How many CELL phones have you been through since your first one?

[Kern Dog]

To add, when did you get your first one?
In June 1994 I got my first, a Motorolla DPC 550 flip phone. Since then I have probably been through 10 phones. Some got damaged, some just quit working. I don't think that I ever bought a new one to be trendy. I resisted the switch to a "Smart" phone until 2012. That phone has been with me the longest!
I lost a few phones to water damage. Two were lost into the lake in one summer alone!  One fell into a cup with ice water in it. One got melted chocolate in the charging port. How about you guys?

[Mopar Nut]

One

[BDF]

This is my FIRST cell phone & I have had it about 20 months. And I would NOT have it if the company didn't farm out maintenance to a 3rd party who imposed these on us to oppress us with work orders 24/7. The thing I DO like about it is finally getting to come online here. And getting texts from the kids. And making new friends like you! Hjå!

[tan top]

got my first one about 1993 although ,  could of been early 94 ....   had 5 !  & just the basic ones at that  , no smart thingys either , only change them when they develop a fault , ie by dropping & stuff  ... had my current one since 2012  

[Kern Dog]

I am not a guy that leaps for the newest gadget. I wasn't drawn to these Iphones. I had a flip type that conked out and was able to get one in 2012 for very little money. The texting wasn't that important at first. I do like it for short messages to the wife. It also helps for sending pictures of stuff when selling car parts.

[polywideblock]

one in 1998 haven't had another I hate the things ! on a side note am I seeing  a pattern here   

[70 sublime]

We got our first phone in 1990
It was a big fat flip phone and half of it was a battery (Motorola)
Wife was pregnant with our first kid and was driving about half hour away doing book work at a customers (she still works at the same accounting office  ) so we wanted her to have something with her
( yes she was driving a K car at the time with a 4 spd in it )
Our number ends in 0003 so we were pretty early on the list in our area to get one
I have had one ever since
Sure glad they have gotten smaller
I am on the 5th one now and this is the first non flip and second one I can take pictures with
Being on a farm I always liked something over the keypad to help save it (always carry phone in my pants front pocket)
Last flip phone was supposed to be indestructible , lasted 6 months as it had a screen on the outside flip part for a clock and I leaned on it and cracked the face , went down hill fast after that
I chose the flat screen Motorola I have now ( they do not make flip phones anymore ) as I could make the font bigger so I can read and send text without my glasses on 
The screen is starting to get scratched up pretty good from all the grit in my pocket all the time

WARNING WARNING WARNING
Everyone should once a year copy down all the phone numbers or the new ones in the contact list since last time on a piece of paper as when your phone craps out that stuff seems to disappear more times than not
You do not realize how many times someone gives you their cell number and you just add it in but when you loose it there does not seem to be a cell phone number book out there to look it up and add it again to your new phone and you can not call and ask the person what is their missing number if you do not have it

[Kern Dog]

WARNING WARNING WARNING
Everyone should once a year copy down all the phone numbers or the new ones in the contact list since last time on a piece of paper as when your phone craps out that stuff seems to disappear more times than not
You do not realize how many times someone gives you their cell number and you just add it in. When you lose it there does not seem to be a cell phone number book out there to look it up and add it again to your new phone! You can not call and ask the person what is their missing number if you do not have it.

Great points made here!

[Bob]

1, tracfone, old flippy style.

[garner7555]

My first cell was around 2001.   I'm not sure how many I've had over the years, probably 10-15 (if not more).

I can't believe nobody has mentioned "bag phones" yet.   They where big and stayed in the car.  My parents had the bag style phones in the early to mid 90's.

[brad mcintyre]

my first phone plugged into the lighter went under the seat with a phone cord to speaker .in 1990 had 8 or 10 since than

[XH29N0G]

Didn't expect to be the cell phone guru here.  First one was in 2007 for coaching kids soccer.  I only just started carrying one with me on a regular basis, but I am at #6 or #7.  The most recent one (a hand me down from my son) is almost like a computer.  I can dictate text into documents, answer emails, look up questions about quantum mechanics, scan the news, etc.... Since I walk to and from work, it means I can get a few last minute things done and frees up the rush when I arrive there or back home.  

[dual fours]

Since I walk to and from work, it means I can get a few last minute things done and frees up the rush when I arrive there or back home.  

My first cell phone, Motorola I think, in the eighty's was about the size (8"x10") of a book in a black zipper bag, battery on one side and the phone on the other side. You could talk for days on it before a recharge. I said back then, if it had a gold Cross imprinted on the cover someone would think I was a Preacher.
Hey XH29NOG, I don't want to see you on You tube walking in to a light pole or worst. So I guess I'm on my third phone now a Flip phone, not as Smart as other phones but last longer and gets out when others don't in hard to use areas.  

[BDF]

Since finding this place I have renamed my phone from POS to "My Precious"

[Ponch ®]

Got my first one in 98...a basic Nokia. It had "Snake" tho.

Ive had 10-15 phones. Upgrade every 2 or so years, unless something happens (like dropping it in the toilet).

WARNING WARNING WARNING
Everyone should once a year copy down all the phone numbers or the new ones in the contact list since last time on a piece of paper as when your phone craps out that stuff seems to disappear more times than not
You do not realize how many times someone gives you their cell number and you just add it in but when you loose it there does not seem to be a cell phone number book out there to look it up and add it again to your new phone and you can not call and ask the person what is their missing number if you do not have it

OR you can get a new phone that is tied up to your google or apple accounts and automatically backs up all your contacts.

[timmycharger]

I think I had 4 or 5, can't remember.  I am on my second smart phone, nothing fancy but it can do what I need it to do.  My favorite phone was the Motorolla Razor, it was thin enough to put in my pocket and was very comfortable.  I saw it the other day in one of the kid's room, they still play with it and amazingly it still fires up when you charge it.

[XH29N0G]

Hey XH29NOG, I don't want to see you on You tube walking in to a light pole or worst.   

Believe me, I hope not too.  I have walked into more than my fair share of light posts, cars, trees, concrete and planters (that one nearly broke my leg). So far only one of those was when on a phone.  Reading (most), waving to a girl (once), or just not paying attention account for the others.  Sometimes I wonder  if I need a good

[hemigeno]

Around 1988, my folks got their first cellphone... an AudioVox if I remember right.  It was "permanently-mounted" in their Grand Cherokee.  The receiver/guts were mounted under a seat, it was hard-wired to the battery, had an external antenna adhered to the back window, and only had the handset (with a keypad on the backside of the handset) visible as it was mounted to the console.

Less than a year after they got it, some brain surgeon walking past my folks' house saw the handset on the Jeep's console, and thought "I'd like a cellphone."  They grabbed a brick, threw it through the driver's side window, and disconnected JUST the handset.  Worthless.

My dad had the idea that this same brain surgeon might actually want to unload said worthless handset, and he decided to run an ad in the local paper's classifieds... something to the effect of "Wanted: AudioVox handset Model XXXX, $40 reward, no questions asked."  Sure enough, a couple of nights later he get a call... "Meet me in the grocery store parking lot."  Dad grabs a couple of weapons & heads uptown, pays the $40 and gets his handset back.




I've probably had a dozen or so cellphones over the years, including at least 2 company-issued "bag" phones that you had to be real careful about when Roaming.  Some areas/carriers would charge almost $10/minute if you were unlucky enough to place a call through that network.  

[Kern Dog]

I was expecting a shootout.

[69 OUR/TEA]

My first cell was around 2001.   I'm not sure how many I've had over the years, probably 10-15 (if not more).

I can't believe nobody has mentioned "bag phones" yet.   They where big and stayed in the car.  My parents had the bag style phones in the early to mid 90's.

As I started reading this thread , that's were I was going to start , my first was a bag phone in 1994. Then a flip phone ( can't remember the brand ) , then another flip Samsung Rugby , a button broke , we had my wives exact extra Samsung Rugby sitting in a drawer , so I transferred my stuff onto it . So for me I'm on my 4th in 23 years .
I won't dispute that all the I phones/smart phones/etc are better and can do/offer more , but just like to keep my life simple , NTM , this flip phone literally goes about a week without having to charge it . Anything that I can't do with it , I do when I get home and get on the PC/ laptop . Yes , texting sucks with a flip phone , the days of personal calls are almost gone , as sometimes in a text , you can't understand the "tone" that you are trying to get across .
At least it has Bluetooth to link up to the vehicles !!! LOL

[Kern Dog]

I just remembered the art of swapping SIM cars from phone to phone! 

[TruckDriver]

On my 4th.

[Bronzedodge]

OR you can get a new phone that is tied up to your google or apple accounts and automatically backs up all your contacts.

I'll second that.  The big G saved all my contacts when I switched employers.  All by itself, didn't ask it to, just looked at all my contacts - I didn't own a phone till last year, always had a company phone. 

Not sure what the backup interval is, the contacts I added in the last two months didn't make it.

[alfaitalia]

First in 1990. 8 or 10 since....all died or had some annoying fault. Amazingly for me (Mr Clumsy) I've never had to replace one through damage or being dropped! First was some big old Motorola....current is a Samsung Galaxy S111 Mini....starting to get a intermittent locking up fault after 24 moths so will change it soon. Cant stand Apple stuff and don't want a phone that does not fit easily in a top shirt pocket. Finding a well specced smart phone that does not look like you are carrying a tablet around is getting more and more difficult. All those years of developing phones to be smaller and smaller...all out of the window....replaced by ones the size of my TV! Some of the latest Iphones and Samsungs a silly big.Why! Use a tablet/IPad if you want a large screen to surf. More 4.5 to 5 inch screen smart phones please!

[Ponch ®]

OR you can get a new phone that is tied up to your google or apple accounts and automatically backs up all your contacts.

I'll second that.  The big G saved all my contacts when I switched employers.  All by itself, didn't ask it to, just looked at all my contacts - I didn't own a phone till last year, always had a company phone. 

Not sure what the backup interval is, the contacts I added in the last two months didn't make it.

Depends...if you save the contact on your phone as a "google contact" it automatically gets backed up into the cloud. If you save it as merely a phone contact, it will depends on your carrier (if they do it at all)