Smartphones have undoubtedly improved over the last decade, with more powerful chipsets, robust software support, and better battery life. However, just because the trend moved in the right direction doesn’t mean some valuable features weren’t left behind. More than just nostalgia, legacy features we’ve lost made past smartphones more versatile than their modern equivalents.
It may be easy to dismiss many of the items I’m going to list, but 2026 has been a different year. We’ve seen numerous phones with physical keyboards, and the Pebble Time 2 proves purpose-built tech still has a place, and that not every device has to be for everyone.
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