In honor of Throwback Thursday, we’re diving into Sprint’s past and taking a looking at three iconic phones that were considered Game Changers for their time. These are phones that came along and rewrote the rules on what a cell phone could and should be.

Moto Razr

Credit: BehanceToday the Moto Razr might seem like any other feature phone. Clamshell flip design, color display, and a few basic features. So why was it a game changer? Before iPhones and Galaxy's became a fashion accessory, the Motorola Razr V3m was the original fashion statement. Up to this point, most cell phones were bulky, monochrome and boring. Motorola changed all that by marketing the Razr as a thin, sleek and sexy. The phone came in several colors. Gone were the days of big fat buttons, being replaced by a futuristic looking keypad. Motorola would go on to make several more phones in the Razr series, but the V3m stands out as the one of the best in the line. Interested in more information? Check out Phone Arena’s original review.

Additional features:

2.2 inch LCD screen



40 MB of storage with expandable memory



1.3 megapixel camera with digital zoom, self-timer

Samsung Instinct

Credit: Mobile GuerillaLaunched in the spring of 2008 and marketed by Samsung as the "iPhone killer", the Samsung Instinct was one of Sprint's first iconic smartphones. Why was it a game changer? For its time, the Instinct came packed with many innovative features. Among these was a touchscreen display, a simple, but intuitive onscreen menu system, GPS turn by turn navigation, portable media player, and the ability to add a POP3 or Outlook exchange email. The phone was an instant hit with Sprint users while receiving positive reviews from critics. The Instinct changed how we viewed what a phone was capable of. For more details, check out CNET and PCMag original reviews.

Additional features:

3.1 inch touchscreen



2GB MicroSD Expandable storage (included)



1,000mAh Battery



2 megapixel camera (max resolution 1600 x 1200 pixels)

Palm Pre

Credit: Cellphone DigestAt the time, the Palm Pre was the fastest selling phone in Sprint’s history and one of the most anticipated phones of 2009, having been in development for several years. Smartphones were nothing new at this point, so what made it a game changer? For starters, it sported a unique design that can best be described as a ‘smooth pebble’ and showcased many innovative features such as a slideout Qwerty keyboard, one of the best cameras on the market, and was one of the first phones to incorporate wireless charging. Palm's WebOS platform was so incredible that HP bought Palm just so they could have their operating system. The phone redefined what a smartphone could do and forced other manufacturers to raise their game. Curious as to what critics thought of the Pre? Check out Engadets review.

Features:

3.1 LCD touchscreen



600 MHz Cortex-A8 CPU



8GB onboard storage

What did you think about these phone? Or if you think a different phone was a game changer, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.