22 Retro Tech Icons You Almost Forgot About

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Aug 5, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

Technology is developing faster and faster with each passing advancement. But not so long ago, there were the first few tech items that came onto the market. In fact, it was a mere 55 years ago. Those gadgets defined what was to come and brought forth the era of portable tech that could not only serve a physical purpose, but also be a fashion statement.

They soon became the things that not only defined technological advancement, but also our personalities. And today we wanted to take a moment to look back and marvel at the Walkmans, Game Boys, Hamburger phones and much much more that have contributed to the meteoric rise in societal interest of technology. So strap on your Polaroid camera and get ready to take some mental snapshots of the various and curious pieces of tech that have shaped several generations at once.

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  • 01
    SanNuad ほ PEANUTS POLAROID LAND CAMERA
    via retrospekt_

  • This would sell out so hard nowadays with the retro analog boom that is going on. Not to mention that Peanuts has somehow remained insanely relevant throughout the years. Dang, it is hard to resist the urge to get on eBay right now to find an original in decent condition.

  • 02
    POLAROID TYPE 108 POLACOLOR 2 LAND FILM/EIGHT 34 X 4 INCH PRINTS
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  • 03
    WXY 9 Emerson
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  • 04
    SONY my first Sony
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  • Not going to lie, we had no idea that Sony released a version of the Walkman for tiny tikes. It is the cutest Walkman we have ever laid eyes on, and we desperately want it for our kids so we can dress them up as 80s kids.   You have to wonder what they would make of this device. Is it a purse? Is it a coin collector?

  • 05
    Sports WALKMAN FM 88 92 96 102 108 MHz AM 5.36 7 8 10 12 16 x100kHz SONY SONY RADIO CASSETTE PLAYER WM-AF54 WALKMAN SPORTS WALKMAN MMM SPORTS
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  • 06
    MINI CASSETTE RECORDER AUTO STOP ONE TOUCH RECORDING Panasonic Matsushita Elec OFF S-XBS TRAIN Panasonic
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  • 07
    PRECISION PORTABLE EASED YOUP 00000000000 600000000000 20000000000 - ROYAL SALARI 080008888888 olivetti LETTERA 35 ULINE 880008000888 ASDFGHJKL ZXCVBNM K P
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  • 08
    88 92 96 100 108MHz SONY WALKMAN FM/AM RADIO CASSETTE PLAYER WM-F2015
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  • 09
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  • 10
    RICOH RICOH аша SINGLEX WALKMAN RADIOHEAD OK COMPUTER OK COMPUTER RADIOHEAD 30PRESETS RADIO 66922 ON HELLOVE 0000 MHE 12:00 FM 88 94 99 104 108 FM AM 530 600 750 1000 1300 1600 AM аша MAGNAVOX SONY LOW MEGA BASS (AVLS) WALKMAN WM-FX183 PHILIPS MAGNAVOX 10 seconds ESP ELECTRONIC SKIP PROTECTION ITSTREAM CONVERSION NEDALE SUROUND DSP DIGITAL SOUND PROCESSING
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  • 11
    5 MAG 百 9 * Polaroid Crown GRAPHIC Panasonic RQ-NX60V TAPE 4 CAUTO REVERSED FF/+ REW/- RADIOON/BAND BATTCHED/S-XBS REMOTE CONTROL STEREO RADIO CASSETTE PLAYER GHOSTBUSTERS ALARM SET 55 QL SONY FM 88 92 96 100 104100 AU 53 80 700 100 EZ TL Canon ARISTA GHOSTBUSTERS GHOSTBUSTERS ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Polaroid PhotoMagicSystem 35mm 1:35 33608
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  • 12
    Canon PM 7:32 SEIKO one600 IN CANON LENS SAF JOGPROOF PHILIPS 38mm 1:3.5 SURE SHOT MAX DATE Pinegrove elsewhere 3-D FOCLE RANGE 2FT Nishika Polaroid N8000 30MM QUADRA LENS SYSTEM MADE IN JAPAN
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  • 13
    STEREO L HANDY BOY STEREO R Cre SELECT START
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  • 14
    AUM St AARON CARTER That's How Sh MICRO MUSIC CLIP Mare Mia! Wes 301 UN That's How Beat-Shaq ATTW Clips unsicsvife MuCp works with at HClips player Music sho utlocbble and okapubl WARNING TIGER
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  • 15
    Nsync live bye bye Faith Hill The Way HANSON 1500 D Hoku SYNG
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  • 16
    47382 COLUMBIA 3 CASSETTES BOB DYLAN the bootleg series volumes 1-3 [rare & unreleased] 1961-1991 SUPERSCOPE REC LEVEL LEFT ° FIGHT POKEMON EVERYONE ESRA Nintendo TAPE SELECT DOLBYR REC SELECT ERINGS BAB LOW OFF 00 BATTERY MONITOR VOL 50ft STANLEY POWERWINDER 34-150
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  • 17
    - の N *
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  • 18
    Hamburger Phone™ TONE PULSE GHI ABC DEF JKL 3 MNO 6 PRS TUV WXY * PAUSE OPER # FLASH REDIAL 彡
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  • 19
    Polaroid 600 KEROPPI KAM INSTANT FILM CAMERA LAROID POLARO POLAROID KEROPPI KAM
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  • 20
    STAR STAR TRILOGY TRILOGY STAR WARS THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK RETURN OF THE JEDI 1 DIGITALLY THX MASTERE donda GAME BUT STAR WARS 100 IIIIII 6:00 STAR WARS EPISODES RACER EVERYONE (Nintendo
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  • 21
    ASAHI PENTAX OPT. CO., JAPAN Polaroid MACRO 5 SLR 5-IN-1 CLOSEUP SYSTEM 12 EASY RIDER - N41 A man went looking for America and couldn't find it anywhere... Cannes Film Festival Winner y easy Rider EASY RIDER PETER FONDA DENNIS HOPPER JACK NICHOLSON PETER FONDA DENNIS HOPPER TERRY SOUTHERN DENNIS HOPPER PETER FONDA AP WILLIAM HAYWARD Pro BERT SCHNEIDER COLUMBIA PICTURES H NEOCA
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  • 22
    DANNY ELFMAN EDWARD SCISSORHANDS Nikon 7.2 Megapixels VR&IS01600 3.0inch LCD COOLPIX CASIO VE-TONE Irre are M cccccccc 1200 obcu MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK edward USCISSORHANDS NICKELODEON ME Danny Elfman NO CO Canon G-OL ww3 AVAZA OFF 104 SHERITONE® SONY FIOL STEREO STEREO AM-FM MPX RECEIVER PLL IC SYSTEM
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retro nostalgia almost about icon Tech forgot Vintage Tech
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