Before smartphones were a thing, being seen at the launch of a major line or toting the hottest bedazzled
product placement"it" phone was a symbol of status for many celebs (and more often than not, the source of a scandal.)
Join in, as this post dives into the history between celebrities and iconic cell phones (...at least from the early 00's onward b/c lbr, that's as far as my memory of this shit goes). There's a lot of text here, but I hope you'll enjoy the read!
The Sidekick
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A personal favorite, the Sidekick was *the* premier celebrity phone. The likes of Paris Hilton, P Diddy, LiLo, Snoop Dogg, and hoards more were responsible for it's meteoric rise, and while the line sadly no longer exists post 2011, its impact on celebrity culture is undeniable.
The Sidekick line also made celebrities very easy/popular targets for hacking (as T-Mobile allowed photos, emails, contacts, etc to be backed-up online.)
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In 2006, Pete Wentz's nudes surfaced, leaked from his sidekick (spurring Peengate, an ONTD classic).
Paris Hilton's Sidekicks have been hacked multiple times. Her security question at the time was "What is the name of your favorite pet?", which.........
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Anyway, someone (accurately) guessed, then changed her password, and voila. Her address book leaked online (with contact info for hundreds of other celebs), as well as multiple pictures.
The Motorola RAZR
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The sleekest phone to come out of the new millennium, the Motorola RAZR was the must-have accessory for celebs like Victoria Beckham, Nichole Richie, and Anna Wintour. It was marketed as the thinnest phone in the world, driving a more modern look than anything else on the market The pink RAZR in particular was immensely popular, and instantly recognizable.
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Rihanna was seen using one in 2014, (though, whether it was ironic or not, no one knows.)
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The LG EnV
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LG developed a lot of unique phones in the aughts, but one of its most popular among celebs was the LG EnV
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The LG EnV was LG/Verizon's answer to the T-Mobile sidekick. While not quite as popular, there were a good number of celebs who favored the phone, from Hayden Panetierre, a bb Miley Cyrus, and Brunetteney herself. It was also featured in Fergie's video for Glamorous. Though a fictional character, the LG EnV was also the signature phone of Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl (RIP).
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BlackBerries
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There's NO other line of phones you'd have a harder time prying from a celebrity's hands. Used mostly because of their reliable security (gotta protect those
nudes emails!), Blackberries were the go-to for countless celebs in the mid-late 2000's. BlackBerry Messenger was the iMessage of yesteryear, allowing BlackBerry users to securely send messages, pictures, and videos to other BlackBerry users.
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From Mischa Barton, to the Olsen Twins, and everyone on the cast of The Hills, Blackberries were pretty much everywhere. Naomi Campbell infamously assaulted her former maid with a BlackBerry in 2007.
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Kim Kardashian, Christina Aguilera, and many other celebrities still use BlackBerries today (likely because of the encrypted messaging).
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The iPhone
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Without question, the introduction of the iPhone changed the game. From that point onward, pretty much every celeb has an iPhone (with a few random Android users here and there, and....like I said, you'll have to pry BlackBerries from some celebs with a crowbar).
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Smartphones have helped give rise to Social Media, which in turn, has broken down the barriers between us and the celebs. Both a blessing and a curse, it's easier now more than ever for us to get access to celebrity drama.
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Honorable Mentions: Nextels - "When I chirp, shawty chirp back."
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This year marks the 9th anniversary of the iPhone, and the next iteration of the line, the iPhone 7.
It'll be interesting to see how cellphones/technology develops in the coming years, but it's also important to know your history <3.
Sources:
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