Brring. Brring. Phones ring in the distance as freshman Kyson Lu follows the sound. Instead of picking up a modern smartphone, Lu reaches for a retro, prototype Motorola phone. The piece is sturdy and compact, with a retro, monochromatic display and a sleek gray keypad filling up the bottom half of the phone. 

Each retro phone that Lu finds and collects serves as a perspective into a former era and a representation of the technological impact that it had on the world.

Lu found passion in exploring these different eras of technology after his parents first gave him old phones, who no longer found any use for the pieces, beginning his retro phone-collecting hobby. The collection, which Lu began in the fourth grade, has now amounted to over 120 phones, according to Lu.

“They sparked joy because I found the design intriguing, and as a kid I was just fascinated with technology,” Lu said. “It’s just fun to look at how things have changed. Plus they’re actual phones, so you can also use them even though it’s becoming increasingly more difficult.”

This unique hobby aligns with the career paths that he hopes to pursue in the future, as he quickly became fascinated with cellular networks and their functionality after beginning his collection. The fascination prompted him to consider a career in the engineering field, which will allow him to work closely with cellular networks, according to Lu.

“It’s just that they fascinate me because phones back in the day were so different, and I especially love that these phones can partially be used today,” Lu said. “It just makes it special. I was surprised to learn that the phones could still be used today.”

When looking for new phones to add to his collection, Lu searches eBay with specific keywords and observes the latest listings. Lu also looks to family members and friends who still may have retro pieces that they no longer use, according to Lu. 

One of his most impressive finds was the prototype Motorola because it is unique and technically an unreleased piece, inspiring a collectors’ interest in it. Since first beginning his phone collection journey, Lu has had the opportunity to develop many personal qualities of care and commitment through the process, according to Lu.

“It has taught me a lot of skills mostly relating to networking stuff,” Lu said. “Also a lot of advanced technological skills and dedication and probably care, because you have to take a lot of patience and care for phones.”