5 ms·

Dumb phone -> Talk and text, no camera, no browser, cheap and readily available. Please?

by excalibur 8y ago

JacobJans 8y ago
Device -> Purpose iPhone -> sell apps & subscriptions Android phone -> sell ads / harvest user information
AzMoo_ 8y ago
The Nokia 3310 is about as close as you'll get I think.
- excalibur 8y ago
  Bought one. Physically removed the camera. Still has a browser and and app store, not to mention a builtin facebook app that can't be removed by the user. And the price point is around $60. There's no reason for a bare-bones dumbphone to have any of that shit, or for it to cost more than $20.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
drngdds 8y ago
I really like the idea of ditching my smartphone for a dumbphone, but giving up Google Maps would be rough. Knowing the fastest way to get from point A to point B (including public transportation!) is genuinely really useful.
- htor 8y ago
  do it and re-discover the art of getting lost!
  - jriot 8y ago
    And how to navigate a city on your own.
    - ryacko 8y ago
      I grew up in the intermediate period between widespread desktops and finally getting a smartphone. I just wrote down Google Maps directions and the general description of places I needed to turn on a piece of paper.
- supermdguy 8y ago
  The Light Phone 2 comes to mind: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/light-phone-2 https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/light-phone-2. It's not available yet, and I've heard some complaints that it has too many features. But, it aims to be a middle ground between a smart phone and a completely dumb phone.
klez 8y ago
I recently bought one for like 14€. In a supermarket. Calls, SMSs and little more. Are you lamenting the fact that there's no such thing or that it's not more widespread?
- excalibur 8y ago
  The second one. In the US they're a little hard to come by. Sure you can order something online. (There's a whole niche market of tiny dumbphones that don't claim to be made for prisoners, but are designed to be easily smuggled inside body cavities.) But their retail presence here is almost nonexistent. Also, it's much more difficult to find one if you insist on a particular carrier. For example, the popular line of Blu dumbphones (which still have cameras) operate on 2G-only GSM, and don't work with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or Boost (i.e. all of the major providers). You have to use something like StraightTalk or Simple Mobile (i.e. prepaid discount service, similar to Tracfone) to make them go.

Dumb phone -> Talk and text, no camera, no browser, cheap and readily available. Please?

JacobJans 8y ago

Device -> Purpose iPhone -> sell apps & subscriptions Android phone -> sell ads / harvest user information

AzMoo_ 8y ago

The Nokia 3310 is about as close as you'll get I think.

excalibur 8y ago
Bought one. Physically removed the camera. Still has a browser and and app store, not to mention a builtin facebook app that can't be removed by the user. And the price point is around $60. There's no reason for a bare-bones dumbphone to have any of that shit, or for it to cost more than $20.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

drngdds 8y ago

I really like the idea of ditching my smartphone for a dumbphone, but giving up Google Maps would be rough. Knowing the fastest way to get from point A to point B (including public transportation!) is genuinely really useful.

htor 8y ago
do it and re-discover the art of getting lost!
- jriot 8y ago
  And how to navigate a city on your own.
  - ryacko 8y ago
    I grew up in the intermediate period between widespread desktops and finally getting a smartphone. I just wrote down Google Maps directions and the general description of places I needed to turn on a piece of paper.
supermdguy 8y ago
The Light Phone 2 comes to mind: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/light-phone-2 https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/light-phone-2. It's not available yet, and I've heard some complaints that it has too many features. But, it aims to be a middle ground between a smart phone and a completely dumb phone.

klez 8y ago

I recently bought one for like 14€. In a supermarket. Calls, SMSs and little more. Are you lamenting the fact that there's no such thing or that it's not more widespread?

excalibur 8y ago
The second one. In the US they're a little hard to come by. Sure you can order something online. (There's a whole niche market of tiny dumbphones that don't claim to be made for prisoners, but are designed to be easily smuggled inside body cavities.) But their retail presence here is almost nonexistent. Also, it's much more difficult to find one if you insist on a particular carrier. For example, the popular line of Blu dumbphones (which still have cameras) operate on 2G-only GSM, and don't work with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or Boost (i.e. all of the major providers). You have to use something like StraightTalk or Simple Mobile (i.e. prepaid discount service, similar to Tracfone) to make them go.