Slashdot Mirror
Disposable Cell Phones Arrive
headGasket writes "After the disposable cameras, here comes the disposable cell phones. Ideal for trash talk. Seriously, there is a $5 incentive to not dispose of it in the trash and bring it back for a rebate on the next one." These seem like a nice alternative to being locked into a lengthy contract, or for people who only need a cell phone for a short period of time.
These seem like a nice alternative to being locked into a lengthy contract, or for people who only need a cell phone for a short period of time.
I'd say it sounds quite wasteful, even if the phone is recyclable.. (how many will recycle it?)
There are alternatives to lengthy contracts, such as prepaid accounts.
And there are alternatives for people who need a phone for a short period: Renting.
I'll just chalk this all down as another symptom that some people can't get the idea that waste is BAD.
Not to mention terrorists. Like the kind that flew into the WTC.
...or does that phone look a shitload better designed than most of the current overgadgety, tacky, moronic-buttoned phones that saturate the market? I swear there's a special kind of drug you must need to be on to design current phones.
(barring the T610, which is simple and gorgeous for it)
Does anyone else find this crass? It looks like the trend towards low-cost, disposable, devices for mass consumption is not going to let up anytime soon. What ever happened to the care for quality, workmanship, and longevity in products? I guess it's as they say, "they don't make 'em like they used to."
I don't really see the point of having a huge button for dialing 911.. it's really not that hard to dial, is it?
The website doesn't say, but I'd also be interested to know if dialing 911 is still allowed after your minutes have expired.
Now, I thought that the reason Pay Phones in the US can no longer receive incoming calls is because drug dealers were using them to do business.
Wouldn't this just do the same? I can see this as a boon for an illicit dealer.
I wonder how long it will be before one is obliged to produce ID in order to buy one of these things. Many law enforcement agencies object to cell phones that are not tied to an identifiable individual because it makes it much harder to get an order for tapping the phone.
If intelligent life is too complex to evolve on its own, who designed God?
The disposable phone seems expensive (per minute) and mostly useless. The only real application I see is when you go somewhere for a short period of time and need a phone for a few weeks.
I wonder what the quality control will be like on a product that's designed to be thrown away. There's been several studies detailing local microwave heating in the brain (though no-one's sure if this is a serious thing, I sort of side with the cautious on this one. What if ? ...)
Simon.
Physicists get Hadrons!
I have worked and lived in several countries in Eueope, and everywhere, recycling and safe storage of old batteries was top issue. Batteries are VERY toxic.
And now, an idea to just throw away your mobile phone? Don't these people think about the environment? Yeah, I know, there's a 5$ incentive to return them, but you know as I know, that the average northamerican user of such device will think of the return as a nuisance and will gladly renounce to the 5$ and toss the phone. Even if only 10% does this, you still end up with huge quantities of toxic materials in the environment.
I'd like to kick the ass of the guy who launched this product.
Sigged!
It's only possible because you get charged for incoming calls - a thing that happens only in the USA. All around the rest of the world, if someone had a phone like that she would never dump it, because it could be served as another phone number (another identity!)
And.. it's hard to believe they'll continue to live. It all looks like a fraud to me. Their site design looks quick-n-dirty, kinda like the site of Earth Station 5.
Slashdot community, please notice: I am looking for a girlfriend.
Nave H. Weiss
Works with your tin-foil hat? These phones are made for tin-foil hat wearers!
What more could you ask for.
No contract. Anonymity. Low Prices. That's how cell phones are supposed to work. Don't want the man listening in on my phone calls.
Hrmph. I think my tin-foil hat is too tight.
You can't legislate goodness. Let each to his own destiny, by will of his freely made choices.
No idea why you say that.
I can walk into any phone shop in Belgium and buy a pre-paid GSM card without leaving my name. I can then use that card in any GSM phone anywhere in Europe.
I am also aware of similar schemes in other European countries.
The criminals already have anonymous communication methods and that it is as it should be, because it means the rest of us do too.
Kristoph
To all that say "Use it until it expires, then keep it for 911" or "Get one just to kick around in an emergency kit" are forgetting about BATTERY LIFE.
Does anyone really think you can recharge these things? Or that they have awesome shelf life? There's probably enough juice to get you through the minutes about twice (for safety) then you have to bring it in to replace the battery pack anyway.
Just a thought.
SYS 64738 NO CARRIER
It's not like the thing even does something you can't get now. Europe (and I hope the US) sell prepay and full featured phones starting from 50 euros - not just some crappy box that doesn't even have a display. So what is the point of this? I seriously doubt that this device is that much cheaper, and considerably more restricted in features and lifetime.
The $5 deposit is just a sop.
It's not like phones are the best devices from an environmental point of view (think of all the needlessly different battery and adaptor types), but at least they're not meant to be tossed away after so many minutes. In fact, most shops often have trade-in schemes for old models and pass them on to charities for refurbishment for third world countries. So some good comes from them.
Great I hope the smart states slap a hefty sales tax on these things to cover the cost of disposal say 100 dollars per unit, doesn't seem so cheap now huh? After all the company positively encourages the user to dispose these things.
No mention of the initial up front costs of the unit.
The call rate will certainly be higher to cover costs and make a profit, they do intend to make a profit right? Or are they hoping to pump the share price and make money by selling blocks of shares?
No sms text, means this tech is already dead in Europe and the rest of the world.
Anonymous mobile phone purchase is illegal in some countries, ever try buying a legal phone in France without ID?
Just who is the target customer? Business travellers? Poor students?
What's the point of a mobile if you can't be sure that the other party will still have the same phone number after a week? Who would you rather do business with e.g. on ebay?
excellent move, in such times. now terrorists won't even worry about giving their name to get a cellphone. they can buy one, call whoever they want to call, then throw the evidence away.
this makes me think that when there's the chance to make some profit no fear-of-terrorist can stop it. it's interesting to see that this "culture of fear" only arises when profit is under threat, and is forgotten when no money can be harmed.
-- There are two kind of sysadmins: Paranoids and Losers. (adapted from D. Bach)
I sell mobile phones for a living and I have to point out that this isn't true. A year ago most phones were dual band, with maybe 5 - 10% tri band. Recently it's been more like 33% to 50% tri band. Of course now I have moved on to selling 3G phones and the US has once again chosen a completely incompatible standard...
A latent existence
What the heck is the point of a phone that can't send text messages? I was always under the impression that phones were made to make and recieve voice calls. It's not an instant messenger/camera/pda/toaster/kitchen sink, it's a goddamn phone.
America - Home of the scapegoat, land of the Corporation
This thing is almost certainly a scam. The bill of materials for a GSM phone is about $40, even after you remove the display, microphone, and speaker, which these guys seem to have done from the picture.
Someone's got to pay for this, you can do it with a subsidized contract or you can charge for the phone, and you've still got to find a way to make money.
Something like this comes up every couple of years. No reason to expect that this one is any more credible.
jeff
Not if they can make money by deliberate waste, anyway; that's obviously a much more important contribution to the American Way.
The 911 dispatch absolutely hates it when people have preprogrammed 911 buttons on cell phones, as the picture shows for this one. They get way too many accidental calls, and are required to try and folow up on any call made, thus wasting a significant amount of time.
"I am in favor of RADICALLY reducing the number of wiretap and eavesdropping authorizations that law enforcement currently enjoys."
Vote for a democrat next time then.
War is necrophilia.