Have you ever wished you could go back to using a dumbphone?

[anon(50597)]

Great responses everyone! Glad I'm not alone in my thinking.
So if we were to design the perfect feature phone, what would it need?

Me:
First, it should make calls, text, and email. Therefore a keyboard would be nice (someone mentioned the BB Bold).
Next it needs a battery that lasts several days or more.
Of course clock with alarm, calendar, camera if you want.
I would like a nice weather app as I find that important.
4G
Maybe a Cortana-like assistant.
Map.

Anything else?

Sent from mTalk on my SP4

 

[MicrosoftWinPho]

Yeah I could definitely go back to a dumb phone quite easily. I treat my smart phone as a dumb phone as I permanently keep data switched off. I only text and call. I never got into the whole app craze as I didn't care about doing things on the go and I prefer gaming on a console such as my 3DS not a phone.

 

[anon(6078578)]

The only thing I really missed from that was a better camera, and that's about all

Funny enough this is what has put me of many basic feature phones, is the lack of a reasonable camera as I like to have some sort of camera always with me just in case. I don't expect a smartphone quality camera, but come on VGA? That's prehistoric. I was expecting they'd at least have a 2MP minimum which they are starting to use finally (ie 3310 etc)

 

[anon(6078578)]

Great responses everyone! Glad I'm not alone in my thinking.
So if we were to design the perfect feature phone, what would it need?

Me:
First, it should make calls, text, and email. Therefore a keyboard would be nice (someone mentioned the BB Bold).
Next it needs a battery that lasts several days or more.
Of course clock with alarm, calendar, camera if you want.
I would like a nice weather app as I find that important.
4G
Maybe a Cortana-like assistant.
Map.

Anything else?

Sent from mTalk on my SP4

As long as it isn't a prehistoric VGA camera like many of them still seem to prefer. Give us 2-3 MP at least. No need need for anything fancy though.

A Starbucks app (I'm kidding :winktongue

You have to be careful adding features lest you end up with a Smartphone again lol

 

[fatclue_98]

Leroy Jethro Gibbs never left his dumb phone (NCIS reference).
I could easily go back to a dumb phone and I find flip-phones appealing because there was never any butt-dialing. I don't care about apps and I mainly use my phone for calls and SMS. I rarely check Facebook when I'm out and about so I could go back to doing that on a tablet (less eye strain, too) while I watch TV.

There was one feature on flip phones that was taken away from us and there's no substitute. That satisfying feeling of slamming the clamshell shut when hanging up on someone in sheer, almost-homicidal anger.

 

[taynjack]

I went back to a dumb phone after my first Galaxy phone. I loved it except for two things. The camera sucked big time and not having on-the-go mapping software. My perfect feature phone would be:

Phone, Mtext (for group texting) with qwerty keyboard Obviously.
13 mp camera and video. (720p screen with this)
Maps navigation (turn by turn) software.
128 gb sd card for my music and photos.
4 day battery life.

My bonus feature would be: Pandora radio.

 

[anon(50597)]

I'm contemplating this:

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Kyocera-DuraXE_id9876

Has a 5mp camera and WiFi. Can use it as a hotspot. T9 though.


Sent from mTalk on my SP4

 

[Bittah Pupil]

I had a flip phone for years before having to switch to a smartphone. I like my smartphone because of the camera and music player features in addition to calling and texting but sometimes I wish I could go back to a flip phone. If there was one that could do group text, I'd be all over that.

 

[Chemy JMHT]

I'm with most of you people, a basic phone sometimes is the only thing we mostly need, it's weird I don't use the phone for a lot of task you mentioned, I use a lot WhatsApp (WEB/Desktop version) none of the social networks, I uninstalled Facebook and Twitter years ago, I only have an outdated version os Snapchat and Instagram for few reasons but I check those only if I have a notification.

Right now I can use my laptop for almost everything, so I only use the phone for the basics.

I miss when I had the Nokia N900, even when with that phone you were able to do everything, on that time it was more as a camera, music player and phone.

I like the chance to do everything I do with my laptop in my phone but I hate the cost of most of that.

 

[Tim Newton1]

Yes, big time. The big issue is PRIVACY. As I have commented elsewhere, before GoogleFacebook we had secure paper mail and secure land line phones. These companies hype themselves as telephone / mail carriers but they make loads of money because they help themselves to the data that goes through their hands. Not only that, but employers now want to take over cell phone plans because employees get their work e-mail on the phone.

The second biggest issue is COST. I think it's ridiculous to pay more than $200 for a cell phone. I don't want a computer in my pocket--it's too small.

What I really want is a dumb phone that has limited "smart" capabilities--just enough to allow e-mail and text, and the ability to look up addresses on the fly. That's it!

I definitely don't want all these stupid apps and I especially don't want social media. The only way social media companies make money is by helping themselves to your data--why would you ever want to use them? Why would you want to do banking on a phone?

Mobile phones have gotten way to far upmarket. They need to come back down to earth and realize that what most people want and can afford is pretty basic. The only advantage a mobile phone has over a computer is that you can take them with you, and most people don't need that much firepower just to use on the fly.

 

[fatclue_98]

Mobile phones have gotten way to far upmarket. They need to come back down to earth and realize that what most people want and can afford is pretty basic. The only advantage a mobile phone has over a computer is that you can take them with you, and most people don't need that much firepower just to use on the fly.

I agree with you 1000%. Yes, it sucks that work email almost forces us to maintain smartphones but anyone who doesn't rely on their phone for work is enjoying the convenience. It wasn't that long ago that payphones (remember those?) were ubiquitous, cars only had AM radios and there were no ATMs. Now we have smartphones, tap to pay, mobile banking, cars have 9-speed automatic transmissions, satellite radios and GPS displays. For what it's worth, all my cars have manual transmissions, no XM or Sirius and my boat still has a Loran-C receiver that works better than my Garmin handheld. I keep paper maps too even though it's not required anymore.

 

[Dmd74]

haha oh man I actually thought about the same thing like two weeks ago. I was lamenting the simplicity of the old days when I remembered my Kin TWOm. That thing was boss to type on. And it was such a nice device for doing the basics. I don't think you can even find a new phone with a slide out, landscape keyboard. I'd love to see a physical landscape keyboard again on anything. The only thing better than auto correct is typing it right the first time, lol. And I don't think I would mind using my tablet for on the go emails and such, but ultimately, there's too much convenience to having a smartphone now. I'm always checking my calendar for updates and it's just easier and faster to do on my phone. However, show me a bad arse feature phone with integrated Outlook, landscape physical keyboard, and a decent processor and I might give it a look.

Maybe a Samsung Sidekick 4G?

 

[anon(6078578)]

The second biggest issue is COST. I think it's ridiculous to pay more than $200 for a cell phone. I don't want a computer in my pocket--it's too small.

Mobile phones have gotten way to far upmarket. They need to come back down to earth and realize that what most people want and can afford is pretty basic. The only advantage a mobile phone has over a computer is that you can take them with you, and most people don't need that much firepower just to use on the fly..

I hear you. I don't think I've bought a mobile phone over $200, at least that I can remember. The amount some of the top of the line Flagships cost, I'd be scared to use it for fear that dropping it would cost more to repair than a minor ding on my car :sweaty:

 

[darrell reimer]

One reason I've always kept my 925 close.
Sometimes it's kept off for days...I always find myself returning to the great and simply elegant days of WP 8.1.

I've got an ATIV SE running 8.1; it's fun to pull it out every once in a while and remember the good-ol-days....

 

[wgrs]

Get an iPhone SE. Long battery life, right size which is not very much bigger or heavier than a dumb phone. Most importantly, it's dumb and static. A truly modern dumb phone.

I have a W10M phone. It's quite dumb.

Emails, browser, weather, Skype, Wifi-hotspot. That's it. The serious things are done on a iPad. Better screen and all apps.

 

[mc_razza]

My brother had a Nokia 5110 in 1998-9.

Those were the days.

 

[dov1978]

Yep...you're nuts. One time not so long ago I took phone off the charger before heading out for the day not realising my kid had unplugged it at the wall the day before. Needless to say it soon ran out of juice and I had to spend the day with a no phone. It was the longest day of my life. That's just the sad state of mindset modern technology has placed on us I guess.
On the flipside I went to Mexico on honeymoon last year and lost my phone on arrival. After making sure the sim was blocked with my carrier I enjoyed 2 weeks of freedom with no Facebook, no emails, no checking my phone to see if anyone had tried to call and only a digital camera for photos. I think it definitely added to the intimacy of our honeymoon too as we spent all of our time together with no distractions. So yeah I can see your point.
As for Dumbo phones I'm definitely getting the new Nokia 3310 for nostalgia and I'll use it for work

 

[dov1978]

My brother had a Nokia 5110 in 1998-9.

http://www.altimobiler.dk/14448-37728-thickbox/brugt-nokia-5110-roed-graa.jpg

Those were the days.

That was the first phone I ever bought on contract and thought it was great that I'd haggle a deal in the shop to include some different colour faces for it lol

 

[deaspo]

I miss those days, have had L1520, L820 but just got tired of the over dependence on the phones and the apps. So decided to drop all the phones and bought an additional android phone for app development purposes. Now I use my phones frankly for testing the apps am building, be it web or mobile apps. Sometimes to receive calls and emails, other than that they just sit idle. Emails is strictly from my sp3 and dell 15 7559. I miss the old days when phones were mostly for calling and texting, and playing the snake game. Am glad am not that addicted to having an always on active internet connection, just available to read my emails and do some little googling research.

 

[In Fla]

I think you mean Lumia phones.