Best looking phone survey reveals surprising market trends

The best-looking phone of all time has been revealed, and it may be different than you would think.

2008's iconic swivel Motorola Aura has been revealed as the most attractive mobile phone ever released, according to a new study by UK-based mobile phone marketplace Mozillion. The survey not only found the best looking devices, but revealed some interesting facts about the cellular phone market on a whole.

As part of the research, consumers were asked to view a selection of phones and choose which model they found the most appealing. Special eye-tracking software also calculated the time the subjects spent viewing the phones, determining which gained the most interest and which were quickly shrugged off. 80 mobile phones from the past 40 years were compiled using desk research and a range of popular and best-selling phone seed lists.

With the Motorola Aura taking the top spot, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Apple iPhone 3G followed close behind, with the iPhone 3G found to be the most attractive iPhone to grace the market. In comparison, the iPhone 13 was ranked in 23rd place.

2000-2010 was seen to be the most design effective period, with seven of the top best looking phone models being released during that time.

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, 2000s design language of phones rather than the sleek, modern options that are more commonly found on the market today.

The research also crowned the Nokia N70 as the worst looking phone of all time, with viewers looking at the phone for just 0.89 seconds before moving onto the other more attractive phones in the study.

Mozillion founder Len Leeson says that while practicality is paramount when buying a phone, the image and cosmetic appeal is also something that many consumers keep in mind.

"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," he says.

"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."