The smartest dumbphone in town

Dumbphone probably shouldn’t be a word, but it seems to be picking up usage with people dumping their smartphones (Blackberys, iphones, Windows Mobile devices, ect) in favor of a ‘less is more’ device. I became one of those people a few weeks back.

My love affair with smartphones has progressed through a SMT5600

Treo 650

and most recently a Tmobile Dash

Now I’m using a Motorola F3 that was designed for developing nations, cost under $40 with no contracts to get locked into and isn’t much more advanced than the Motorola MicroTac Elite I bought in 1994.

I’m in love. The battery lasts a week, its one of the smallest and lightest phones I’ve used and most importantly, I’m not getting pinged 24hrs a day with email that 99% of the time can wait till I get to a computer. It’s a phone, that’s it. No camera, no calendar, no media player and no web browser, just a phone that makes phone calls, remember those? Dumbphones, stupid word but I’m sold.


How to Get Broke by Buying an iPhone

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Post by: Brendan | July 13, 2008 | Filed Under gadgets, tech 

Comments

4 Responses to “The smartest dumbphone in town”

  1. TacoJoe on July 14th, 2008 6:58 am

    I’m with you homes. I picked myself up a bag phone last month. Not really but my new phone cost $20 and I make phone calls with it.

  2. Mike on July 14th, 2008 8:22 am

    Do you have to pay more monthly if you buy the phone separate from the network contract?

    (I haven’t had a cellular radiotelephone in 6 years, but am seriously considering buying one. I’m mostly interested in my cheapest option.)

  3. Brendan on July 14th, 2008 8:46 am

    Should be the same cost, Mike. Check out Tmobile, great coverage in this area and relatively low rates. There is a corporate store in Shrewsbury by white city plaza.

  4. bcostoa on July 15th, 2008 8:50 am

    The Moto F3 is an interesting beast. It’s Moto’s first attempt to break into the developing world market. A lot of research went into it. Good phone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_F3

    If you need a cheap replacement in the future you could always buy a prepaid phone [from the same service provider] and use your sim card. Last year my Moto phone died so I spent $30 on a prepaid T-Mobile Nokia 6030. Brought it home, dropped in my sim and I had a new phone with no new contract. This should work the same for AT&T since they’re also GSM. It won’t work for the others.

    As for bag phones Moto still makes one. GSM to boot. It puts on 10x and 20x the power of standard handset. http://tinyurl.com/t66ov

    BTW, your stuff on Breault was awesome. He seems sincere but extremely obtuse. Normally these people don’t bother me but when their actions endanger my community things change. It was a good read.

    Thanks,
    bcostoa

    Breault



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