Remember a simpler time? When smartphones were meant for men in six-grand suits and we all had to make do with mobiles minus those lovely extras? Well if you like harking back to the good old days, last week’s Mobile World Congress had plenty for you, with cool dumbphones galore.
So if you couldn’t care less about solar charging, social networking or having a phone that resembles a chocolate bar, make sure feast on our top five dumbphones from MWC 2010.
Vodafone 150
Green screen? Check. Text messaging? Check. Calls? Check. Added extras? No chance. But then that’s not what the Vodafone 150 is about. Aimed directly at developing countries, this phone comes in at £9.50, SIM-free. Yep, that’s under a tenner for a mobile phone that can handle all the essential basics. Obviously, this isn’t meant for us data-hungry Brits, but there’s no reason not to nab one as a spare in case your iPhone goes walkies now, is there?
Sagem Cosyphone
Sagem’s Puma Phone stole the plaudits, but the Cosyphone is just as neat. It uses Near Field Communications (NFC) and dedicated “shortcut cards”, which you can wave the phone over to make calls or access info, all without having to tap buttons. Needless to say this has got the over-50s in mind, somewhat patronisingly. The only major issue is having to explain NFC to your Nan when you nab her one for her birthday.
Alcatel OT-806
We’d be lying if we said Alcatel’s design team hadn’t taken inspiration from the Palm Pixi for this slice of cellular gold. The Pre-alike OT-980 might have Android inside, but this is a distinctly basic affair, with minimal internal memory, a QWERTY pad for tapping out texts. EDGE for web access and an old school two megapixel camera shoved on the back. It won’t win awards for originality, but as basic blowers go, it’s not far off top spot.
Sonim XP2 Spirit
Sonim’s new tough phone is even harder than its predecessors, the Land Rover phone and JCB blower. Sure, it’s simpler than a Fisher Price jigsaw on the inside, but it works down to -20C, can be plunged into water up to 30 meters and, our favourite, has a Gortex coating so you can use it while you’re getting pelted with rain on an extreme mountain clamber. It’s also ‘impact proof’. That means you should be able to hoy it onto solid rock and it’ll still keep rocking on.
Vodafone 250
Like its Vodafone 150 bro’, the Vodafone 250 is also dirt cheap. It costs a mere 15 sheets, but comes with a colour screen and FM radio for those who want to up their basic phone to something a tad more 2001. Again, this is one for those “emerging markets” that phone companies love to carp on about, but expect to see it in your local Carphone Warehouse in next to no time.
