We are buying a feature phone. I know it is almost 2021 and buying a feature phone sounds really stupid. But it is not. Besides, I know we need one. The big question is, which one to buy. I don’t want to be crossing the 1000 INR limit, but am ready to stretch it up to 1500 if it is a good product.
-
USE CASE: While we have one smartphone each, we are at our farmhouse for the last 10 months, where there is lesser Internet connectivity. While our phones - vi(parents), Airtel (mine) are unreachable over here, a need for a spare phone has arised. I have a BSNL simcard which I guess works everywhere around the country. Earlier, we had this Motorola Handset which worked on the BSNL SIM card and it was the best replacement for a landline phone. This Motorola had amazing signal strength at all times and we were happy with this purchase, so happy that we purchased two of these. Both of them worked alright for 2+ years and then they stopped working; both at the same time.
Then we got a JIOFi, after realising that Jio works here. It is with this that we do online work/school and TBHP browsing. On android phones (mine in the family), we have a JioCall app which we pair with the JioFi device and can use the Jio sim in the JioFi to wirelessly call and text. That’s what we have been doing all this time. However, you can only receive texts and calls while the app is running on your *Android* device as well as the JioFi is on. This makes it difficult for people to reach out to us. That’s when we realised we need a spare phone.
The need for a spare phone keeps on growing. We thought we could get another fixed, corded GSM phone similar to the Motorola FW200L, or even another piece of the same, considering the kind of signal it offers! After all, a running of 2+years is not so bad. But a key criteria was a portable phone which we could carry everywhere without the fear of losing it, getting it stolen etc.
Initially, we were not looking for another smartphone, as a good one would cost about 7k INR, which is still big money for a basic phone. But now, our family wants to use smartphones as less as possible.
Reason:
Excess addiction to the screen - the lesser number of screens we have in the house, the better, especially when almost all of our day (virtual school, online office etc) is spent on screens. Which is why excess addiction to the screen is one of the reasons.
A bigger reason why we are going back to a feature phone is this, infact it is the most important. Almost everyone these days has smartphones and all utilities are managed with our smartphone. We are in the digital age but the power of technology is now being used to manipulate us. Especially contact tracing apps. Privacy is a joke these days. Thanks to these 6” pieces of glass seen in everyone’s hands, we are slowly transitioning into the Orwellian dystopia. We are not paying merely the 300 rupee telecom bill; that is not the real cost we are paying. The real cost is that we are sacrificing our liberty. Apps these days are being forced onto us by school, workplaces, governments and even gated communities and for a little perceived convenience, we are sacrificing our liberty and allowing us to be tracked.
These days, data is the new oil and we are being milked for it till the last drop. Now, you might say that I’m a luddite to have these views but no. I too believe that smartphones are an indispensable part of our lives, and as a teenager I can’t live without it either. However I’m trying to limit mine and my family’s smartphone usage as much as possible. This is the most important reason as to why we feel a need to buy a dumb phone soon.
Thanks for reading this long explanation. Now that you know why my family is buying a basic phone in a digital age and you should too, here comes the question again: which one to buy. Based on my requirements and comments here, please suggest a basic phone for me.
What I need:
1) It should be long lasting. A great build quality and good hardware on the inside is what I’m looking at. Should last for atleast 2 years.
2) Long battery life or fast charging. Most dumb phones have atleast either of these. I wouldn’t bother keeping it plugged the whole night but I would prefer a long battery life.
3) Loud sound. We might not get the best signal strength in all corners of the house, therefore when ringing, it should be heard over a long distance.
4) Good range preferred.
5) Easy repairs preferred.
6) Torch preferred for practical purposes.
7) Should be delivered by Amazon or Flipkart
What I don’t need:
1) 4G connectivity. Since I have good Jio signal at my place, you might suggest me a JioPhone. Which I don’t need. I need a no nonsense device without apps or texting, video calling, social media etc. I have very clearly explained why I’m looking forward to reducing my smartphone usage and the last thing I need is a wannabe smartphone.
2) No KaiOS either. Reasons similar to those in previous point. Also, don’t want to harm my eyes by viewing apps on a small screen.
3) Nonsensical features like camera, music, expandable storage etc. who needs these on a sub-2000 INR phone anyway?
You may start commenting down what you feel is the right feature Phone for me. But I found one really interesting feature Phone brand in the ocean of Nokias and Micromaxes and Lavas and Samsungs. It is this Chinese (I think) brand named Kechaoda. Chinese brands (example: Xiaomi, Oneplus and Huawei) are known for offering great phones. This one which fits in my budget has mostly positive reviews, is built like a tank - which is just the kind of phone I want; has some pretty good features too. Would you recommend this one to me? Considering the repairs aspect, durability, etc. Check it out at this linky:
https://www.amazon.in/KECHAODA-K112-...ronics&sr=1-51
This is one thing we need to buy real soon, so please give me the best suggestions at the earliest possible. Also, since I have created this thread specific to the phones of the past decades, you may post your experiences with a feature phone, whether you would be buying one yourself (along with reasons), and the best deals on these phones, technical stuff, updates in the feature phone segment, your feature phone purchases and any other info you might have in regard to the Feature Phone.
Thanks!
EightSix.