# Mobile phones in TV shows and movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 15, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phones-in-tv-shows-and-movies/737642 "2015-11-15T19:25:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phones-in-tv-shows-and-movies/737642/1 "2015-11-15T19:25:45Z")
I am a Netflix and Hulu addict, cut one thing that I always find jarring is when a character uses an old-fashioned-looking mobile phone. It seems like phone design fads change pretty quickly, but these days if a character is using anything that looks too different from an Apple or Samsung-style smartphone then I notice it, especially if it is a fairly compact size. Somehow, the style of wireline phones doesn’t hit me as hard. And of course there’s _Sherlock_, which had a major storyline focusing on a “camera phone.” That phrase sounds very odd to me these days. Anyway, it draws attention to some phone styles that are not very old in terms of years, but seem a few generations back already. Anyone else find it hard to overlook phones used on TV? ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phones-in-tv-shows-and-movies/737642/2 "2015-11-15T19:35:43Z")
Yes. I thought the reason I always notice phones was because I used to work for a phone company and my first cell was a bag phone. I also watch a great deal of Netflix and while I am watching an older show pre-cell I even notice the brand of pay phone someone uses. I also think about the plot changes if characters had a cell phone ipo pay. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phones-in-tv-shows-and-movies/737642/3 "2015-11-16T12:49:52Z")
I’ve been watching the USA version of Queer as Folk, which ended right before the smart phone era (2000-2005). I immediately notice the flip phones the characters are using (product placement?) but also how much talking they do on the phone. I don’t remember any scenes which showed texting, although basic texting was available around 2004-2005 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phones-in-tv-shows-and-movies/737642/4 "2015-11-16T13:08:41Z")
Been binge watching the comedy series CSI (Caruso) for the first time. The flip phones are hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phones-in-tv-shows-and-movies/737642/5 "2015-11-16T13:12:04Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’ve been watching the USA version of Queer as Folk, which ended right before the smart phone era (2000-2005). I immediately notice the flip phones the characters are using (product placement?) but also how much talking they do on the phone. I don’t remember any scenes which showed texting, although basic texting was available around 2004-2005 Texting was available when I was in college which was 1998-2002. I can specifically remember doing it my sophomore year and I know I had the same phone my freshman year. We didn’t to it a lot, probably mostly due to how new it was and a lot of people didn’t really like it. It was also expensive and kind of annoying without a keyboard. But we certainly did it. ETA, this was without smartphones. In fact, this was when most people had the free/cheap [Nokias](http://www.division6.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/nokia-5110.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phones-in-tv-shows-and-movies/737642/6 "2015-11-16T13:56:58Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Texting was available when I was in college which was 1998-2002. I can specifically remember doing it my sophomore year and I know I had the same phone my freshman year. We didn’t to it a lot, probably mostly due to how new it was and a lot of people didn’t really like it. It was also expensive and kind of annoying without a keyboard. But we certainly did it. > > ETA, this was without smartphones. In fact, this was when most people had the free/cheap [Nokias](http://www.division6.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/nokia-5110.jpg). Yep. I remember texting back in 2001 on my little Nokia. Had to tap the numbers multiple times to get the right characters, too. I actually think I make more mistakes on my iPhone than I did on that little Nokian. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phones-in-tv-shows-and-movies/737642/7 "2015-11-16T14:20:27Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > Yep. I remember texting back in 2001 on my little Nokia. Had to tap the numbers multiple times to get the right characters, too. > > I actually think I make more mistakes on my iPhone than I did on that little Nokian. I always tapped on the buttons multiples times as well. My dad, on the other hand, I think would still go back to T9. It was pretty amazing that such a primitive phone (and even then we know it was primitive) had predictive text.