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Minimalist Cell Phones?

Posted by Cliff on from the dirt-cheap-dialing dept.

Trizor asks: "Most cellular telephones these days are loaded with features: cameras, broadband quality video, Internet, etc. but there are still people who want to just make phone calls. So I ask Slashdot: Are there any World-Compatible GSM cellular telephones that don't offer much beyond calling and an address book?"

5 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. no ringtones pls by oni · · Score: 2, Insightful

    or how about a phone that just rings? I don't get why people want their phones to start playing "can you take me to funky town" when they get a call.

    As a geek, I like technology to just do its job. It's a phone. It should alert me in the most efficient way when I get a call. that's all it has to do. I don't need to be entertained. I have other gadgets for that.

  2. Why? by Cthefuture · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What exactly is the point in asking this?

    There are cheap (or even free) phones available so cost can't be the issue.

    Are they too complicated for you? You know, you don't have to use those new-fangled features.

    Personally I find the PDA-like features extremely handy as I never liked having to carry a PDA and phone anyway. I mostly just use the scheduling/reminder stuff though.

    As for the "other" stuff like cameras, my guess is that there are more phones without cameras than with them.

    --
    The ratio of people to cake is too big
    1. Re:Why? by Clover_Kicker · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'd like a nice, simple phone that doesn't take 45 fucking seconds to boot.

    2. Re:Why? by Fry-kun · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I agree completely.
      My phone (Motorola T720) takes way too long to boot up and shut down (20 seconds or so). It got me so pissed that I don't even turn it off anymore... But that's not the biggest problem!
      The real problem is that it sometimes locks up or just reboots for reasons unknown. Even the simple process of charging the phone is handled through its software, which makes charging impossible sometimes -- VERY ANNOYING.
      And the last (worst) problem is that it can't seem to process everything at the right speed anymore. It could be I just dropped it one too many times, but when a phone call comes in, i'm seeing only half the information drawn on the screen (i mean internal screen, external one works wonderfully). And god forbid I should get a call while I'm talking to someone - that screen doesn't even come up anymore (at least the phone vibrates though)

      My Nokia 5190 (although quite crappy), took maybe 3-5 seconds to boot up and just as long to shut down, regardless of how many addressbook entries I made. As for responsiveness, it was just perfect.
      anyway -- enough /. -- back to work

      --
      Did you know that "FTW" ("for the win") is a direct translation of "Sieg Heil"?
  3. Yes Virginia, there is such a phone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The Vodafone Simply is the phone you seek. It seems that despite all the screaming for a basic and reliable phone, cell phone providers continue to add new unrequested features and then try to generate a market for those features. It seems that the only provider that is listening to its customers is Vodafone.

    Buttons that are large enough to push just one at a time.
    No camera's, games, TV remote controls, toasters or any other useless crap.
    Fits against your ear, doesn't get lost in your ear.
    It's a revolutionary cell phone.

    Your other alternative is to get a used phone from eBay.