Nostalgia To The Nth Degree
The early 2000s were a time of glitter, glam, and a fun little aesthetic called frutiger arrow. This bubbly and optimistic design combines the Frutiger typeface with glossy textures, water, rounded edges, and natural elements that evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time when technology was new and exciting. If you could bring one thing back from this list, what would it be?
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1. Motorola Razr
This iconic flip phone was first released in 2004 and was well-liked for its sleek, thin design. It came in your standard silver or black, but also featured gorgeous metallic colors in hot pink, blue, gold, and red. This early 2000s staple was just as much an accessory as it was a functional piece of tech.
2. iPod
This era of Apple is well-known for its iconic silhouette ads, which featured people dancing to music against a neon background, iPod in hand. The iPod Classic was first launched in 2001, followed by the mini, the nano, and the shuffle. iPods came in a variety of fun metallic sheens, and Apple sold over 450 million iPod products as of 2022.
3. Game Boy Advance
The predecessor to the clamshell version, the Game Boy Advance, was launched by Nintendo in 2001. It was considered the most powerful handheld console of its time, known for its large game library and enhanced graphics. The design was reminiscent of a candy bar, and came in black, white, indigo, fuchsia, and translucent blue.
4. Portable DVD Players
A saviour to parents everywhere, portable DVD players kept children entertained on road trips or long drives. They had a futuristic silver sheen to them and were easily attached to the back of a car seat.
Santeri Viinamäki on Wikimedia
5. Sidekick
The T-Mobile Sidekick was a slider phone that was first introduced in 2002. The phone looked like your standard rectangular device, but the top screen slid out to reveal a full keyboard. The Sidekick also introduced email, instant messaging, web browsing, and other downloadable apps.
6. HitClips
HitClips were a digital audio player that played one minute of popular songs, accessible by putting DS-style cartridges. The tech was first released in August 2000, and the player came in a variety of styles. You could listen to your 60-second songs on a mini boombox, on a futuristic-looking carabiner, or on a mini walkie-talkie, to name a few.
Jason Curtis / Museum of Obsolete Media on Wikimedia
7. Nokia N-Gage
Similar to the Game Boy Advance style, the N-Gage was a combination mobile device and handheld gaming system that was first released in 2003. It was released as a competitor to the Game Boy Advance, but was unsuccessful in its attempt, as the tech was not suited for gaming. While funky and futuristic, the phone was nicknamed the “taco phone” for its odd shape.
8. Nintendo DS
This iconic 2004 gaming system did not invent the touch screen, but it sure brought it into the 21st century. The DS also introduced a built-in microphone, wi-fi connection for multiplayer games, and all-around revolutionized interactive gameplay. The Nintendo DS is the best-selling handheld console of all time, selling over 150 million units.
9. VTech Phone
This home phone is a staple of the early 2000s aesthetic. It was cordless, came in translucent colors like blue, purple, red, and green, and the base even lit up when you received a call. The translucent casing was all the rage in the early 2000s. I guess we all really wanted to see what the insides looked like.
10. See-Through Calculators
If you had one of these, you were so cool. Translucent calculators were all the rage back in the day. They were small enough to pack in your pencil case, and even had a tiny protective case around the screen that popped up at the press of a button. Even if you hated math class, you couldn’t deny the swag of whipping one of these bad boys out.
11. Flip Video Camcorder
These pocket video cameras were first launched in 2006 and were well-liked for their simplicity. They used AA or AAA batteries, had built-in USB plugs, and a minimal menu. Despite seeming like they weren’t made for decent recording, the Flip could record at different resolutions and had decent frame rates. It was also just super fun to have an easily accessible camera in your bag at all times.
Arvell Dorsey Jr. on Wikimedia
12. Tamagatchi
Okay, okay, Tamagatchi’s really came out in 1996 - but their adorable style definitely fits the early 2000s bill. The Japanese staple received worldwide success in the late 90s and early 2000s, and came in many different styles.
13. Sony Clié
The Clié was part of the personal digital assistants phase of the Y2K era, developed by Sony between 2000 and 2005. Unlike the other Palm models, the Clié had photo, video, and audio playback, alongside its internet, email, and Bluetooth capabilities.
Felix Winkelnkemper on Wikimedia
14. Apple iBook
This iconic laptop computer was sold by Apple between 1999 and 2006. It had a rounded corner design with a semi-translucent casing and was a much lower price than the higher-end PowerBook, Apple’s professional market laptop. The shape, bright colors, and incorporation of a handle made this adorable computer popular amongst high school and university students.
15. Sony Mylo
The Mylo (My Life Online) was an instant messaging device that was released in 2006. It had a similar style to the Sidekick, incorporating a full keyboard underneath a larger screen. The Mylo used wifi instead of cellular networks, making it much cheaper than similar devices. Mylo users could IM, browse the internet, and play media files on this brightly colored device.
16. iMac G3
If your computer lab had one of these, you knew you had it good. The iMac G3 was an absolute beast of a computer, as Steve Jobs decided to rid us of the separate monitor and system setup. The iMac, of course, had a translucent case, a DVD drive, and could easily connect to the internet.
Felix Winkelnkemper on Wikimedia
17. Personal CD Players
Who didn’t want a Walkman back in the day? Personal CD players were adorable, circular designs that often came in bright colors or with translucent casing. The players could often clip to a belt, so you could jam out to your favorite albums wherever you went.
18. iDog
The iDog was a speaker that moved and grooved to your music. It came in several colors, white, black, pink, red, green, blue, and even tiger and dalmation prints. The iDog danced to your music by wriggling its ears and had LED lights that changed color based on its emotions.
19. Plug & Play Video Games
These mini video game consoles were a marvel of early 2000s technology. You simply plugged it into your TV and got to work. Many franchises made these consoles, including but not limited to: Spiderman, SpongeBob, Star Wars, Fairly Odd Parents, and many more.
José Antonio Ortigueira Amor on Wikimedia
20. Bratz Lips Phone
The Bratz phone was highly desired among the teens and tweens of the early 2000s. It was created in 2003 by MGA Entertainment as a part of their “Funky Electronics” collection, and was designed to look like the luscious lips of the toy brand. The landline even had a custom ringtone.
