SkunkyArt | EgonDaLatz

Nokia 3510i (2003 - 2005): My first phone that turned exacly 20 years old at the time of publishing this picture. (Purchased on December 23, 2003.) Originally, it was supposed to be owned by me and my brother but, thankfully, my parents realized how stupid that idea was. So, my brother got a sh*tty Alcatel and I could keep this phone - and play Sky Diver on it. Anyway, it was pretty basic even for its time and I ditched it for a Nokia 6610i , which had a camera. (Nothing compared to what we have today.) But whereas I have no idea what happened to my 6610i after I had sold it in 2007, the good ol' 3510i is still with us; it's used by my grandpa to this day. It had a battery change, the front and back aren't the original, the keys are quite worn, and it cannot properly detect the SIM card sometimes. But it's still fully functional even after two decades. I was in my last middle school year when I got this phone! This already made me feel old enough, but then came the K.O.: I went to the Science Museum in London in 2023 and the monochrome version of the 3510i was displayed as part of an exhibit. Talk about being old...

Nokia 6103 (2007 - 2011): The first phone I purchased on my own. Originally, I wanted a 6101 , which looked cooler, but the vendor told me that they had run out of stock and offered me this as a replacement. One of the best decisions of my life, considering that the 6103 had Bluetooth, making file transfer so much easier. It had everything I wanted: a camera, FM radio, Bluetooth, and the kick-ass flip phone design. To be honest, I'd still use it hadn't I been forced to be sucked into the smartphone craze. As of today, it's still kept as a backup device, which explains why it looks so worn. Like the 3510i, it's still fully functional but without any defects.

Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 (2015 - 2018): After using my first smartphone, a Samsung Galaxy S Plus , for 4 years, I purchased my second device, an Ace 4. (I sold the S Plus, so I have no idea about its ultimate fate.) Despite a sleeker design, better camera and bigger screen, my phone was poisoned by a major factory defect, overheating and a slow-ass software. The situation got so bad that I used this phone for only three years, then I ditched it to my mom so she can get rid of an equally bad S III mini. Spoiler alert, she complained about the same thing as I had been before, so she also ditched this phone after three years. By the way, when I handed over the phone, it was in much better shape than it currently is. Despite its current look, I think it works - although I haven't turned it on in years and I'm not planning to do so.

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018 - 2023): With the A8 being the device I used the longest by far, it says a lot about this phone's overall quality. In fact, thanks to it being kept in a flip case and receiving a glass screen protector, it looks as if it had left the factory recently. Just like in the case of the Nokia 6103, I would've used it longer had it received further software updates from the manufacturer. Don't you hate it when this happens? Anyway, as of now, this phone is owned by my father who wanted to get rid of his sh*tty Huawei provided to him by his employers and replace it with something that has dual SIM capability. The A8 has that feature so at least it'll be kept in working order - hopefully for many years to come.

Samsung Galaxy A54 (2023 - ): My newest phone, which I selected due to two things. Firstly, it's considered a descendant of the A8. Secondly, its battery life is insanely long, even if I use it extensively. The only downside is that it lacks an FM radio - a feature all of my past phones had with the exception of the Nokia 3510i - but given that the only time I listen to the radio is when I drive, it's something I can live without. What I appreaciate the most is the fingerprint sensor that's integrated into the screen - a huge upgrade compared to the separate sensor the A8 had on its back. Also, I managed to find a screen protector that's compatible with the fingerprint sensor, as well as a case that's the near-exact replica of what I used for my A8. I have a feeling that, unless it'll suffer from a major defect, I'll use this phone for quite a while.