completely unnecessary today.
18. A Car Charger That Plugged Into the Cigarette Lighter
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Before USB ports, the only way to charge your phone in the car was through the cigarette lighter. The bulky chargers were slow and unreliable, but better than nothing.