A tweet from the second-hand store chain Hard Off recently sparked a buzz online. The official Twitter (now X) account for their Nishi-Tokorozawa store posted, "NEC mobile phones have arrived," along with a photo. However, the product in the picture was an old rotary-dial telephone, not the modern smartphone we know today.
In the comments section below the post, netizens couldn't help but chuckle, saying things like, "Can only laugh, lol" and "It's definitely a phone, hahaha." This particular telephone is believed to be NEC's "Type 600 Compact Telephone," released after 1966. Its design aimed to balance call quality with a smaller form factor, considering everyday use cases like installation in bedrooms.
Hard Off's Facebook page further elaborated on the product's background, praising its "excellent call quality" and "retro design" as a prime example of the era's push for miniaturization. While today's phones are undeniably smart, this "smartphone"-labeled relic, with its unique nomenclature and design, begs the question: was it the OG smart device?
Netizens jumped into the lively discussion, commenting, "That's some seriously ahead-of-its-time keyword usage..." "The black phone (referring to later rotary dial phones) was even 'smarter' than this!" and "It's definitely a phone, but not in the modern sense." This "original mobile phone" debate truly highlights the incredible evolution of technology.
The whole affair had netizens cracking up, prompting them to reflect on the vastly different understandings of "mobile phone" then versus now. This viral discussion might just become another unforgettable internet sensation in the annals of online memory.