#featurephones — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #featurephones, aggregated by home.social.
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@hund For specific recommendations:
Sonim XP3+ 5G: KaiOS, rugged A.F., 5G, hotspot, Support: 7 yrs HW / 5 yrs OS, hard keys, USB, removable battery, some apps (including voice recorder and notes), bluetooth, physical SIM, MicroSD to 500 GB. Weeks of standby time. My own 1st choice. T-Mobile and AT&T in the US.
Kyocera DuraXV Extreme+: Sonim's brother from another mother, but no 5G, 16 GB vs. 32 GB storage, 4 GB vs. 8 GB RAM, smaller battery (1700 vs. 3000 mAh). Verizon in the US. I'm pretty sure Kyocera will be updating the device this year (roughly a 2--3 year release cadence), presumably with 5G support and expanded specs, though no annoucements yet.
(Both Sonim and Kyocera make other rugged phones, including candybar / slab Android devices.)
CAT S22 Flip is similar to both but far cheaper at $70 vs. $250 for the others. Runs true Android rather than KaiOS / AOSP. Much shorter battery life.
If you're sold on the flip phone form but not the $250 price, there are other offerings from TCL, AGM, Blu Tank, Vortex, Unnecto, and Plum, all under $100, some < $50.
For premium phone / low distraction, the Light Phone II or III have solid reviews. Both are based on a limited Android rather than AOSP / KaiOS, but seem pretty solid options. Light also makes a flip.
My gripe on the Punkt MP02 is that it's 3G only, which is on its way to being phased out. Oddly, 2G, relied on by emergency services, might actually have a longer life... Reports of SW issues with the Punkt.
There are several e-ink devices (Light Phone being one), with Briones listing a couple from Mudita (Pure and Kompact).
For a full QWERTY physical keyboard: Sidephone, Keyphone, Connecto Snap, and HIT K1.
Max security: Google Pixel running GrapheneOS.
I believe all these devices have Bluetooth and hotspot, though you might want to verify this.
A lot of the options revolve around:
OS: Android, KaiOS, System30+ (Nokia), and a few others.
App support. KaiOS actually does manage quite a few decent utilities (note-takers, voice recorder, podcast, Internet radio, maps, and some texting / VOIP / SIP utilities).
Spam blocking. Pretty much essential on any comms platform today. The best capabilities are offered by your carrier directly, and most don't come near sufficiency. App-based blocking tools are very OS-dependent, and here AOSP/KaiOS lags badly.
Physical characteristics: rugged, headphone jack, USB port, physical SIM, microSD, keyboard (touch / T9 / QWERTY), display (OLED, e-ink, LCD), and repairability / maintainability (usually: replaceable battery), external displays, speakers, battery capacity/life, programmable keys.
Form factor: slab, candybar, flip, and a few sliders.
Network support: 5G, 4G/LTE, 3G. I'd strongly recommend 5G, and wouldn't go less than 4G presently.
Hackability / extensibility.
Vendor support. Both HW and SW/OS.
Price. Factor in phone lifetime. Some of the rugged devices should last 2--4x longer than other options, though at a cost.
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@hund For specific recommendations:
Sonim XP3+ 5G: KaiOS, rugged A.F., 5G, hotspot, Support: 7 yrs HW / 5 yrs OS, hard keys, USB, removable battery, some apps (including voice recorder and notes), bluetooth, physical SIM, MicroSD to 500 GB. Weeks of standby time. My own 1st choice. T-Mobile and AT&T in the US.
Kyocera DuraXV Extreme+: Sonim's brother from another mother, but no 5G, 16 GB vs. 32 GB storage, 4 GB vs. 8 GB RAM, smaller battery (1700 vs. 3000 mAh). Verizon in the US. I'm pretty sure Kyocera will be updating the device this year (roughly a 2--3 year release cadence), presumably with 5G support and expanded specs, though no annoucements yet.
(Both Sonim and Kyocera make other rugged phones, including candybar / slab Android devices.)
CAT S22 Flip is similar to both but far cheaper at $70 vs. $250 for the others. Runs true Android rather than KaiOS / AOSP. Much shorter battery life.
If you're sold on the flip phone form but not the $250 price, there are other offerings from TCL, AGM, Blu Tank, Vortex, Unnecto, and Plum, all under $100, some < $50.
For premium phone / low distraction, the Light Phone II or III have solid reviews. Both are based on a limited Android rather than AOSP / KaiOS, but seem pretty solid options. Light also makes a flip.
My gripe on the Punkt MP02 is that it's 3G only, which is on its way to being phased out. Oddly, 2G, relied on by emergency services, might actually have a longer life... Reports of SW issues with the Punkt.
There are several e-ink devices (Light Phone being one), with Briones listing a couple from Mudita (Pure and Kompact).
For a full QWERTY physical keyboard: Sidephone, Keyphone, Connecto Snap, and HIT K1.
Max security: Google Pixel running GrapheneOS.
I believe all these devices have Bluetooth and hotspot, though you might want to verify this.
A lot of the options revolve around:
OS: Android, KaiOS, System30+ (Nokia), and a few others.
App support. KaiOS actually does manage quite a few decent utilities (note-takers, voice recorder, podcast, Internet radio, maps, and some texting / VOIP / SIP utilities).
Spam blocking. Pretty much essential on any comms platform today. The best capabilities are offered by your carrier directly, and most don't come near sufficiency. App-based blocking tools are very OS-dependent, and here AOSP/KaiOS lags badly.
Physical characteristics: rugged, headphone jack, USB port, physical SIM, microSD, keyboard (touch / T9 / QWERTY), display (OLED, e-ink, LCD), and repairability / maintainability (usually: replaceable battery), external displays, speakers, battery capacity/life, programmable keys.
Form factor: slab, candybar, flip, and a few sliders.
Network support: 5G, 4G/LTE, 3G. I'd strongly recommend 5G, and wouldn't go less than 4G presently.
Hackability / extensibility.
Vendor support. Both HW and SW/OS.
Price. Factor in phone lifetime. Some of the rugged devices should last 2--4x longer than other options, though at a cost.
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@hund For specific recommendations:
Sonim XP3+ 5G: KaiOS, rugged A.F., 5G, hotspot, Support: 7 yrs HW / 5 yrs OS, hard keys, USB, removable battery, some apps (including voice recorder and notes), bluetooth, physical SIM, MicroSD to 500 GB. Weeks of standby time. My own 1st choice. T-Mobile and AT&T in the US.
Kyocera DuraXV Extreme+: Sonim's brother from another mother, but no 5G, 16 GB vs. 32 GB storage, 4 GB vs. 8 GB RAM, smaller battery (1700 vs. 3000 mAh). Verizon in the US. I'm pretty sure Kyocera will be updating the device this year (roughly a 2--3 year release cadence), presumably with 5G support and expanded specs, though no annoucements yet.
(Both Sonim and Kyocera make other rugged phones, including candybar / slab Android devices.)
CAT S22 Flip is similar to both but far cheaper at $70 vs. $250 for the others. Runs true Android rather than KaiOS / AOSP. Much shorter battery life.
If you're sold on the flip phone form but not the $250 price, there are other offerings from TCL, AGM, Blu Tank, Vortex, Unnecto, and Plum, all under $100, some < $50.
For premium phone / low distraction, the Light Phone II or III have solid reviews. Both are based on a limited Android rather than AOSP / KaiOS, but seem pretty solid options. Light also makes a flip.
My gripe on the Punkt MP02 is that it's 3G only, which is on its way to being phased out. Oddly, 2G, relied on by emergency services, might actually have a longer life... Reports of SW issues with the Punkt.
There are several e-ink devices (Light Phone being one), with Briones listing a couple from Mudita (Pure and Kompact).
For a full QWERTY physical keyboard: Sidephone, Keyphone, Connecto Snap, and HIT K1.
Max security: Google Pixel running GrapheneOS.
I believe all these devices have Bluetooth and hotspot, though you might want to verify this.
A lot of the options revolve around:
OS: Android, KaiOS, System30+ (Nokia), and a few others.
App support. KaiOS actually does manage quite a few decent utilities (note-takers, voice recorder, podcast, Internet radio, maps, and some texting / VOIP / SIP utilities).
Spam blocking. Pretty much essential on any comms platform today. The best capabilities are offered by your carrier directly, and most don't come near sufficiency. App-based blocking tools are very OS-dependent, and here AOSP/KaiOS lags badly.
Physical characteristics: rugged, headphone jack, USB port, physical SIM, microSD, keyboard (touch / T9 / QWERTY), display (OLED, e-ink, LCD), and repairability / maintainability (usually: replaceable battery), external displays, speakers, battery capacity/life, programmable keys.
Form factor: slab, candybar, flip, and a few sliders.
Network support: 5G, 4G/LTE, 3G. I'd strongly recommend 5G, and wouldn't go less than 4G presently.
Hackability / extensibility.
Vendor support. Both HW and SW/OS.
Price. Factor in phone lifetime. Some of the rugged devices should last 2--4x longer than other options, though at a cost.
-
@hund For specific recommendations:
Sonim XP3+ 5G: KaiOS, rugged A.F., 5G, hotspot, Support: 7 yrs HW / 5 yrs OS, hard keys, USB, removable battery, some apps (including voice recorder and notes), bluetooth, physical SIM, MicroSD to 500 GB. Weeks of standby time. My own 1st choice. T-Mobile and AT&T in the US.
Kyocera DuraXV Extreme+: Sonim's brother from another mother, but no 5G, 16 GB vs. 32 GB storage, 4 GB vs. 8 GB RAM, smaller battery (1700 vs. 3000 mAh). Verizon in the US. I'm pretty sure Kyocera will be updating the device this year (roughly a 2--3 year release cadence), presumably with 5G support and expanded specs, though no annoucements yet.
(Both Sonim and Kyocera make other rugged phones, including candybar / slab Android devices.)
CAT S22 Flip is similar to both but far cheaper at $70 vs. $250 for the others. Runs true Android rather than KaiOS / AOSP. Much shorter battery life.
If you're sold on the flip phone form but not the $250 price, there are other offerings from TCL, AGM, Blu Tank, Vortex, Unnecto, and Plum, all under $100, some < $50.
For premium phone / low distraction, the Light Phone II or III have solid reviews. Both are based on a limited Android rather than AOSP / KaiOS, but seem pretty solid options. Light also makes a flip.
My gripe on the Punkt MP02 is that it's 3G only, which is on its way to being phased out. Oddly, 2G, relied on by emergency services, might actually have a longer life... Reports of SW issues with the Punkt.
There are several e-ink devices (Light Phone being one), with Briones listing a couple from Mudita (Pure and Kompact).
For a full QWERTY physical keyboard: Sidephone, Keyphone, Connecto Snap, and HIT K1.
Max security: Google Pixel running GrapheneOS.
I believe all these devices have Bluetooth and hotspot, though you might want to verify this.
A lot of the options revolve around:
OS: Android, KaiOS, System30+ (Nokia), and a few others.
App support. KaiOS actually does manage quite a few decent utilities (note-takers, voice recorder, podcast, Internet radio, maps, and some texting / VOIP / SIP utilities).
Spam blocking. Pretty much essential on any comms platform today. The best capabilities are offered by your carrier directly, and most don't come near sufficiency. App-based blocking tools are very OS-dependent, and here AOSP/KaiOS lags badly.
Physical characteristics: rugged, headphone jack, USB port, physical SIM, microSD, keyboard (touch / T9 / QWERTY), display (OLED, e-ink, LCD), and repairability / maintainability (usually: replaceable battery), external displays, speakers, battery capacity/life, programmable keys.
Form factor: slab, candybar, flip, and a few sliders.
Network support: 5G, 4G/LTE, 3G. I'd strongly recommend 5G, and wouldn't go less than 4G presently.
Hackability / extensibility.
Vendor support. Both HW and SW/OS.
Price. Factor in phone lifetime. Some of the rugged devices should last 2--4x longer than other options, though at a cost.
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@hund Jose Briones's Dumbphone Finder is a pretty good search / winnowing tool:
https://josebriones.org/dumbphone-finder[
Briones also tries and reviews a bunch of phones on YouTube (as do numerous others).
I'd suggest a few additional considerations / search constraints:
Budget. What do you want to spend?
What carrier(s) are you considering? What phones work with them?
Many features of a phone are effectively those of the underlying OS. "Dumbphones" range from custom Android reskinnings (e.g., Light Phone II/III) to AOSP (usually KaiOS), to System30+ (Nokia), to ... a few others.
Consider a second device for apps. I'm a fan of e-ink tablets, most of which offer handwritten note-taking. Onyx BOOX, Remarkable, Kobo Reader, and others.
Look at vendor support policies. I pretty much locked in my preferred device when I found that the OS is supported for 5 years from last sale date, and hardware (batteries and a few other items) for fully 7 years.
Protocol support. There were two very-nearly identical devices, but one offers 5G, the other only 3G. For the phone itself that's not a huge issue, but as a hotspot, 5G wins bigly.
There's more app support than you might think, but it's mostly utilities. My view is to keep the phone as limited as possible and offload other tasks to a small laptop, or dedicated capture devices (audio, camera, etc.).
-
@hund Jose Briones's Dumbphone Finder is a pretty good search / winnowing tool:
https://josebriones.org/dumbphone-finder[
Briones also tries and reviews a bunch of phones on YouTube (as do numerous others).
I'd suggest a few additional considerations / search constraints:
Budget. What do you want to spend?
What carrier(s) are you considering? What phones work with them?
Many features of a phone are effectively those of the underlying OS. "Dumbphones" range from custom Android reskinnings (e.g., Light Phone II/III) to AOSP (usually KaiOS), to System30+ (Nokia), to ... a few others.
Consider a second device for apps. I'm a fan of e-ink tablets, most of which offer handwritten note-taking. Onyx BOOX, Remarkable, Kobo Reader, and others.
Look at vendor support policies. I pretty much locked in my preferred device when I found that the OS is supported for 5 years from last sale date, and hardware (batteries and a few other items) for fully 7 years.
Protocol support. There were two very-nearly identical devices, but one offers 5G, the other only 3G. For the phone itself that's not a huge issue, but as a hotspot, 5G wins bigly.
There's more app support than you might think, but it's mostly utilities. My view is to keep the phone as limited as possible and offload other tasks to a small laptop, or dedicated capture devices (audio, camera, etc.).
-
@hund Jose Briones's Dumbphone Finder is a pretty good search / winnowing tool:
https://josebriones.org/dumbphone-finder[
Briones also tries and reviews a bunch of phones on YouTube (as do numerous others).
I'd suggest a few additional considerations / search constraints:
Budget. What do you want to spend?
What carrier(s) are you considering? What phones work with them?
Many features of a phone are effectively those of the underlying OS. "Dumbphones" range from custom Android reskinnings (e.g., Light Phone II/III) to AOSP (usually KaiOS), to System30+ (Nokia), to ... a few others.
Consider a second device for apps. I'm a fan of e-ink tablets, most of which offer handwritten note-taking. Onyx BOOX, Remarkable, Kobo Reader, and others.
Look at vendor support policies. I pretty much locked in my preferred device when I found that the OS is supported for 5 years from last sale date, and hardware (batteries and a few other items) for fully 7 years.
Protocol support. There were two very-nearly identical devices, but one offers 5G, the other only 3G. For the phone itself that's not a huge issue, but as a hotspot, 5G wins bigly.
There's more app support than you might think, but it's mostly utilities. My view is to keep the phone as limited as possible and offload other tasks to a small laptop, or dedicated capture devices (audio, camera, etc.).
-
@hund Jose Briones's Dumbphone Finder is a pretty good search / winnowing tool:
https://josebriones.org/dumbphone-finder[
Briones also tries and reviews a bunch of phones on YouTube (as do numerous others).
I'd suggest a few additional considerations / search constraints:
Budget. What do you want to spend?
What carrier(s) are you considering? What phones work with them?
Many features of a phone are effectively those of the underlying OS. "Dumbphones" range from custom Android reskinnings (e.g., Light Phone II/III) to AOSP (usually KaiOS), to System30+ (Nokia), to ... a few others.
Consider a second device for apps. I'm a fan of e-ink tablets, most of which offer handwritten note-taking. Onyx BOOX, Remarkable, Kobo Reader, and others.
Look at vendor support policies. I pretty much locked in my preferred device when I found that the OS is supported for 5 years from last sale date, and hardware (batteries and a few other items) for fully 7 years.
Protocol support. There were two very-nearly identical devices, but one offers 5G, the other only 3G. For the phone itself that's not a huge issue, but as a hotspot, 5G wins bigly.
There's more app support than you might think, but it's mostly utilities. My view is to keep the phone as limited as possible and offload other tasks to a small laptop, or dedicated capture devices (audio, camera, etc.).
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I'm considering a featurephone. Any recommendations? My only requirements would be:
- Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Some way of taking notes (in case I don't have access to my paper notes)
- USB-C
- Buttons. No touch-screen display.
Not required, but nice to have:
- Bluetooth
- T9 with word predictions.
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@alcinnz For more substantive comms, including possibly voice comms, I'd look at:
A small-form-factor laptop. Framework's 12" is quite appealing, and costs roughly the same as a flagship smartphone with far more capability. Someone pointed out an even smaller device recently though I don't recall what it was. You'd run full-powered chat, email, social, etc., on that, without all the tracking of a smartphone.
A SIP phone. Paired with a hotspot (or hotspot-capable device) you could route your voice traffic over that from anywhere. Your hotspot is a low-data / low-risk device, used when necessary (you can leach off any 3rd-party WiFi), and cycled when needed. I'm still looking into how viable this might be.
Question ultimately is: what's your goal / use-case?
3/3
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@alcinnz For more substantive comms, including possibly voice comms, I'd look at:
A small-form-factor laptop. Framework's 12" is quite appealing, and costs roughly the same as a flagship smartphone with far more capability. Someone pointed out an even smaller device recently though I don't recall what it was. You'd run full-powered chat, email, social, etc., on that, without all the tracking of a smartphone.
A SIP phone. Paired with a hotspot (or hotspot-capable device) you could route your voice traffic over that from anywhere. Your hotspot is a low-data / low-risk device, used when necessary (you can leach off any 3rd-party WiFi), and cycled when needed. I'm still looking into how viable this might be.
Question ultimately is: what's your goal / use-case?
3/3
-
@alcinnz For more substantive comms, including possibly voice comms, I'd look at:
A small-form-factor laptop. Framework's 12" is quite appealing, and costs roughly the same as a flagship smartphone with far more capability. Someone pointed out an even smaller device recently though I don't recall what it was. You'd run full-powered chat, email, social, etc., on that, without all the tracking of a smartphone.
A SIP phone. Paired with a hotspot (or hotspot-capable device) you could route your voice traffic over that from anywhere. Your hotspot is a low-data / low-risk device, used when necessary (you can leach off any 3rd-party WiFi), and cycled when needed. I'm still looking into how viable this might be.
Question ultimately is: what's your goal / use-case?
3/3
-
@alcinnz For more substantive comms, including possibly voice comms, I'd look at:
A small-form-factor laptop. Framework's 12" is quite appealing, and costs roughly the same as a flagship smartphone with far more capability. Someone pointed out an even smaller device recently though I don't recall what it was. You'd run full-powered chat, email, social, etc., on that, without all the tracking of a smartphone.
A SIP phone. Paired with a hotspot (or hotspot-capable device) you could route your voice traffic over that from anywhere. Your hotspot is a low-data / low-risk device, used when necessary (you can leach off any 3rd-party WiFi), and cycled when needed. I'm still looking into how viable this might be.
Question ultimately is: what's your goal / use-case?
3/3
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@alcinnz I've got Some Thoughts on this topic:
Actually keeping a mobile-network-based phone private is probably an impossible task. You're going to be disclosed by location, by others' inclusion of your number in their (of course: shared) contacts, probably by your billing data, and more. The device will have a known ownership.
Keeping the device secure is also challenging, though more possible if you choose a secure option. Which is probably GrapheneOS (or, possibly, one of the other de-Googled Android forks).
Treating the device as compromised-by-default, and simply seeking to keep its data value to an attacker minimised may be a better option. This is where a KaiOS / S30+ feature phone might come in. These support some basic apps (general utilities, minimal web browser, music, podcasts, Internet radio, etc.), but generally aren't supported by Social, Commerce, Banking, and related apps.
I'd really like a "wipe/restore" capability where it's possible to nuke all on-device state and then restore it, when going through a high-risk environment (border crossings, protests, etc.). I don't think that KaiOS supports this, GrapheneOS may.
There's a pretty good Dumphones community, Jose Briones runs a website and YouTube channel, as well as being a mod on /r/dumbphones (one of my very few reasons for reading Reddit at all these days, though I still won't log in).
2/x
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@alcinnz I've got Some Thoughts on this topic:
Actually keeping a mobile-network-based phone private is probably an impossible task. You're going to be disclosed by location, by others' inclusion of your number in their (of course: shared) contacts, probably by your billing data, and more. The device will have a known ownership.
Keeping the device secure is also challenging, though more possible if you choose a secure option. Which is probably GrapheneOS (or, possibly, one of the other de-Googled Android forks).
Treating the device as compromised-by-default, and simply seeking to keep its data value to an attacker minimised may be a better option. This is where a KaiOS / S30+ feature phone might come in. These support some basic apps (general utilities, minimal web browser, music, podcasts, Internet radio, etc.), but generally aren't supported by Social, Commerce, Banking, and related apps.
I'd really like a "wipe/restore" capability where it's possible to nuke all on-device state and then restore it, when going through a high-risk environment (border crossings, protests, etc.). I don't think that KaiOS supports this, GrapheneOS may.
There's a pretty good Dumphones community, Jose Briones runs a website and YouTube channel, as well as being a mod on /r/dumbphones (one of my very few reasons for reading Reddit at all these days, though I still won't log in).
2/x
-
@alcinnz I've got Some Thoughts on this topic:
Actually keeping a mobile-network-based phone private is probably an impossible task. You're going to be disclosed by location, by others' inclusion of your number in their (of course: shared) contacts, probably by your billing data, and more. The device will have a known ownership.
Keeping the device secure is also challenging, though more possible if you choose a secure option. Which is probably GrapheneOS (or, possibly, one of the other de-Googled Android forks).
Treating the device as compromised-by-default, and simply seeking to keep its data value to an attacker minimised may be a better option. This is where a KaiOS / S30+ feature phone might come in. These support some basic apps (general utilities, minimal web browser, music, podcasts, Internet radio, etc.), but generally aren't supported by Social, Commerce, Banking, and related apps.
I'd really like a "wipe/restore" capability where it's possible to nuke all on-device state and then restore it, when going through a high-risk environment (border crossings, protests, etc.). I don't think that KaiOS supports this, GrapheneOS may.
There's a pretty good Dumphones community, Jose Briones runs a website and YouTube channel, as well as being a mod on /r/dumbphones (one of my very few reasons for reading Reddit at all these days, though I still won't log in).
2/x
-
@alcinnz I've got Some Thoughts on this topic:
Actually keeping a mobile-network-based phone private is probably an impossible task. You're going to be disclosed by location, by others' inclusion of your number in their (of course: shared) contacts, probably by your billing data, and more. The device will have a known ownership.
Keeping the device secure is also challenging, though more possible if you choose a secure option. Which is probably GrapheneOS (or, possibly, one of the other de-Googled Android forks).
Treating the device as compromised-by-default, and simply seeking to keep its data value to an attacker minimised may be a better option. This is where a KaiOS / S30+ feature phone might come in. These support some basic apps (general utilities, minimal web browser, music, podcasts, Internet radio, etc.), but generally aren't supported by Social, Commerce, Banking, and related apps.
I'd really like a "wipe/restore" capability where it's possible to nuke all on-device state and then restore it, when going through a high-risk environment (border crossings, protests, etc.). I don't think that KaiOS supports this, GrapheneOS may.
There's a pretty good Dumphones community, Jose Briones runs a website and YouTube channel, as well as being a mod on /r/dumbphones (one of my very few reasons for reading Reddit at all these days, though I still won't log in).
2/x
-
@alcinnz Are you familiar with KaiOS by any chance?
That seems to be the leading non-smart OS, it's based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project).
There's also Nokia's S30+ (System30+), and a small set of others (see: https://www.dignited.com/107115/from-nokia-to-samsung-here-are-the-unique-operating-systems-of-feature-phones/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feature_phone#Platforms).
Otherwise, many of the leading minimal phones (Light Phone, Punkt) actually run Android or AOSP.
You might consider starting from a base such as GrapheneOS.
-
@alcinnz Are you familiar with KaiOS by any chance?
That seems to be the leading non-smart OS, it's based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project).
There's also Nokia's S30+ (System30+), and a small set of others (see: https://www.dignited.com/107115/from-nokia-to-samsung-here-are-the-unique-operating-systems-of-feature-phones/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feature_phone#Platforms).
Otherwise, many of the leading minimal phones (Light Phone, Punkt) actually run Android or AOSP.
You might consider starting from a base such as GrapheneOS.
-
@alcinnz Are you familiar with KaiOS by any chance?
That seems to be the leading non-smart OS, it's based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project).
There's also Nokia's S30+ (System30+), and a small set of others (see: https://www.dignited.com/107115/from-nokia-to-samsung-here-are-the-unique-operating-systems-of-feature-phones/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feature_phone#Platforms).
Otherwise, many of the leading minimal phones (Light Phone, Punkt) actually run Android or AOSP.
You might consider starting from a base such as GrapheneOS.
-
@alcinnz Are you familiar with KaiOS by any chance?
That seems to be the leading non-smart OS, it's based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project).
There's also Nokia's S30+ (System30+), and a small set of others (see: https://www.dignited.com/107115/from-nokia-to-samsung-here-are-the-unique-operating-systems-of-feature-phones/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feature_phone#Platforms).
Otherwise, many of the leading minimal phones (Light Phone, Punkt) actually run Android or AOSP.
You might consider starting from a base such as GrapheneOS.
-
https://www.europesays.com/ie/583532/ How Nokia’s Feature Phones Lost to the Smartphone Era #ConsumerTechnology #Éire #FeaturePhones #IE #iPhone #Ireland #Mobile #Nokia #TechHistory #Technology
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CW: Ranting about Slopdroid on feature phones
What's the point of feature phones when so many of the recommended ones run Slopdroid? At some point they just become smartphones with a small screen and T9 keyboard.
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CW: Ranting about Slopdroid on feature phones
What's the point of feature phones when so many of the recommended ones run Slopdroid? At some point they just become smartphones with a small screen and T9 keyboard.
-
CW: Ranting about Slopdroid on feature phones
What's the point of feature phones when so many of the recommended ones run Slopdroid? At some point they just become smartphones with a small screen and T9 keyboard.
-
CW: Ranting about Slopdroid on feature phones
What's the point of feature phones when so many of the recommended ones run Slopdroid? At some point they just become smartphones with a small screen and T9 keyboard.
-
Wild, my Nokia 105 got a firmware update. :tiktok_laugh:
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Wild, my Nokia 105 got a firmware update. :tiktok_laugh:
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Wild, my Nokia 105 got a firmware update. :tiktok_laugh:
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Wild, my Nokia 105 got a firmware update. :tiktok_laugh:
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Does the term "dumbphone" imply that its users are dumb?
#dumbphones #featurephones #smartphones #phones #discrimination #insults #dumb #derogatory -
Does the term "dumbphone" imply that its users are dumb?
#dumbphones #featurephones #smartphones #phones #discrimination #insults #dumb #derogatory -
Does the term "dumbphone" imply that its users are dumb?
#dumbphones #featurephones #smartphones #phones #discrimination #insults #dumb #derogatory -
@neil No, but this is something I've been actively researching for ... an embarrassingly long time (months) ... with low satisfaction. But as this is on my current to-do list, this toot doesn't count as procrastination 😺
I have a perfectly serviceable early-2000s flip phone which I'd love to reactivate ... but it won't talk to any current-generation mobile cellular networks.
I've looked at current low-feature phones, with interest in the Light Phone and Punkt MP02. Both ... have drawbacks, though I'll likely end up with one or the other.
The MP02 lacks comprehensive protocol coverage, and hence is limited to a subset of local mobile providers, unfortunately the ones I'd most prefer not giving my business. (I'd prefer not giving any of them my business, but that seems unlikely).
The MP02 does offer integrated Signal messaging, which is a strong plus.
The Light Phone is spendy but is also compatible with more carriers, which ... will probably win me. There are a couple of revs on the initial design, though I'd favour e-ink (original) over OLED (LPIII).
What both the MP02 and LP offer is tethering, which means your phone becomes your no-WiFi backup for Internet access, enabling you to use a more-featured, non-telco device for comms.
Which suggests another path:
- Dumbphone for critical on-the-road comms, as needed.
- Dumphone as cellular modem.
- Small-form-factor PC/laptop as primary comms device.
Palmtop PCs (e.g., the Psion 3) are no longer of this world, which is a shame. But smaller laptops, e.g., Framework's 12" (8.45 x 287.00 x 213.88mm, 1.3 kg), are effectively a far-more-capable larger tablet (I've been carrying a 13.3" Onyx BOOX for the past four years), without all the handicapping and crappification of Android. With a Bluetooth earpiece that becomes its own vox comms device, and you have full access to any other comms protocol through your Linux distro of choice, with a full keyboard. The Framework 12 is convertible (360° hinge) with stylus support. It doesn't have an e-ink screen module (yet?), but ... I can live with that. For anything other than on-the-run use, it's likely superior to any smartphone or tablet.
The other issue is vox comms management. I'd prefer not being directly on the PSTN network, so what I'd really like is that my "phone" accepts (and mostly makes) calls to only one other point: a VOIP relay which intercepts all incoming calls and redirects outgoing. Incoming traffic is then limited to only those numbers I allow, or which pass some screening mechanism. And my mobile telco provider gets a Very Boring profile of whom it is I'm in contact with. Whether or not this ideal VOIP service / capability exists I'm not sure, but that's what I'm looking into.
And yes, it would be possible to ditch the phone entirely for a pure-play modem, though the ability to make calls directly in an emergency has its arguments.
-
@neil No, but this is something I've been actively researching for ... an embarrassingly long time (months) ... with low satisfaction. But as this is on my current to-do list, this toot doesn't count as procrastination 😺
I have a perfectly serviceable early-2000s flip phone which I'd love to reactivate ... but it won't talk to any current-generation mobile cellular networks.
I've looked at current low-feature phones, with interest in the Light Phone and Punkt MP02. Both ... have drawbacks, though I'll likely end up with one or the other.
The MP02 lacks comprehensive protocol coverage, and hence is limited to a subset of local mobile providers, unfortunately the ones I'd most prefer not giving my business. (I'd prefer not giving any of them my business, but that seems unlikely).
The MP02 does offer integrated Signal messaging, which is a strong plus.
The Light Phone is spendy but is also compatible with more carriers, which ... will probably win me. There are a couple of revs on the initial design, though I'd favour e-ink (original) over OLED (LPIII).
What both the MP02 and LP offer is tethering, which means your phone becomes your no-WiFi backup for Internet access, enabling you to use a more-featured, non-telco device for comms.
Which suggests another path:
- Dumbphone for critical on-the-road comms, as needed.
- Dumphone as cellular modem.
- Small-form-factor PC/laptop as primary comms device.
Palmtop PCs (e.g., the Psion 3) are no longer of this world, which is a shame. But smaller laptops, e.g., Framework's 12" (8.45 x 287.00 x 213.88mm, 1.3 kg), are effectively a far-more-capable larger tablet (I've been carrying a 13.3" Onyx BOOX for the past four years), without all the handicapping and crappification of Android. With a Bluetooth earpiece that becomes its own vox comms device, and you have full access to any other comms protocol through your Linux distro of choice, with a full keyboard. The Framework 12 is convertible (360° hinge) with stylus support. It doesn't have an e-ink screen module (yet?), but ... I can live with that. For anything other than on-the-run use, it's likely superior to any smartphone or tablet.
The other issue is vox comms management. I'd prefer not being directly on the PSTN network, so what I'd really like is that my "phone" accepts (and mostly makes) calls to only one other point: a VOIP relay which intercepts all incoming calls and redirects outgoing. Incoming traffic is then limited to only those numbers I allow, or which pass some screening mechanism. And my mobile telco provider gets a Very Boring profile of whom it is I'm in contact with. Whether or not this ideal VOIP service / capability exists I'm not sure, but that's what I'm looking into.
And yes, it would be possible to ditch the phone entirely for a pure-play modem, though the ability to make calls directly in an emergency has its arguments.
-
@neil No, but this is something I've been actively researching for ... an embarrassingly long time (months) ... with low satisfaction. But as this is on my current to-do list, this toot doesn't count as procrastination 😺
I have a perfectly serviceable early-2000s flip phone which I'd love to reactivate ... but it won't talk to any current-generation mobile cellular networks.
I've looked at current low-feature phones, with interest in the Light Phone and Punkt MP02. Both ... have drawbacks, though I'll likely end up with one or the other.
The MP02 lacks comprehensive protocol coverage, and hence is limited to a subset of local mobile providers, unfortunately the ones I'd most prefer not giving my business. (I'd prefer not giving any of them my business, but that seems unlikely).
The MP02 does offer integrated Signal messaging, which is a strong plus.
The Light Phone is spendy but is also compatible with more carriers, which ... will probably win me. There are a couple of revs on the initial design, though I'd favour e-ink (original) over OLED (LPIII).
What both the MP02 and LP offer is tethering, which means your phone becomes your no-WiFi backup for Internet access, enabling you to use a more-featured, non-telco device for comms.
Which suggests another path:
- Dumbphone for critical on-the-road comms, as needed.
- Dumphone as cellular modem.
- Small-form-factor PC/laptop as primary comms device.
Palmtop PCs (e.g., the Psion 3) are no longer of this world, which is a shame. But smaller laptops, e.g., Framework's 12" (8.45 x 287.00 x 213.88mm, 1.3 kg), are effectively a far-more-capable larger tablet (I've been carrying a 13.3" Onyx BOOX for the past four years), without all the handicapping and crappification of Android. With a Bluetooth earpiece that becomes its own vox comms device, and you have full access to any other comms protocol through your Linux distro of choice, with a full keyboard. The Framework 12 is convertible (360° hinge) with stylus support. It doesn't have an e-ink screen module (yet?), but ... I can live with that. For anything other than on-the-run use, it's likely superior to any smartphone or tablet.
The other issue is vox comms management. I'd prefer not being directly on the PSTN network, so what I'd really like is that my "phone" accepts (and mostly makes) calls to only one other point: a VOIP relay which intercepts all incoming calls and redirects outgoing. Incoming traffic is then limited to only those numbers I allow, or which pass some screening mechanism. And my mobile telco provider gets a Very Boring profile of whom it is I'm in contact with. Whether or not this ideal VOIP service / capability exists I'm not sure, but that's what I'm looking into.
And yes, it would be possible to ditch the phone entirely for a pure-play modem, though the ability to make calls directly in an emergency has its arguments.
-
@neil No, but this is something I've been actively researching for ... an embarrassingly long time (months) ... with low satisfaction. But as this is on my current to-do list, this toot doesn't count as procrastination 😺
I have a perfectly serviceable early-2000s flip phone which I'd love to reactivate ... but it won't talk to any current-generation mobile cellular networks.
I've looked at current low-feature phones, with interest in the Light Phone and Punkt MP02. Both ... have drawbacks, though I'll likely end up with one or the other.
The MP02 lacks comprehensive protocol coverage, and hence is limited to a subset of local mobile providers, unfortunately the ones I'd most prefer not giving my business. (I'd prefer not giving any of them my business, but that seems unlikely).
The MP02 does offer integrated Signal messaging, which is a strong plus.
The Light Phone is spendy but is also compatible with more carriers, which ... will probably win me. There are a couple of revs on the initial design, though I'd favour e-ink (original) over OLED (LPIII).
What both the MP02 and LP offer is tethering, which means your phone becomes your no-WiFi backup for Internet access, enabling you to use a more-featured, non-telco device for comms.
Which suggests another path:
- Dumbphone for critical on-the-road comms, as needed.
- Dumphone as cellular modem.
- Small-form-factor PC/laptop as primary comms device.
Palmtop PCs (e.g., the Psion 3) are no longer of this world, which is a shame. But smaller laptops, e.g., Framework's 12" (8.45 x 287.00 x 213.88mm, 1.3 kg), are effectively a far-more-capable larger tablet (I've been carrying a 13.3" Onyx BOOX for the past four years), without all the handicapping and crappification of Android. With a Bluetooth earpiece that becomes its own vox comms device, and you have full access to any other comms protocol through your Linux distro of choice, with a full keyboard. The Framework 12 is convertible (360° hinge) with stylus support. It doesn't have an e-ink screen module (yet?), but ... I can live with that. For anything other than on-the-run use, it's likely superior to any smartphone or tablet.
The other issue is vox comms management. I'd prefer not being directly on the PSTN network, so what I'd really like is that my "phone" accepts (and mostly makes) calls to only one other point: a VOIP relay which intercepts all incoming calls and redirects outgoing. Incoming traffic is then limited to only those numbers I allow, or which pass some screening mechanism. And my mobile telco provider gets a Very Boring profile of whom it is I'm in contact with. Whether or not this ideal VOIP service / capability exists I'm not sure, but that's what I'm looking into.
And yes, it would be possible to ditch the phone entirely for a pure-play modem, though the ability to make calls directly in an emergency has its arguments.
-
‘The Forgotten Art Of Developing Web Apps For #FeaturePhones.’
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/07/tiny-screens-big-impact-developing-web-apps-feature-phones/
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#Development #Guidelines
Tiny screens, big impact · The forgotten art of developing for feature phones https://ilo.im/165fja_____
#Mobile #FeaturePhones #Usability #Accessibility #Website #Design #WebDesign #Browser #WebDev #Frontend -
#Development #Guidelines
Tiny screens, big impact · The forgotten art of developing for feature phones https://ilo.im/165fja_____
#Mobile #FeaturePhones #Usability #Accessibility #Website #Design #WebDesign #Browser #WebDev #Frontend -
#Development #Guidelines
Tiny screens, big impact · The forgotten art of developing for feature phones https://ilo.im/165fja_____
#Mobile #FeaturePhones #Usability #Accessibility #Website #Design #WebDesign #Browser #WebDev #Frontend -
HMD 130 Music Now Available In Malaysia At RM139 #130music #featurephone #featurephones #hmd #mobilephones
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HMD 130 Music Now Available In Malaysia At RM139 #130music #featurephone #featurephones #hmd #mobilephones
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HMD 130 Music Now Available In Malaysia At RM139 #130music #featurephone #featurephones #hmd #mobilephones
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HMD 130 Music Now Available In Malaysia At RM139 #130music #featurephone #featurephones #hmd #mobilephones
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HMD's got two new phones in the Australian market -- and they're both highly affordable, though that does bring some compromises with it. Here's my early thoughts on the HMD Key and HMD 110:
#HMD #Android #Smartphones #FeaturePhones #Australia
https://alexreviewstech.com/hmd-goes-low-priced-with-hmd-key-and-hmd-110-in-australia/ -
HMD's got two new phones in the Australian market -- and they're both highly affordable, though that does bring some compromises with it. Here's my early thoughts on the HMD Key and HMD 110:
#HMD #Android #Smartphones #FeaturePhones #Australia
https://alexreviewstech.com/hmd-goes-low-priced-with-hmd-key-and-hmd-110-in-australia/ -
HMD's got two new phones in the Australian market -- and they're both highly affordable, though that does bring some compromises with it. Here's my early thoughts on the HMD Key and HMD 110:
#HMD #Android #Smartphones #FeaturePhones #Australia
https://alexreviewstech.com/hmd-goes-low-priced-with-hmd-key-and-hmd-110-in-australia/ -
HMD's got two new phones in the Australian market -- and they're both highly affordable, though that does bring some compromises with it. Here's my early thoughts on the HMD Key and HMD 110:
#HMD #Android #Smartphones #FeaturePhones #Australia
https://alexreviewstech.com/hmd-goes-low-priced-with-hmd-key-and-hmd-110-in-australia/ -
#KaiOS 4.0 expected to be released this year! ✨️
https://kaios.dev/2024/12/whats-coming-in-kaios-4.0/
Expected features include:
:firefox: #Gecko 123 engine (released Feb 2024)
:android: #Android 14 base
📶️ 5G support
🛠️ Same APIs as KaiOS 3.0
🍪️ Better #cookie sandboxing
📋️ Maybe copy-paste functionality!
🌏️ First out in #India and the #USA (a good sign, as KaiOS 3 devices were only available in the USA till recently and hard to develop for at that) -
#KaiOS 4.0 expected to be released this year! ✨️
https://kaios.dev/2024/12/whats-coming-in-kaios-4.0/
Expected features include:
:firefox: #Gecko 123 engine (released Feb 2024)
:android: #Android 14 base
📶️ 5G support
🛠️ Same APIs as KaiOS 3.0
🍪️ Better #cookie sandboxing
📋️ Maybe copy-paste functionality!
🌏️ First out in #India and the #USA (a good sign, as KaiOS 3 devices were only available in the USA till recently and hard to develop for at that) -
#KaiOS 4.0 expected to be released this year! ✨️
https://kaios.dev/2024/12/whats-coming-in-kaios-4.0/
Expected features include:
:firefox: #Gecko 123 engine (released Feb 2024)
:android: #Android 14 base
📶️ 5G support
🛠️ Same APIs as KaiOS 3.0
🍪️ Better #cookie sandboxing
📋️ Maybe copy-paste functionality!
🌏️ First out in #India and the #USA (a good sign, as KaiOS 3 devices were only available in the USA till recently and hard to develop for at that) -
#KaiOS 4.0 expected to be released this year! ✨️
https://kaios.dev/2024/12/whats-coming-in-kaios-4.0/
Expected features include:
:firefox: #Gecko 123 engine (released Feb 2024)
:android: #Android 14 base
📶️ 5G support
🛠️ Same APIs as KaiOS 3.0
🍪️ Better #cookie sandboxing
📋️ Maybe copy-paste functionality!
🌏️ First out in #India and the #USA (a good sign, as KaiOS 3 devices were only available in the USA till recently and hard to develop for at that) -
WhatsApp support cancelled by February 2025 for some KaiOS based feature phones #Meta #Whatsapp #KaiOS #FirefoxOS #FeaturePhones #Android #iOS
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WhatsApp support cancelled by February 2025 for some KaiOS based feature phones #Meta #Whatsapp #KaiOS #FirefoxOS #FeaturePhones #Android #iOS
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WhatsApp support cancelled by February 2025 for some KaiOS based feature phones #Meta #Whatsapp #KaiOS #FirefoxOS #FeaturePhones #Android #iOS
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WhatsApp support cancelled by February 2025 for some KaiOS based feature phones
#Meta #Whatsapp #KaiOS #FirefoxOS #FeaturePhones #Android #iOS
-
WhatsApp support cancelled by February 2025 for some KaiOS based feature phones
#Meta #Whatsapp #KaiOS #FirefoxOS #FeaturePhones #Android #iOS
-
WhatsApp support cancelled by February 2025 for some KaiOS based feature phones
#Meta #Whatsapp #KaiOS #FirefoxOS #FeaturePhones #Android #iOS
-
WhatsApp support cancelled by February 2025 for some KaiOS based feature phones #Meta #Whatsapp #KaiOS #FirefoxOS #FeaturePhones #Android #iOS