According to Triumphs & Tribulations VII, on this day in 2006, I acquired a new mobile phone. I actually remember the moment quite well. That brings me to this week’s moment in the Flashback Friday series: the Motorola RAZR.
How I first came across this moment? I was stationed at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia at the time. I was on leave and had decided to make a trip out to the West Coast to link up with a friend of mine from the MilitaryVibes chat forums. It was her birthday and she was having a shindig in her hometown of Vallejo, California. During the trip out, I visited San Francisco and while there, I paid on my Sprint phone bill. It was much higher than I expected and I had a lot of questions. Apparently, Sprint had changed my plan without my permission and I was staring down the barrel of charges for a plan I knew nothing of or about. After they refused to change it back, I told the customer service representative that I was done with them. I hung up abruptly and tossed the Sanyo 6200 into San Francisco Bay. I then took the train to the nearest T-Mobile, where I re-established myself with them and acquired the newest phone on the board at the time: the Motorola RAZR V3.
What it meant to me then? In the moment, I felt great about having the RAZR. It signaled my official return to T-Mobile, which came complete with me porting my number over from Sprint. The RAZR was groundbreaking technology at the time and I was on the front line. I had the MyFaves plan, which allowed me to slot 5 different numbers as “priority favorites” and I could enjoy unlimited talk and text with them. Aside from that, it was the standard 300 anytime minute setup with free nights and weekends like most of the mobile phone plans of the day. The phone kinda ushered me into an era of cool. My co-workers were envious of it and a couple of them even went out and scored the device on my recommendation. The phone really earned its keep during my 3 years in Japan as it was the only way most people could stay in touch with me.
What it means to me now? I retained the RAZR until August 2011, when I decided to upgrade after having the phone for nearly 5 years. I ended up entering the world of smartphones by acquiring an HTC Sensation. When I went in for the upgrade, the T-Mobile representative told me that I was the only person in the country still on the MyFaves plan. We both joked about it. I ended up burying the RAZR in the mulch pit outside of the CES Customer Service Office on Joint Base Andrews. A couple of my co-workers—whom had badgered me for at least a year to upgrade—were on hand for the occasion. In reflection, I had a great appreciation for the RAZR. It changed the way in which I use mobile phones. It was the first phone I used for Internet purposes. It was the first phone I used the text and picture messaging features as a primary communication form. With the Sanyo 6200, I only texted to set up phone calls. The RAZR was the first phone I made use of Bluetooth technology with. It was a joy to own that phone. So many great moments and phone calls. It’s my favorite phone of all-time…just a step ahead of the Nokia 8290. I’ll remember it fondly. One of these days, I’ll look around on eBay for one somebody is selling just to have one again. Oh yeah, I never paid Sprint that $200 fee for leaving and going back to T-Mobile…and as far as I know, that Sanyo 6200 is still at the bottom of San Francisco Bay.
10 comments
I had that exact same phone! It was red and I remember how excited I was when I brought it home.
Ahhh…the red RAZR. I saw the red, blue, and hot pink back in the day. All of those colors had too much going on for my taste. Back then, I kept it simple since the phone was really just for talking and texting.
Oh wow, I’m shocked your mobile phone plan was changed without permission. First of all, they can’t do that from a legal basis and secondly, it’s unethical. I’m also with T-Mobile, they are really good.
In today’s time, a mobile phone company wouldn’t dare do what Sprint did. There’s too much room for a PR nightmare with the advent of social media. But back then, mobile phone companies embraced the role of predator much more aggressively. I have no regrets leaving Sprint and coming back to T-Mobile. It’s a relationship that may last until the wheels fall off.
I never owned a Motorola but i heard it used to be an amazing phone especially the RAZR. I’ve only owned iPhones.
The Motorola RAZR was definitely one-of-a-kind. In the world of flip phones, it has cult status.
My dad still uses a flip phone! Wow how the times have changed.
That was my first cellphone and I was so excited. In a way, I do kind of miss flip phones!
I kept my flipphone forever. Didn’t see the need for a smartphone. of course now that I have one, I love it.
I remember having a Motorola flip phone long time ago. It was the coolest thing then. Hope times have changed