Is the mobile phone really mature enough for brick phones to make a retro comeback? According to the makers of the ironically named Mini MOB, the answer to that is yes. The Mini MOB is definitely designed in the retro brick phone style, but at only 3.5 cm wide, it could probably be considered a scale model. It includes some pretty standard specs -- camera, MP3 player, 128 MB card for the SD slot -- but also happens to have an amazing battery life of 30 days standby, and a full 72 hours of continuous talk time! That's almost enough to get us interested in picking one up, but at £160 ($320+) it ain't an easy decision.

[Via TechDigest]

Yeah, we did a double take upon seeing the above image too, but believe it or not, that car phone is actually a new Bluetooth handsfree system. Developed by Cartel Mobile Solutions, this in-car setup can reportedly be installed into nearly any whip and will connect up with most every BT-enabled handset. From there, it mysteriously warps you back to the 1990s where you can dial on near-Chiclet sized buttons; once the haze clears, it ushers you back to modern day by enabling motorists to chat without holding anything up to their yapper. Users can opt to wire it to their vehicle's sound system or plug in an external speaker, and yes, that display you see does indeed handle Caller ID duties. Unfortunately, no price was readily apparent, but you can can bring that 1979 Buick of yours a few years closer to the 21st century by hitting Cartel up for purchasing details.

[Thanks, Mickel]

The "classic" Samsung SGH-E700 (T-Mobile subscribers will remember it as the SGH-E715) really doesn't bring the fond memories flooding over us the same way, say, a StarTAC might. That's not a knock on the Samsung -- far from it, in fact -- but let's be honest, 2007 might be a bit soon to be drawing design inspiration from a phone originally released in 2003. Anyway, that's not stopping Samsung from following Motorola's footsteps and playing the retro card, rehashing the E700 as the SCH-S480 and SPH-S4850 in Korea. Besides exchanging GSM for CDMA radios, the new models upgrade their cams from VGA to 1.3 megapixels, come in a handful of color combos, and add in your typical 2007 amenities like media playback. Look for it to run 300,000 won (about $323) unsubsidized on your Korean carrier of choice.

Considering that Motorola has been yearning to duplicate the monumental success of the RAZR with, well, anything, we can't quite decide what to make of the firm's desperate / throw back attempt to conjure sales with an all new StarTac. Sure, the Moto mainstay holds a dear place in many of our hearts, and even the short-lived 2004 edition was appreciated for its nostalgic flair, but the 3.2-ounce StarTac III MS900 just seems a bit too vintage to actually enjoy in this millennium. Aside from such glaring omissions as a basic camera and external LCD, it does sport a very pocket-friendly design, simplistic style, MP3 playback, an electronic dictionary, questionable e-book functionality, GPS, and 128MB of built-in memory. Additionally, you'll find a two-inch QVGA display, mobile banking abilities, 160 minutes of talk time (300 hours in standby), and a mysterious "biorhythm" function to boot. As expected, there's no set price or release date for this blast from the past just yet, but with such niceties looming just around the corner, we've serious doubts about folks diving back into yesteryear with their new handsets.

[Via UnwiredView]