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Return of the flip phone

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LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1, Interesting)

by Anonymous Coward on 2015-08-05 23:53 (#GJ8Q)

FTA:

> While they may lack features, these retro phones are simple to use,
> have batteries that last the week and are practically indestructible
> compared to their smartphone equivalents.

> The [LG] handset has a 3.2-inch colour touch screen and runs Android
> Lollipop 5.1, a modern 1.1GHz quad-core Snapdragon 2010 processor and
> 1GB of RAM, supports 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS....

So, let me get this straight: retro, flip-phones are desirable because they are simple, easy to use, and have phenomenal battery life yet LG is intentionally building something complex (Android), slow (Android), and power-hungry (Android, 1.1GHz, quad-core Snapdragon, 1GiB of RAM, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS)? It will be interesting to see if customers eschew the new LG phone because it doesn't fit their requirements.

Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1)

by reziac@pipedot.org on 2015-08-06 13:10 (#GM0E)

I had a glassbrick smartphone (Android) and hated it. Now I have a flipphone that cost $12 purchased outright (yes, twelve dollars). It's dumb as a rock (it can't even do call switching, tho it sorta receives texts if they're short enough). Battery life is so-so, about four hours of talk or a couple weeks of disuse. I prefer it because I can carry it in my pocket in the barn and not worry about it getting banged or wet -- won't hurt it a bit, and it was no big investment to start with. And it's FAR easier on both the hand and the ear than the smartphone was.

What I'd really like is a flipphone with a full keyboard, such as used to exist but seem to have vanished in favor of larger screens. Then having the smartphone features would make sense. With the push-3-times keyboard, it's all too much bother to use, at least typing in English. (Since I don't type Japanese I can't speak to that.) And make the whole phone a little larger so it's not so dang hard to hang onto; my pocket isn't so tiny that it has to be the size of a matchbox, and my big paws aren't so fond of tiny objects.

Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2015-08-06 17:46 (#GMXE)

I have a flipphone that cost $12 purchased outright
You can get an Android 4.x+ used-but-working smartphone for $20 off of Amazon. Not a big investment there, either.
I prefer it because I can carry it in my pocket in the barn and not worry about it getting banged or wet -- won't hurt it a bit
A number of smartphones are water resistant. And it's cheap to add a case that'll absorb most any shocks without damage.
And it's FAR easier on both the hand and the ear than the smartphone was.
I find dumb phones don't have the nice noise-canceling that smartphones do. And input a few contacts or type a few text messages, and the smartphone is much easier on the hands.
What I'd really like is a flipphone with a full keyboard, such as used to exist but seem to have vanished
I didn't have any problem finding some on Amazon. And they're still making new (dumb) slider phones:
* http://www.boostmobile.com/shop/phones/kyocera-verve/

Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1)

by reziac@pipedot.org on 2015-08-08 13:01 (#GT8Q)

Thanks for the link. Last time I looked at the kyocera the price was still higher than it's worth to me. $20 is more like it. As to whether it will work with my cheap Verizon pay-as-you-go...?? looks to me like that one is locked to Sprint. Sprint is completely worthless here. (See map: http://www.boostmobile.com/coverage/ that's about right in my experience. I'm near Billings MT.)

I find the smartphones harder to hear on -- has to be positioned perfectly or I can't hear the durn thing at all. Maybe it's the aging ears; younger mileage may vary.

I don't think you realise how much banging around happens if you do physical work outdoors (or in a barn). Where the pockets are is also a commonly-used point of leverage. The phone occasionally gets subjected to being crushed because it just gets in the way. If it's much more breakable than a pocketknife, it WILL get broken. Either that, or it won't be carried at all, and then why bother with it?

If you don't live on the phone, most of its time is spent held in the hand next to the ear, not typing on it. Contacts can be imported rather than retyped.

History

2015-08-08 13:01
Thanks for the link. Last time I looked at the kyocera the price was still higher than it's worth to me. $20 is more like it. As to whether it will work with my cheap Verizon pay-as-you-go...?? looks to me like that one is locked to Sprint. Sprint is completely worthless here.

I find the smartphones harder to hear on -- has to be positioned perfectly or I can't hear the durn thing at all. Maybe it's the aging ears; younger mileage may vary.

I don't think you realise how much banging around happens if you do physical work outdoors (or in a barn). Where the pockets are is also a commonly-used point of leverage. The phone occasionally gets subjected to being crushed because it just gets in the way. If it's much more breakable than a pocketknife, it WILL get broken. Either that, or it won't be carried at all, and then why bother with it?

If you don't live on the phone, most of its time is spent held in the hand next to the ear, not typing on it. Contacts can be imported rather than retyped.
2015-08-08 13:03
Thanks for the link. Last time I looked at the kyocera the price was still higher than it's worth to me. $20 is more like it. As to whether it will work with my cheap Verizon pay-as-you-go...?? looks to me like that one is locked to Sprint. Sprint is completely worthless here. (See map: http://www.boostmobile.com/coverage/ that's about right in my experience. I'm near Billings MT.)

I find the smartphones harder to hear on -- has to be positioned perfectly or I can't hear the durn thing at all. Maybe it's the aging ears; younger mileage may vary.

I don't think you realise how much banging around happens if you do physical work outdoors (or in a barn). Where the pockets are is also a commonly-used point of leverage. The phone occasionally gets subjected to being crushed because it just gets in the way. If it's much more breakable than a pocketknife, it WILL get broken. Either that, or it won't be carried at all, and then why bother with it?

If you don't live on the phone, most of its time is spent held in the hand next to the ear, not typing on it. Contacts can be imported rather than retyped.

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