Way back in September of 2005 — over one year before the launch of the iPhone — Apple and Motorola were jointly pimping a handset called the ROKR E1 (pronounced “rocker”). The ROKR was a candy-bar-style device that had the dubious honor of being the first cell phone with the ability to natively integrate with Apple’s iTunes music software. What did the ROKR’s stat sheet look like? Glad you asked… the phone had a 176 x 220 pixel display, VGA camera with flash, Bluetooth, stereo headset jack, 22 KHz stereo speakers, micro-SD card slot (support for up to 512 MB), iTunes compatibility, and a fancy feature called “rhythm lights.” Unfortunately, the phone’s music player was throttled (with software) and only 100 songs were allowed to be stored on the device. Just five years ago this sweet little package would have set you back $249.99 when signing a 2-year contract with mobile provider Cingular. It’s amazing what half of a decade does to prices and expectations, no? We can’t say we ever bought into the ROKR; although we did own the very sexy SLVR L7 (image after the jump) which also sported iTunes integration. How about you? Take a stroll down cell phone memory lane… what was the last device you owned before you bought a smartphone and what ridiculous monetary sum did it cost you?
BGR Throwback Thursday is a weekly series covering our (and your) favorite gadgets, games, and software of yesterday and yesteryear.
