Android devices have always come in different shapes and sizes, with designers experimenting with niche ideas and form factors changing with the times.There are many once common conventions that, if reintroduced today, would be thought of as gimmicks.That doesn't mean they weren't good—if anything, it's time for them to make a comeback.
LED indicator lights A more subtle way to be notified Early smartphones had LED lights tucked away in the corner that served a single purpose: to let you know when someone or something wanted your attention.These indicator lights were the visual companion to notification sounds, but they were far more passive: Android indicator lights weren't going to get your attention from the kitchen table while you were at the sink washing dishes, you might not notice one blinking on the corner of your desk while you typed away at your keyboard, and you certainly wouldn't notice it while the phone was tucked away in your pocket during your morning walk.This was a reason to get rid of them—they were indicators doing a so-so job at actually indicating! But in our times, as we deal with screen addiction and information overload, LED indicators offer a useful way to cut down on the neediness of our phones.
Not every notification needs an audible ping, but some don't need to be fully silenced either.There is value in a middle ground, and LED lights can serve that role.I'm not alone in missing a blinking light for my phone.
On some phones, LED lights could even be color-coded.Slack notifications can be green.Signal can be blue.
ProtonMail gets purple.This helps you decide before turning on the screen if your phone actually needs your attention.Nothing Phones began with an innovative take on rear LED lights, branded as Glyph lights.
Here were fun lights on the back of the phone whose wacky placement allowed you to not just customize colors, but create flashy patterns as well.Their absence was felt on the latest Nothing Phone 3, and while I personally never bought a Nothing Phone, it was the Glyph lights that made me want to.Nothing Phone 3 Brand Nothing SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 $799 at Nothing $799 at Amazon Expand Collapse Slide-out keyboards A more tactile way to type Physical keyboards are having a resurgence.
Last year, I reviewed the Minimal Phone and the Unihertz Titan 2, which both had physical buttons.This year, we're getting the Clicks Communicator and the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite.But each of these phones is modeled after the BlackBerry, not old Android phones.
Keyboards were common on early Android phones, but they weren't imitating the BlackBerry.My first two Android phones, the Kyocera Milano and the Kyocera Rise, both had slide-out keyboards.So did the first Android phone I wished I could buy at the time—the Motorola Droid, whose name was once synonymous with Android before gradually the masses began referring to these phones as "Samsung" instead.
Now that foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 have shown how thin a phone can be, a slide-out keyboard can make a resurgence on a modern phone without turning the entire thing into a brick.But until we get more phones with slide out keyboards, the new Clicks Power Keyboard may be our closest alternative.Minimal Phone 7 Brand Minimal Company SoC MediaTek Helio G99 $500 at Minimal Company Expand Collapse More than one port RIP headphone jack Android phones were once packed with ports.
In addition to a micro-USB port, the Motorola Droid X had a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, and even a micro-HDMI port! These were necessary to deliver all the desired functionality at the time, since there wasn't yet one port that could do it all, and phones didn't come with hundreds of gigs of storage.Eventually, the USB-C port would arrive with the ability to transfer audio and video, in addition to data and power.Don't get me wrong—I love the USB-C port.
I would not go back to the days of the micro-USB cable, not even to regain a headphone jack.But we don't have to re-embrace old ports to relive the convenience of having more than one.Even two USB-C ports would change how a phone can be used, allowing us to charge a phone while transferring data to a flash drive or plug in wired headphones and a wired game controller at the same time.
Sure, USB docks are a thing, and I personally recommend a dock as one of the best cheap upgrades for your phone, but a dock is a bulky solution that is less than ideal when you're anywhere but at a desk.Curved screens Surprisingly comfortable For a few years, curved screens were commonplace due to their placement on Samsung phones.Sadly, I missed out on this era.
I was carrying around a Light Phone II at the time, and I didn't experience a curved screen for the first time until my purchase of the Moto Edge+ (2023).I loved this device, which was the most comfortable phone I had ever held in my hand.It felt like a round pebble since it was curved not only on the sides but at the top and bottom as well.
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I understand the criticism of curved screens.They don't play nicely with screen protectors, and interacting with the edge of the screen feels different.The look isn't for everyone.
Nonetheless, I love them, and I wish Samsung, in particular, still had a curved model in its lineup.Old phones had some things right I'm not going to tell you that older phones were better than newer ones.I never enjoyed an old Android phone as much as I have my Galaxy Z Fold 6.
I love that modern phones have tiny bezels and are no longer made primarily of plastic.But there were some bits lost along the way that could still spark joy if brought back today.
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