In this age of droids, iPhones, blackberries and other smartphones, it is very easy for people to forget that there was once a time when feature phones and barebone phones rule the world. Before handsets evolved color LCD and LED displays, MP3 ringtones, gigabytes worth of storage, powerful cameras and touchscreen user interface; there was an age when the norm was monochrome displays, 2G connectivity and monotone ringtones.

If you were born the first decade of the 21^st century, then you probably would appreciate this nostalgic treat we have for you. If you’ve ever owned a feature phone or a barebone phone, then you might have had one of these handsets.

SIEMENS SL45 – The Siemens SL45 was the first mobile phone to feature an MP3 player with a memory card expansion slot. It debuted in 2001 and sports other notable features such as voice dialing and voice activated commands, a WAP browser, stopwatch and a calculator to name a few.

The handset weighs 88g and is powered by a Siemens/Infineon C166 processor. The device’s battery is rated at 540mAh which allows the phone to achieve up to 170 hours of standby time, approximately 5 hours of audio playback and around 240 minutes of conversation. The card expansions slot is capable of using a MMC card up to 32MB (Yes! 32 megabytes). It also has support for monophonic ringtones and a graphic monochrome display with a resolution of 101 x 80 pixels.

PHILIPS SAVVY – Philips isn’t really the most popular brand of mobile phone in the country even during the last decade. But they did release a phone in the market that’s affordable enough for a lot of people and generally does the job of typical phones during that time. And that phone was the Philips Savvy.

The Savvy didn’t really offer that much to consumers except for the ability to make calls and send texts. It does have a calculator, an analog clock and a timer. But the major selling point of this handset was its price. Compared to bigger brands like Nokia, the Philips Savvy was very cheap and accessible to those who are on a tight budget.

ERICSSON A1018s – Before Sony Ericsson became just Sony, there was first Ericsson. And during the 90s, the company’s budget phone was the Ericsson A1018s. It was pretty much a barebone phone with limited features which include the ability to make calls and send texts and if I remember it right, it can compose ringtones just like other Nokia phones at that time but it did it in a more rudimentary fashion.

It also had an enormous external antenna, not to mention one of the thickest side profile among all the phones on this list. This is primarily because of its bulky 800mAh battery.

MOTOROLA RAZR V3 – The Motorola RAZR V3 was the iconic flip phone of the past decade. In fact, it’s the phone that gave Motorola the much needed comeback in the feature phone race, at least here in the Philippines. It’s very slim profile as well as the premium feel of its design and finishing was enough to win more mature, style-conscious and fashion-forward consumers from Nokia’s grip.

The RAZR V3 is also the only phone in our list with two colored displays. The body is made from anodized aluminium. It also has a VGA camera that is able to capture images and videos, and on top of that, it has connectivity features such as Bluetooth and a WAP browser.

NOKIA 3310 – If there ever was a phone that can be considered as the most popular phone of the past 10 years, that would probably be the Nokia 3310. It was the most sought after phone in the early part of the 21^st century because of its affordability matched with a lot of features not found in other phones in the same price range.

It has a 900mAh battery, a monochrome graphic display, screen savers, its capable of making calls, sending text messages and even picture messages. Users can compose monophonic ringing tones and can play three pre-installed games including Space Impact, Snake 2 and Bantumi.

So that’s all the time we have for today guys! Did you get the privilege of owning one of the phones on our list? Tell us your experience with it be leaving a comment below. You might also want to add TFL on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus, or subscribe to their feeds for more Filipino lifestyle stories about food, travel, fashion and beauty, gadgets and of course technology.

The popularization of portable media players such as Apple’s iPod line and with mobile phones and other portable devices having multimedia playback capabilities, the need for portable and personal audio devices has spurred the entry of different brands of speakers, amplifiers and other audio products in the market.

Examples of these brands include Sweedish brand Urban ears, Audio-Technica from Japan and AKG Acoustics and of course, BEATS Audio from the United States to name a few. These brands usually offer premium products that cater to consumers with high purchasing power. For those who are unwilling to spend a huge sum of money for a pair of headphones or earphones, one of the industry’s pioneer brands, Philips is offering an affordable line of headphones that’s meant for the budget conscious consumer. But does the lower price tag equate to a lower quality product? Here’s my review of the Philips SHL3000BR headphones in case you’re interested.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

The SHL3000BR is part of Philips’ DJ-style headphones line-up and is neatly packed in a sealed plastic and paper carton. Opening the box would reveal the very few things you’ll get when you purchase the product. These include a small introductory manual and the headset itself, and that’s it (and yes, I’m serious, that’s all you’ll get).

DESIGN & SPECS

The Philips SHL3000BR is a very pretty headset. It comes in a variety of colors including white, black and brown. The one that we got was the brown one with black accents. The entire headphone is made from plastic with a matte finish and is very light-weight. The headband is very flexible and fits comfortably with the shape of the head.

The earshells are adjustable up to 90 degrees. The outer part of the earshells although made from plastic has a metallic finish in a circular pattern which gives the product a somewhat premium feel. The inner part of the earshells houses the 32mm speaker driver that delivers powerful and dynamic sound. The soft leather (we’re not sure if it’s genuine leather) cushions on each earshell allows for comfortable listening as well as an easy way for cancelling background noise.

The length of the headband is also fully adjustable which allows the headset to fit any head size. The SHL3000BR also comes with a 1.2m long cable that gives users flexibility when using the product. Moreover, the cable is encased in thick and durable rubber which ensures that the SHL3000BR will last longer than most ordinary headsets.

SOUND QUALITY

The Philips SHL3000BR features a closed type acoustic system provides excellent sound isolation, which works well together with the extra bass boost that the 32mm speaker provides. On the other hand, volume levels, sound crispness and clarity are just average.

I tried using the headphones on my iPod and when I tried to change the EQ settings, I found out that there are very minimal changes when it comes to the sound quality that the drivers produce. It would have been nice if Philips developed an app that can help control the equalizer settings for smart devices.

THE VERDICT

All in all, the Philips SHL3000BR is quite a headset with average to above average quality. I really like the design of the product, specifically the combination of different textures Philips used in different parts of the headset such as the metallic circular pattern on the earshells. The cushion that lines the earshells is very comfortable but is not really that practical in very hot and humid environments such as the Philippines.

I would have also loved if the headset had remote control buttons to help users adjust volume levels easily. I would also prefer if there is a software that can help adjust sound equalizer settings for smartphones and other related devices. Nevertheless, with a price tag of below P2,000, the absence of such features is really quite understandable. In fact, compared to other models from other brands like Monster, AKG or Audio-Technica, the SHL3000BR features and design is really quite a bargain and I wouldn’t mind recommending the product to anyone.

What are your thoughts about the Philips SHL3000BR? Tell us be leaving a comment below. You can also add us up on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus or subscribe to our blog for more Filipino Lifestyle stories.