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Ericsson T68m Champagne Gold: Early R2A Retail Unit
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: A (Rare)
⭐ WOW Factor: A compact flagship that fit Bluetooth, GPRS and a color screen into a sub-90 g body – the T68m remains a milestone piece of mobile history.
👁 Evaluation in my collection: As New – 9.8/10
⏱ Life timer: N/A | 📦 Boxed: YES
📅 Release Year: 2002 | 💰 Release Price: 650 €
📊 Units Sold: ~20k
📰 Why this phone matters: The Ericsson T68m stands as one of the defining milestones in mobile phone evolution and marks the moment when Ericsson transitioned from monochrome business devices into the era of compact multimedia handsets. Released in late 2001, it became Ericsson’s first color-screen phone, its first handset with integrated Bluetooth, and one of the smallest tri-band GSM devices ever produced at the time. The T68m concentrated cutting-edge features into an ultra-light 84 g body that set a new benchmark for compact flagship design.This particular unit is BNIB, a condition that is exceptionally rare due to the device’s age and the rapid corporate shift that followed its release. Very few untouched T68m boxes survived the transition from Ericsson to Sony Ericsson, as most retail stock was either sold through, upgraded, or rebranded into the T68i. BNIB units in the Champagne Gold finish are among the hardest to find, as this color variant was produced in notably smaller quantities. The preserved packaging, accessories, and original presentation elevate this device to a high collector tier, representing one of the best surviving examples of the model.
Technologically, the T68m was far ahead of its time. Its TFT 256-color display, GPRS Class 4 capability, EMS messaging, Bluetooth 1.0 module, IrDA port, and PC synchronization suite delivered features that were typically found only on much larger communicator-style devices. Reviewers in 2001 and 2002 described it as a “miniature business powerhouse,” praising its ability to merge advanced connectivity, a color user interface, and long battery life into a form factor that was dramatically smaller than its competitors. The joystick-based navigation and icon-driven color UI would later become the visual foundation for many Sony Ericsson models.
Historically, the T68m is also important because it represents the last flagship to carry the pure Ericsson branding. At the time of its release, Ericsson’s mobile division was undergoing a major financial and strategic shift. The joint venture with Sony was announced soon after, and the T68m became the bridge into the Sony Ericsson era. Within months, the T68m hardware was used as the base for the T68i, with updated casing, enhanced firmware, and Sony Ericsson branding. This conversion became so common that finding a true, untouched T68m is increasingly uncommon. A BNIB Champagne Gold example, therefore, holds exceptional preservation value.
Production data and period market analysis suggest that Champagne Gold units were produced in far smaller numbers than the standard grey and blue variants, making them significantly rarer in today’s collector market. The rapid discontinuation of T68m production due to the Sony Ericsson transition also reduced the number of sealed retail units available. Most T68m devices were heavily used, experienced joystick wear, or were converted to T68i firmware at service centers. As a result, BNIB condition elevates this particular unit into an elite tier of early-2000s GSM collectibles.
This T68m encapsulates the moment when the mobile industry transitioned from monochrome candybars to feature-rich multimedia phones. It demonstrates Ericsson’s technical ambitions at a time when the company was still shaping the direction of global GSM development. With its original firmware, rare Champagne Gold housing, compact footprint, color UI, Bluetooth, IrDA, GPRS support, and untouched BNIB condition, this unit is a top-tier collector artifact. It stands not only as a premium representation of Ericsson’s final standalone flagship, but also as one of the earliest true precursors to modern smartphones.
📝 Reviews when released: The Vooner 🔗
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Sony Ericsson T68i
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: C (Common)
⭐ WOW Factor: The first Ericsson phone with a colour display
👁 Evaluation in my collection: Great – 9.8/10
⏱ Life timer: N/A | 📦 Boxed: NO
📅 Release Year: 2001 | 💰 Release Price: ~500 €
📊 Units Sold: ~8M
📰 Why this phone matters: The Ericsson T68m (often called simply T68) was a candy-bar style mobile phone by Ericsson Mobile Communications. Launched in time for the 2001 Christmas season, the T68 was the first Ericsson mobile phone to have a colour screen, a passive LCD-STN with a resolution of 101×80 and 256 colours. Despite its diminute size (3.94×1.89×0.79 in or 100x48x20 mm, 2.96 oz or 84 g), it was one of the most feature-rich mobile phones at the time, with Bluetooth, IrDA port, GPRS 3+1, tri-band compatibility (900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz), SMS with T9 (predictive text), EMS, WAP, and customizable monophonic ring tones. A simple bitmap image editor was provided, allowing the creation of monochrome pictures by guiding a cursor around the canvas and setting or unsetting individual pixels (several ‘brush’ sizes were selectable to make this easier). These images could be set as the phone’s background image in standby mode, and sent to owners of EMS-compliant phones. With EMS soon to be succeeded by the superior MMS, few owners made much use of this feature. At its release, the phone cost around &eur;o; 500, £299 in the UK, in either two-tone grey or all-gold.📝 Reviews when released: Mobile Review 🔗