My first phone was a Nokia 6110, circa 1998 or '99. Built like a brick s**thouse. Great reception, long battery life, comfortable in my hands and clear as a bell. And I believe you could even text with it (though nobody ever sent text messages back then).
Now I've got a Casio G-Shock flip phone. Bought it because it was rugged, waterproof and had a long battery life. At my job, I think I'm the only person left without a smartphone. At least I can leave home without my phone charger though.
It's a shame to see the once mighty Nokia take such a fall. I've often thought they should go back to doing what they did best; building simple, rugged phones with great reception and a long battery life. The reality is, there isn't much of a market for phones like this these days.
That was my first phone, too. Terrific phone!
I miss my flip phone (Star Trek Communicator) from Nextel. Worked everywhere and the battery lasted forever.