I've actually got two EDC loadouts. The one pictured is:

1. Samsung BL103 digital camera
2. Bluetooth earbuds + charging case
3. Seeed Studio T1000-E Meshtastic node
4. USB rechargeable pen light (plus laser pointer and UV light)
5. Analog wallet
6. Kobo Clara HD e-reader
7. Cat S22 Flip (customized; see below)
8. Car fob, house keys, work fob, Yubikey with my trademark Millennial carabiner clip

The S22 flip is highly customized. While the software loadout may seem "smartphone-y", I let the form factor of the S22 be my limiter, and that works great for me. Notifications can be (and often are) disabled when I don't want them. Every app that's installed has a purpose, and the phone does exactly what I want it to do and nothing more.

• Rooted stock ROM
• AdAway host file based ad blocking
• All Google apps and services "removed" via de-bloater except the dialer (it's the only dialer that works well with the keypad)
• CoMaps for maps and navigation
• RHVoice for TTS (replaces Google Speech Services)
• Ntfy for notifications
• SchidiChat for group chats
• Thunderbird for email and OpenKeychain for PGP
• DAVx5 for contacts, calendars, and tasks syncing to my Nextcloud server
• Aegis for TOTP codes
• Bank app (necessary evil)
• F-Droid and Aurora Store
• Fennec (Web browser)
• Fossify App Suite
  • Calendar
  • Calculator
  • Messages
  • Contacts
  • Gallery
  • Voice Recorder
  • Camera
• Mucke as music player (many music players don't like the screen resolution on this device)
• Keymapper running in "expert" (root) mode which can work with the screen locked
  • Double-tap PTT button for flashlight
  • Long-press PTT button to play/pause music player
  • Long press volume up for prev track, long press volume down for next track
  • Essentially I can operate the music player completely with the screen closed

I have an alternate loadout that I use occasionally. It's more or less the same, except I replace the S22 Flip and the Kobo with my Minimal Phone (yay physical SIM cards).

The MP's software is configured more or less the same as the S22 Flip except it's not rooted and lacks the system ad blocking. As with the flip, I let the e-ink display be the limiting factor as browsing the web or scrolling in any app is painfully slow.

Hello! I want to confirm to anyone from Puerto Rico or the Caribbean looking to make the change to a "dumbphone" that Claro PR does work! At least on the ATL MIVE Folder 120.

I originally saw a review on Y2KPHONES of another buyer that said in their review that Claro worked in Dominican Republic when they went on vacation so taking that into consideration (and "checking" very badly the network bands compatibility number thingy) I bought the phone.

I changed from a Samsung Flip Z7 on T-Mobile to a 50GB plan on Claro. Mostly due to my terrible YouTube addiction that has been making me lose track of time (on July alone i used 52GB of data on my phone JUST on YouTube...)

ABOUT CLARO PR:

• The seller did warn me before we tried the store’s SIM Card on the phone that not all Claro networks work the same. Thankfully, Claro PR did.
• Price and Options from their Prepaid Plans:
  • 8GB = $20.00 month (I don’t remember if this one has hotspot)
  • 20GB = $22.00 month (+10GB hotspot)
  • 35GB = $35.00 month (+10GB hotspot)
  • 50GB = $40.00 month (I got this one, has 10GB hotspot)
  • Unlimited data = $50.00 (unlimited hotspot)
• Claro PR has a weakly plan for tourists: Plan Ilimitado por 10 días en PR Sin Contrato 500MB Internet Móvil = 10 days for 10 dollars (plus local tax not added to final price)
• These are prices I got in the store on a sticky note, here is a link to the online page for more information: Claro PR prepago.

.

About the Phone:

• The phone message app sucks so bad, I changed it to google messages.
• If you want the notifications to make a sound you need to go to every app and manually turn it off and on the bars for it to work...and turn off Battery Save mode.
• Apps that work (in P.R.):
  • ATH Mobil (Puerto Rico) works,
  • Banco Popular app works well,
  • outlook is slow but works,
  • google email works,
  • the Uber app opens but I do not know if it will work a full ride yet.
  • google wallet works.
  • I need to download PayPal (every doctor now either takes PayPal or ATH Mobil dang)
  • Spotify was too slow i got mad at it and deleted it.... I am trying to work on using my phone less (currently not working because of remote work and Wi-Fi on my Flip 7 oops)
  • WhatsApp works well, but the messages arrive a bit late or it doesn’t make much noice. It mostly has the light in the front of the phone shine like 3 times. BUT STILL CHECK THE BATTERY SAVE MODE AND DO THE NOTIFICATION BIT AGAIN IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. ---> when you transfer the app it transfers pics.....
• The speaker is at the back of the phone, when I put calls on speaker I heard less than by ear. Try to use coord headphones with a mic (mine don’t have a mic and I did delete Spotify so I can’t comment on the sound quality)

I have been using the phone and Claro for just one week. So that's all I learned so far.

 

Before he got together an investment group to purchase Commodore Corporation and release the Commodore Callback 8020 phone (among other products), Christian Simpson was running a retro-technology-themed YouTube channel called Retro Recipes.

I was fascinated to discover that, among other retro tech content, Simpson also concentrated on the perfect dumbphone or midwit phone solution. It was this pursuit that ultimately led to the design and manufacture of the Commodore Callback 8020 phone. See related videos below:

• Can BRICK-ing your Smartphone make it RETRO again?
• How to downgrade from Smartphone to Flipphone (with iMessage on Android!)
• Ultimate Dumbphone: Bringing a 2G Y2K Phone to Life - I'M FREE!

Hello, this is my collection of Sony Ericsson, they released 167 different International/Europe models, and i have all 167 of them.

38 out of 69 they produced for Japan only! Many more on the way.

I never intended to "collect" android flip phones, I always just wanted one "perfect" device that would just work for me, preferably forever.

But every time some issues, problems and obstacles popped up, that you can't just fix on software level, by installing apps, debloating or ignoring, the only way to move forward seemed to be "just by a different phone!" But with trying new and different phones as daily drivers, also came experience and understanding of difference between a problem and and "inconvenience". And how sometimes upgrading is actually downgrading and vice versa.

So there they go, from left to right.

• Samsung Galaxy Folder 2.

Easy 9/10, my first, and probably the best phone so far. The more I use other phones, the more I understand that I never needed anything else really. After a few months of usage, because it was cheap refurbished version (with genuine internal hardware) the phone's body started to fall apart - paint flaked, logo letters fell off, it got scratched all over, the top lid panel started to peel, basically the phone in a couple of months started to look like I've been using it for years.

I got pretty frustrated and bough Cat s22.

In retrospect all of that is easily fixable with a simple singular solution - a case. Korean +LOOK plastic case hid 99% of visual defects and made Folder 2 look real nice, sleek and Y2K.

Functionality-wise? The phone is almost perfect. Android 7.1 sounds ancient, but everything I personally need just works on it. It has no dark mode, but guess what, my newest latest the most modern phone also doesn't have dark mode. Was it a fad? Or am I cursed? It's not a big deal. If your phone hurts your eyes, it's high time to put it down for today.

The only real "issue" with Folder 2 is the lack of outer screen. I can't check the time or see who's calling without opening it. That's it, that's the contra. It's an amazing phone.

If you're thinking of downgrading and want a cheap option, consider Samsung Galaxy Folder 2 (and a case). Most apps will work on Android 7, and if they don't you can find older versions or alternatives.

• Cat s22

Went from 10/10 to 5/10 tragically fast.

It does have outer screen that shows time and caller ID, you can use global dark mode, and its body is very resilient to everyday usage and damage, but there are so many problems that Folder 2 simply doesn't have.

1. Infamous double click issue. You can partially fix it with TT9 and more deliberate pressing, but it never fully goes away and apparently it's present in 90% of these phones, including mine. I hate it.
2. Shared storage option is broken. You see, the phone only comes with 16GB storage. And in android 11 you can't just install apps to SD card. You need to format it for shared storage. And in Cat s22 this function is broken. Your apps will stop working, your photos will disappear, the phone will shit and piss itself at the most randomest times. But wait, you say, Folder 2 also has only 16GB storage and you can't use shared storage option! True, but in Android 7.1 you can just install apps to SD card. Straight up. Put in 64GB card and install junk on it and you're good. Sure these apps will work slower, but if it's not messenger or real essential app, who cares? You'll just wait extra couple of seconds before the map loads up, no big deal, you're using a flip phone anyway. On Cat s22? You only have 16GB for apps, case closed. Oh and of course it's really only 8GB, because the OS takes half of the storage.
3. Ungodly 4:3 screen resolution. Like ok, small screen is fine, you can increase/decrease pixel density and font size and what not, but 4:3 means a lot of apps will straight up appear broken or misaligned or partially off-screen. Yes, you can mitigate it with pixel density in dev options, but it's still a real issue. I love 4:3 in movies and video games, but not on phone.
4. Weird Android 11 GO limitations that break cursor apps.
5. Horrible default launcher with poor d-pad support, almost invisible cursor and very limited customization.

I really tried to love this phone, but it didn't love me back. So I decided to downgrade.

• Sharp Aquos Kantan 10 / Sharp Aquos Keitai 3

They're basically the same phone, even their batteries and back covers and interchangeable.

Went from 9/10 to 6/10, and not because the phone is bad.

So the issue with these phones is very low end hardware. They can handle messengers and basic apps like weather, calendars or music players, but when it comes to something more involved like maps, marketplaces, parcel apps, QR code scanning/generation, they start to struggle real hard.

1GB ram is just not taken into consideration, when modern apps are coded. Even if they should theoretically work with 256MB ram, nobody cares, they are loaded with standard libraries, scripts, unoptimized assets, so these phones just can't handle it.

Waiting 5 minutes for delivery app to load up, just for it to crash is just too much trouble.

If you can live without these apps, japanese phones are fantastic.

• Samsung w2018

10/10 smartphone. 1/10 dumbphone.

Yeah it's absolutely exceptional, except it enables doomscrolling like any old slabphone. The ability to transform from a normal smartphone into a flipphone with physical keypad is very cool and functional, but it gives you zero friction, zero inconvenience. Fast hardware, fast fingerprint scanner, fast software, means the moment you touch the thing you're in, you're in the zone instantly.

I mean it even has NFC and wireless charging, it's a smartphone, it won't dumb down your life, it will dumb down you.

• Alt Mive Style Folder 2

8/10 my current daily driver.

This is basically what Samsung Galaxy Folder 3 should be, or would be if it existed.

Still no dark mode for whatever reason, still very Y2K with +LOOK cases. Or you can use clear case if you like phone's natural color. I don't think its body would fall apart of course, but I don't wanna scratch or dent it more than necessary.

It has working shared storage option, but 32GB internal storage is more than enough for me.

It has working outer screen, so that one issue with Folder 2 is fixed.

Buuut in some aspects it's worse.

Android 14 is ugly piece of shit and much less free and flexible than 7.

No replaceable battery.

It's too wide. Why is it wider than Galaxy Folder 2 and Mive Folder 1? These extra millimeters make it less comfortable to hold and use. I suspect it has to do with hardware and battery, because with light use I spend about ~20%-25% of battery per day. Of course I debloated the thing, but I still didn't expect battery to last this long. So ehhh. I'd trade some mAh for narrower frame.

For a 2025 phone they sure could have make screen to not be 16:9. Sure it's not Cat's 4:3, but still some apps don't like it.

Outer screen placing is weird. Why it's on the bottom of the lid? It should be in the center. Maybe it's a design thing but I don't dig it. Also can't change wallpaper for it. Of all things Cat s22 allowed you to change outer screen wallpaper, crazy huh.

Default native Launcher is ok, but it's worse than Galaxy Folder 2. Less customization, can't change or edit a lot of things, like grid, icon size, font style.

Can't change default notification sound to your own MP3? What?

• Conclusion?

At this point I think I will never find "perfect" phone, there will always be concessions to make and inconveniences to deal with. If I had all this experience back in the day, I'd just stick with Galaxy Folder 2 and used a case with it, until Mive Folder 2 popped up. And it's a side-grade more than an upgrade, you mostly trade one thing for another. Outer screen for less comfortable shape, long battery life for being replaceable, USB-C for much better looking Android 7, storage shenanigans for straight SD install etc etc.

And it's also 2 times more expensive, but the price is justified I think. It's a modern phone, it's not refurbished, and it's still ~$200 which is a price range or two lower than hipster phones like Light Phone Flip or Minimal Phone or upcoming Commodore Callback.

TTfone 990 though looks like nice competition, with better hardware, no google and more open-ended supports, but I'm 100% sure that even if I get it, I'll find a million small things to be dissatisfied with.

So I think I'll settle for two Folders for now, because it's impossible to find actual "perfection".

I want to start off by saying simply, i fuckin love this thing. its the perfect companion device and im sure just as well as a standalone one.

list of things i love:
-d-pad cursor
-apple music & podcasts
-uber lite
-incredibly easy setup
-simple to use predictive text
-quacks
-battery life
-2fa
-snake (important stuff ik)

things i dont love:
-whatsapp doesnt work all that great
-call quality isnt terrible but isnt great either
-no emojis (this is fine i just feel a need to express myself in such a way)
-no voice notes (imessage), not even a notification for them
-navigation sucks
-no notes app

I still use my iPhone for work, public transit, and banking but whenever im home or out and about my iphone stays in my purse. I do still use my apple watch as a pedometer and sometimes gps but otherwise the dumbphone is my main phone.

shipping took 5 days from DC to SC and set up took all of 30 minutes. it was incredibly easy and so far i have not needed any tech help from dumb.co but i have heard good things about customer service!

as for how im doing without my smartphone, well. im okay… i do reach for it at night to watch tiktok still but one habit at a time, eh?

​

Since i missed my old nokia 1100, i built my own🥲.

This might bring back nostalgia for people who love the green lcd, snake and the joy of receiving sms from your loved ones.

Try it out at www.fulltalktime.com

Got tired of my smartphone and decided to pick up a Kyocera A202KC a few weeks ago. Not technically a dumbphone since it runs Android 10 but I definitely won't be scrolling on it. And man does it ever look good!

Some things I have done to the phone to get it working how I like:

• Rooted and installed microg (shoutout the amazing devs and the people behind the garaho wiki) so I have every app I need working flawlessly with location and push notifications
• Started using Cambrian launcher
• Installed a 128GB SD card and formatted it partly as adopted storage and partly as portable
• Installed Google Messages for RCS (works properly) and to get my conversations
• Installed Traditional T9
• Updated System WebView to Cromite

Having an Android phone was realistically the only way I was going to be able to stick to a dumb-ish phone. I'm in Canada and with Rogers, data and VoLTE are working great pretty much everywhere I go.

TL;DR: with a little work, the Digno 4 can do everything you need while making scrolling very unappealing.

Excited?

BackGo to dumbphones

r/dumbphones•11m ago

HappyBackpacker101

My Thoughts on the Dumb.co Flip Phone

I've been using some sort of dumb phone for about five years now and I've tried quite a few less expensive ones just for fun. I recently got the Dumb.co flip phone and have been using it as my daily driver for around a week now. Here are my thoughts.

1. It is one of the better inexpensive flip phones I've tried. The Dumb.co apps on it are nice, and the built-in mouse/cursor (on/off option) is sweet. Overall, it's a good experience. The customer service is also legit. I can see that this device/plan will be really helpful to a ton of people. It's well-thought-out and well-executed. The Dumb.co team deserves credit for a job well done.
2. I did an update and followed the instructions, but I can't get voice-to-text to work. I also wish it had more than five emojis - I especially want a "thumbs up" lol.
3. There are two texting apps - the smart text and the dumb text. I'd like to use only one, but I'm not sure how to do that since some texts go to one and others go to the other.
4. I'm not wild about having to have my companion device on. I have an old iPhone SE in my drawer that I rarely use, but I had to get it out for this and leave it on. I paid for the middle-tier plan, which requires a companion phone. I'd rather not have a companion phone at all. The pricing isn't horrible, but it's a bit higher than what I'm paying for my other dumbphone.
5. Because I'm using it as a companion device and doing call/text forwarding, sometimes when I call or text people, they can't tell it's me. I called my wife the other day, and she didn't recognize the number.
6. The maps work, but you can't use them while driving because they require a manual button press to see the next leg of your trip.
7. The camera sucks (but that's the case with most flip phones).

Anyway, in all honesty, I'm extremely impressed with this phone and service. At the end of the day, however, it doesn't quite fit the bill for me and I may end up selling it. Feel free to share comments!