Looking for a non-smart phone to replace my current smart phone.

[DWSmith]

This is my first post other than my introduction. Hope this is okay.

I looked for a thread on this but couldn't find anything current and the cell phone industry changes so quickly threads become outdated anyway.

I'm looking for a replacement for my phone. I've only personally owned 4 cell phones. My employers have issued lots of phones (and pagers, remember those?) to me over the years. My favorite personal phone was my Samsung Convoy 4 flip phone but it was 3G so I had to replace it. My favorite company issued phone would have to be one of my Blackberry phones.

I'd like a dumb/feature phone that has talk, text, Blue Tooth, WiFi hotspot, 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack, and a removable battery. I don't need or want much more than that but I do want a decent quality phone.

Any of you have a non-smart phone you like? Can you post a photo with your reply?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[idleprocess]

I'd like a dumb/feature phone that has talk, text, Blue Tooth, WiFi hotspot, 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack, and a removable battery. I don't need or want much more than that but I do want a decent quality phone.

The feature phone is almost vanishingly rare nowadays. The last one I used was circa 2014 - a Samsung whose designation I do no remember but it was semi-ruggedized and had weeks of standby life with occasional usage.

A quick search turned up a Reddit thread and a website dedicated to the genre - dumbphonefinder.com.

 

[DWSmith]

Thought I would add that I've looked at Punkt MP02, Light Phone 2, and the Sunbeam F1 series among many other phones. Sunbeam announced details yesterday on 8 additional phones in their new F1 Pro series. They haven't shipped yet but from the information posted yesterday on their site they look interesting. Any thoughts on them? I'm still very open to suggestions.

More and more folks are turning back to dumb/feature phones in the name of digital minimalism. Lots of phones to choose from with the choices increasing almost daily.

 

[idleprocess]

More and more folks are turning back to dumb/feature phones in the name of digital minimalism. Lots of phones to choose from with the choices increasing almost daily.

I just don't see them in the wild, however my exposure is likely towards the more technically-inclined and connected. There's also the fact that the handheld black mirror with limited functionality is less likely to be out and in use so less opportunity for observation.

 

[DWSmith]

I retired in January after working for 45 years in IT. I know just what you're talking about.

 

[pnwoutdoors]

I'm looking for a replacement for my phone ... a dumb/feature phone that has talk, text, Blue Tooth, WiFi hotspot, 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack, and a removable battery.

I've had a couple of Kyocera flip phones and a couple of Samsung flip phones through Verizon's service. Looks like Verizon doesn't support the older Samsung flip type phones. But they have some Kyocera models. Good reliable stuff. And almost zero chance of making "butt calls."

https://www.verizon.com/onesearch/search?q=Kyocera%20Flip%20Phones&lid=sayt&sayt=kyocera*

I tend to prefer a phone to do just that, leaving "computer" stuff to the computer. Much cheaper that way, for one. Much less likely to get seriously infected with the bad stuff that seems to track the Android, Apple and other similar "smart" operating systems.

 

[bykfixer]

Amazon.com

Here's a decent one.
A CAT phone for construction workers.

 

[aznsx]

Amazon.com

Here's a decent one.
A CAT phone for construction workers.

I too have long searched for a 'phone' for myself, and I think I ran across some similar to this; however I think when I saw that they were incompatible w/ ATT - Verizon - Sprint, I lost interest. I'm still looking, but have found nothing I like. (I don't even know the details of the actual distinctions, since after 25+years in telecom, I never worked with the cellular network at all [aside from the voicemail apps & messaging, etc.], so I'm admittedly clueless.) I do live with a cat though.
EDIT: I do have fundamental knowledge of TDMA/CDMA, but not in the cellular network world.

 

[Fuzzywuzzies]

This is interesting. My first question is "what are you trying to achieve?".

If it is only digital minimalism, go for the Light Phone 3, or any of the other 'go light' options out there that fits your taste and budget. But the caveat - be prepared to try several different phones out in person for settling on the one that you like.
However, as an IT professional, you'll know a little of the extent to which phones track our humanity; even so-called "dumb phones…

Depending on your level of paranoia, you may wish to look at other options, such as the Pine Phone or the Librem 5. I have a Librem 5 and rate it very highly for what it is.

Several associates have had various dumb phones and ruggedised smart phones, including a Cat phone as @bykfixer mentioned, but they were all pretty poor in real-world usage for one reason or another. I have found that an iPhone Pro with a Rokform case and tempered glass screen protector is actually extremely rugged and very usable. And the magnet keeps the phone up and out of harm's way when working with heavy machinery.

Back in the day we had the Siemens Rugged series dumbphones, to be honest they were unbeatable and exactly what you're after, but can't be had anymore. The Nokia 215 4G would be worth a look too, but I only have experience with older Nokia models.

PM me to discuss further if you like.

Link - Librem 5

Link - Light Phone 3

Link - Pine Phone

Link - Rokform Case

Link - Nokia 215 4G

 

[sween1911]

I retired in January after working for 45 years in IT. I know just what you're talking about.

This is my 24th year in I.T. started with a beeper, then a Motorola hockey-puck "1 and a half way" pager.( In fact, right after I got the moto and setup the news alerts on it, one of the first ones I got was 9/11)

So when I'm in the mall and a guy walks up asking my cellular plan, I get to tell him a long winded oldguy story about how the only cell phone I've ever owned is my company phone, and how my first phone was a giant Audiovox "call-in-an-air-strike" model and it's the same phone number as my little beeper from 2000.

 

[PaladinNO]

Am reasonably fresh in IT (7 years - switched from carpentry to IT, which was my dream, back in 2017), and with the exception of my current work phone (Samsung Galaxy), I still use a Nokia 3720 privately. Bought it to replace my Nokia 3410 back in 2009.

Use prepaid cards on it, charge it every Saturday, and then I can use it to phone out if I need it, or receive text messages if someone wants to inconvenience me. If there is ANYTHING else, I use a PC, either at work or home. Though the domestic 2G network is supposedly closing down next year, so it will sadly soon lose its cell reception...

I am looking at the 4G Nokia 800 Tough as a replacement.