I’m not one of those anti-mainstream assimilation people who refuses to buy an iPhone because that makes them like everyone else. I love iPhones and will probably never get another type of phone for as long as I live (with exceptions). Smartphones are great and efficient and blah blah blah, but after watching a few old 2000s movies I was filled with nostalgia for the old flip phone generation. Those middle school and early high school years when the type of cell phone you had defined you. They had so much more character, these hinged telecommunication devices, than the slabs of metal and computer chip we now call phones. Phones were personalized with rhinestones or paint and then flaunted with great panache. These days the iPhone case is now the only distinguishing factor when it comes to cell phones.

Don’t you remember how Ally’s phone had the full keyboard and that was crucial to understanding her personality because she’d always send huge long texts? Or that Steph had the old brick flip phone that was almost unbreakable because her phone loved the floor more than it loved her? Or don’t you remember the super satisfying snap when after being indignant with your mom you could snap your phone shut to hang up with your hand, face, or if you were really talented centrifugal force by flicking your wrist?

These are all the things I miss about ye olde flip phone era. But alas, it is no longer acceptable to carry a flip phone as a college student because people might get the wrong idea. The following is a tribute to some of the best cell phones of our mid-2000s years- cell phones that were more than communication devices, they were part of our personalities.

Motorola Razr- the cool edgy older sister to the flip phone. The Razr pictured here is the betchy edition aka the equivalent of the rose gold iPhone.

Samsung Alias- is that a knock-off of the Razr? Wait, it flips the OTHER WAY TOO?! This was your classic "forgo practicality for swag factor" phone. The vertical flip didn't translate as well.

T Mobile SideKick- heavily endorsed by celebrities this was the cell phone for trend followers.

LG Chocolate- a work of art, especially in its blue form. The slide was so smooth, the track wheel so elegant. Definitely swoon worthy.

LG Envy- A clunky but functional brick that provided a full keyboard and a weapon should you ever need one.

BB Pearl- Ah the BlackBerry Pearl. This helped the rise of BBM (Blackberry messaging) which was a way for only Blackberry phone holders to message each other. Kinda like an exclusive version of groupme.

LG Voyager- And so it begins, the invasion of the touch screen. This wasn't the first touch screen phone but it was certainly one of the better early touch screens. This was the phone that geeky kid in your 5th period had and used as a conversation starter.

Samsung Gravity- A sort of marriage between the chocolate and the envy this was the best of both those worlds, still giving a satisfying snap slide shut when you finished whatever evil scheme your middle school mind was cooking up.