Is the Motorola Aura the best looking phone of all time?

A new study from Mozillion reveals which phone models from the last 40 years offer the best looks, using eye-tracking software to rank which devices catch the eye the most, and hold our gaze for the longest.

The research revealed that 2008’s luxury Motorola Aura, with a unique swivel mechanism, is the best-looking phone of all time, capturing attention for more than half a second longer in the study, than the next phone in the rankings (the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3).

With both Samsung and Apple continuously jostling for the top spot for most sales worldwide, it’s no real surprise that the top three is completed by Samsung’s 2021 foldable phone, and 2008’s Apple iPhone offering. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 held gazes for more than a second longer (9.62 seconds) than the iPhone 3G (8.33 seconds). This early iteration of the iPhone is revealed to offer best iCandy out of all Apple releases, with the most recent iPhone 13 ranking down in 23^rd.

Models from Blackberry (the 7230 model held gazes for 8.08 seconds), Chinese brand Xiaomi (the Redmi Note 8 held gazes for 7.43 seconds) and South Korean brand LG (the Chocolate model holding gazes for 6.93 seconds) make up the top ten best looking phones, alongside more models from Samsung, Apple and Motorola.

Interestingly, more than two-thirds of the models in the top results consist of more than a single flat screen, and only three of them were released post-2010. This may suggest that consumers are perhaps more attracted to the unique, noughties design language of phones, rather than the sleek, modern options that are more commonly found on the market today.

The Top 10 Most Eye-Catching Phones

Rank	Phone	Year Released	Average Fixation Length (seconds)
1	Motorola Aura	2008	10.31
2	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3	2021	9.62
3	Apple iPhone 3G	2008	8.33
4	Blackberry 7230	2003	8.08
5	Motorola Pebl U6	2005	7.93
6	Motorola Razr V3	2005	7.81
7	Xiaomi Redmi Note 8	2019	7.43
8	Samsung Star	2009	7.20
9	LG Chocolate	2006	6.93
10	Apple iPhone 6	2014	6.48

At the other end of the spectrum, the research crowned the Nokia N70 as the worst looking phone of all time, holding participants’ gaze for just 0.89 seconds before they moved onto the other more attractive phones in the study. The N70 was followed by Google’s Nexus One (1.03 seconds) and Samsung’s GT-E1100 (1.30 seconds).

American brand Motorola found themselves at the top and bottom of the rankings, with the Flare L holding gazes for just under 1.5 seconds, while Finnish brand Nokia’s 2010 model completed the top five most unattractive phones in the study, with participants locking eyes on it for a mere 1.57 seconds.

The Top 10 Least Eye-Catching Phones

Rank	Phone	Year Released	Average Fixation Length (seconds)
1	Nokia N70	2005	0.89
2	Google Nexus One	2010	1.03
3	Samsung GT-E1100	2009	1.30
4	Motorola Flare L	1995	1.42
5	Nokia 2010	1994	1.57
6	Motorola 4500X	1986	1.60
7	Samsung Galaxy S3	2012	1.61
8	O2 XDA II Mini	2004	1.63
9	Artfone CS181	2018	1.69
10	Samsung Galaxy S7	2016	1.75

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!”

To view the full list of the best and worst looking phones, visit: https://www.mozillion.com/public/resources/the-worlds-most-eye-catching-phones/ 

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