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The Kyocera Hydro Vibe, I bought in 2015, has a vibrating screen instead of a regular ear speaker and it's not super, but I believe it helps with its water-proof certification [Certified waterproof for IPX5, and IPX7. Immersible for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet (1 meter).]. For best results, you need to hold the phone FIRMLY against your ear (experimenting for best placement). It does also have a rear speaker for speaker-phone use -- as well as a freaking headphone jack -- and they work great.

For other definitions of 'minimalist'.

https://www.kyoceramobile.com/...

If you absolutely need it there's even a Opera browser.

Charge it about twice a month. Used it to crack open pistachios that weren't precracked enough. Still available used and for use on the Sprint network (or Ting). Costs about ~$15-20/month.

Has some nice headset options as well, plus bluetooth.

In Europe I know they get a lot of other fancy feature phones. You can get the Nokia 3310, but not sure about the frequencies compared with the US.

https://www.nokia.com/phones/e...

... water resistance (a jack can be just as water resistant as a USB port) ...

Case in point. My Kyocera Hydro Vibe (that I bought in 2015) has a headphone jack and is "Certified waterproof for IPX5, and IPX7. Immersible for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet (1 meter)." Also comes with a user-replaceable battery and FM receiver that works with NextRadio. Sure, it only runs Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) but it does what I need it to using Ting

Apps that aren't installed have an even harder time tracking you.

Good luck finding a smartphone that doesn't have facebook pre-installed in a way that prevents uninstallation. You can of course choose to not use it (and even go so far as to never sign in to it) but finding one that doesn't have it is nearly impossible.

My Kyocera Hydro VIBE didn't come with the Facebook app.
I'm sure there are many second-tier phones (ie: not iPhone or Galaxy, etc...) w/o Facebook pre-installed.

I had a $200 Qualcomm QCP-1920 from 1998 through 2015 from nTelos (originally PrimeCo in my area) until they sold their local spectrum Sprint and they said my phone wouldn't be supported. I bought a Kyocera Hydro VIBE on sale for about $150 from Ting (which also uses Sprint in my area) in August 2015 and am still using it with them. I'm not a heavy smartphone user and my bills are around $15/month -- which is what I was paying with nTelos/PrimeCo w/o the per-minute costs.

I'm pretty happy with both the phone and Ting and see no need to upgrade the phone or change providers anytime soon. My only complaint is that the phone is running Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) and there are no updates available. Not sure if I can root it and/or install something else. But... It does have an FM receiver that works with NextRadio, as well as a headphone jack, removable battery, wireless charging, NFC, Bluetooth, and is certified waterproof to 3m for 30min (suck it iPhone).

Google is now selling an updated headphone adapter that's supposed to be more responsive and drain less of your phone's battery.

A standard 3.5mm headphone jack is *really* responsive and doesn't use *any* battery power. Just sayin' ...

And for those vendors crowing about better water-proofing w/o this jack, my Kyocera Hydro VIBE from 2014 has a standard headphone jack and is "Certified waterproof for IPX5, and IPX7. Immersible for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet (1 meter)."

2) If Consumers DEMANDED replaceable batteries over other features like Water Proof/Resistant devices, then they would be BUYING them. Since it is makes devices MORE expensive to have WaterProof and Replaceable batteries than one or the other, and people are choosing lesser expensive single option devices (Waterproof, no replaceable battery vs replaceable battery and don't drop in the pool) the the market has spoken.

On the other hand... My Kyocera Hydro VIBE (from 2014) which I bought, on sale, from Ting for about $150.00 in 2016 has an easily removable back, easily replaceable battery, a headphone jack -- *and* is:

Certified dust resistant and waterproof for IP57 - protection against dust and water immersion for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet (1 meter) of water.

Sure, the Hydro VIBE is not as thin (though it's close), fancy or capable as a modern iPhone, but it shows that you can get an easily replaceable battery, headphone jack and water/dust proofing without spending too much money -- which is reason Apple doesn't offer this. They want you spending money on newer phones and/or at the "Genius Bar" rather than maintaining your phone yourself.

Ruggedized flip phone that checks all your boxes + PTT.

https://www.kyoceramobile.com/...

... just let me add in an SD card, sim. have a headphone jack, keep up the "waterproof" bit. user-replaceable battery ...

My Kyocera Hydro VIBE (released in 2014) is certified water-proof to 3m for 30min, has an exposed headphone jack, user-removable battery, SIM and SD card (back cover has a gasket) as well as wireless charging, bluetooth, etc...

So that all isn't hard to achieve, just takes a little courage. :-)

If you want a phone that is good in the sun, buy a phone designed for that. My Kyocera Brigadier works just fine in the sun.

https://www.kyoceramobile.com/...

Not sure why the screen works so well outside, but the backlight is amazingly bright. Other phones with OLED screens seem to work well in the sun as well.

Just because the phone isn't made by Apple, Samsung, or LG, doesn't mean they don't exist.

Kyocera Hydro perhaps?

http://www.kyoceramobile.com/hydro/

Kyocera