Mobile Technology

Back to basics mobile phones from Lekki

Back to basics mobile phones from Lekki
French company Lekki has secured a supply of classic, second-hand mobile phones from the 1990s and has refurbished and revamped them for resale
French company Lekki has secured a supply of classic, second-hand mobile phones from the 1990s and has refurbished and revamped them for resale
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The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
Harking back to a simpler time when mobile phones were used for talking and texting, and little else
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Harking back to a simpler time when mobile phones were used for talking and texting, and little else
Sporting some vintage mobile phone style thanks to Lekki
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Sporting some vintage mobile phone style thanks to Lekki
Basic but stylish - the Motorola StarTEC on the move
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Basic but stylish - the Motorola StarTEC on the move
French company Lekki has secured a supply of classic, second-hand mobile phones from the 1990s and has refurbished and revamped them for resale
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French company Lekki has secured a supply of classic, second-hand mobile phones from the 1990s and has refurbished and revamped them for resale
The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
The iconic Nokia 3210 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The iconic Nokia 3210 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The Motorola StarTEC 130 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
Optional belt clip for the Motorola StarTEC 130
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Optional belt clip for the Motorola StarTEC 130
The iconic Nokia 3210 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The iconic Nokia 3210 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
The iconic Nokia 3210 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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The iconic Nokia 3210 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
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Remember a simpler time when people used mobile phones to make calls? When just about everyone owned a Nokia, and most of those were a model with cutting-edge features like an internal antenna, vibrate call alert and the facility to create your own ringtones? If you're too young to remember the iconic Nokia 3210 or were too set in your ways to own a mobile back in the dark ages of the late 1990s, then a French company called Lëkki is now offering you a second chance. Refurbished and revamped, there are currently two legendary phones on offer as part of the company's Back to Basics ethic.

I remember only having to charge up my Nokia 3210 about once every two weeks and wasting away hours and hours playing an infuriatingly addictive game called Snake. Mobile phones have come a long way since then, with some now being just as powerful as portable computers. Yet there are those who yearn for the good old days when mobile phones were used for talking, or if you were a real trend-setter – texting. Lëkki has the answer.

The company notes that the average lifespan of a modern phone is around 18 months, but the impact of its production on the environment lasts a good while longer. Lëkki's response has been to secure a supply of classic, second-hand phones from the 1990s, clean them up and repackage them as a Back to Basics answer to the slick slab of overcomplication that now resides in most of our pockets or handbags.

Sporting some vintage mobile phone style thanks to Lekki
Sporting some vintage mobile phone style thanks to Lekki

The first SIM-free, revamped model out of the blocks is the Motorola StarTAC 130, with retractable antenna, monophonic ringtones and vibration alert. The phone is shipped with a brand new battery and hands-free kit and promises a good 48 hours stand-by and 120 minutes talk time. This model will only work on GSM 900 networks (there's a list of compatible European operators on the website) and is priced at EUR125 (US$163) for green, magenta, yellow and black, and EUR145 (US$190) for the "Make Your Own" option. There's also an original available for EUR135 (US$176).

Next up is the iconic Nokia 3210. This one will work on GSM 900 / 1800 networks and has a monstrous 200 hours stand-by, 4 hours talk time. Again provided SIM-free and shipped with a new battery, it sports monophonic ringtones and vibration alert, and also comes with that most wonderful of time-wasters – Snake. This one's available in green, yellow and black versions for EUR75 (US$98), or for an extra EUR10 (US$13) you can "Make Your Own" color combination.

The iconic Nokia 3210 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki
The iconic Nokia 3210 - refurbished and revamped by Lekki

Lëkki's founder told Gizmag that there are some more 1990's classic revamps planned for release next year, but is keeping tight-lipped about which ones are set to make an appearance. We'll keep you informed.

View gallery - 15 images
5 comments
5 comments
mrhuckfin
I LOVE this! I hope they do an update for the V60 I still have mine I just want a cam built into it is all, that was the best phone and I used it for over 6 years before in gave up the ghost! :-)
TheRogue1000
Oh, boy! Where can they be gotten?
Gadgeteer
This is one of the dumbest things I\'ve ever seen. Okay, so they want to reduce the impact on the environment. But these insane prices are several times what new phones cost. I dislike today\'s cell phone complication as much as anyone, but anyone who empties his wallet just to hold onto the past is a sucker.
Larry
Hey, this is a great idea. I\'m a fan of Star Trek and always wanted a flip phone during the 1960s. When the StarTac (\"Kirk to Enterprise\") came along I didn\'t have the money.
NOW most every phone has no external antenna. I don\'t know about everyone else but I was trained in the USAF in communications equipment repair and know a fair amount about microwaves and their biologic effects.
Everyone else can go ahead and scramble the RNA in their brain cells (beware Bluetooth ear device users) but I want an external antenna mobile phone. At least THAT way I can keep the radiating element further away from my skull. Would also help if the case was TEMPEST shielded. After all, only the antenna should be radiating and receiving.
Just in-case someone mistakes my \'caution\' for \'paranoia\' - check into the work of the American Electric Power Institute on \'Health Effects of EMFs\'.
Ia Kutateladze
I bought the startac motorola, with the customized colors. I payed quite alot for it, just because I wanted to. The first day it got delivered, the microphone was not working, the battery lasted for very short time. nobody can hear my voice, so the phone is useless. They don't refund because it is customized piece, which i think is really unfair. So I don't recommend it to anyone. They don't know how to treat customers.