Mobile phones have become an essential part of our everyday lives, helping us to stay connected to loved ones, manage work on the go, and achieve our health and fitness goals. However, it’s unlikely you’ll keep the same phone throughout your life, with many people switching to a new model every year or two.

When the time to switch phones comes around – whether through the end of a contract, a phone breaking, or just because we feel like a change – it’s inevitable that looks are one of the things we consider when assessing which make and model to buy next.

But which phones can be considered the most attractive? To find out, we ran a study using eye-tracking software to reveal which phone models really are the best looking. Looking at 80 phones from the past 40 years, we tracked users’ gazes to crown the best-looking phones, and the results are in.

Which phones are the most eye-catching?

The study revealed that the Motorola Aura was the best-looking phone of those presented, with participants fixating on the model for an average of 10.31 seconds. With its unique design, it definitely catches the eye and is quite unlike any other phone to have hit the market over the past 40 years.

However, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, Motorola Pebl U6 and Motorola Razr V3 also featuring in the top six, more than two thirds of the models in the top flight go beyond just a single flat screen. Perhaps this is a sign that we naturally find these more appealing than the frequently seen standard flat-faced models?

With just three of the models in the top ten having been released post-2010, there’s a clear sign that we’re appreciating phones from the 2003-08 era the most, echoing the noughties revival that’s currently being seen in the fashion world. Maybe it’s worth digging out those older models from your drawers after all…

The Top 10 Most Eye-Catching Phones

Motorola Aura, 2008

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, 2021

Apple iPhone 3G, 2008

Blackberry 7230, 2003

Motorola Pebl U6, 2005

Motorola Razr V3, 2004

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8, 2019

Samsung Star, 2009

LG Chocolate, 2006

Apple iPhone 6, 2014

Which phones are the worst-looking?

Although we may always be after the best-looking model, sometimes they just don’t age well. The Nokia N70 tops our list of the worst-looking phones, with users fixating on it for just 0.89 seconds before taking a look at the other models on offer. Launched in 2005, the 3G smartphone also featured a 2-megapixel camera, a front camera for video calling, as well as music player functionality. However, the boxy appearance and 22.8mm thickness clearly doesn’t win over phone users.

The equally boxy Samsung GT-E1100 (1.30s), Motorola Flare L (1.42s) and Nokia 2010 (1.57s) complete the top five worst-looking phones – although this tech would have been cutting edge at their time of launch, the appearance clearly hasn’t aged well as we’ve moved into an era of bigger screens and sleeker designs.

The Top 10 Worst Looking Phones

What about the rest? Where does your favourite model rank?

When it comes to the rest of the shortlist, the results are somewhat mixed. Although it’s the newest addition to the ranks of Apple products, the iPhone 13 only reaches 23rd position with 4.68s of fixation time. However, with the iPhone 12 ranking in 11th, perhaps this model could be a good purchase for those looking for a more affordable, and better-looking iPhone.

Although it may now be one of the ten most valuable brands in the world, Huawei has only made it into 13th place with their P20 model despite its sleek rounded edges and glass back. With many Nokia phones slipping to the lower end of the list, this is perhaps also a sign that the once-loved brand has fallen behind the times since the dawn of the iPhone and Android era.

Founder at Mozillion, Len Leeson comments:

“When purchasing a new phone – whether that be a brand-new model or a refurbished phone – we’re always focused on the functionality and whether it can perform the tasks we require in order to make our day-to-day lives as easy as possible. However, our phones have also become an important part of our identity and image, and for many, the appearance of their tech is just as key to their decision-making as the functionality. It’s definitely interesting to see some of the more unique mid-2000s flip and swivel models hitting the top of the rankings, so maybe we will be seeing the resurgence of the flip phones and more striking designs in years to come!”

Methodology

80 mobile phones from the past 40 years were compiled using desk research, and a range of ‘popular’ and ‘best-selling’ phone seed lists.

To conduct the research, a sample of 40 people were shown a series of images of different mobile phones. By using eye-tracking software, the total number of times people looked at different phones was recorded. The average amount of time people looked at a phone was recorded and viewing durations were used to rank the different mobile phones to reveal which were the most eye-catching.

Data collected from the study was used to rank the mobile phones, in order of the most eye-catching.

All data was correct as of February 9th 2022.