Best Basic Phone 2023: Top Feature Phones For Calls and Texts

My high primary cellphone decide for most individuals is the Nokia 2660 Flip. It has a number of core options for an affordable worth.

When open it has a 2.8in display that’s vibrant and readable for sending and studying textual content messages. There’s additionally an outer display so you may see the time or who is looking when the cellphone is closed.

With an SOS button, you may press and maintain to name as much as 5 emergency contacts must you get into bother and need assistance. The audio for calls can also be listening to assist appropriate.

Beneath the display are huge buttons that make it easy to dial numbers or ship primary messages. A multi-directional button permits you to scroll by means of menus and apps such because the digital camera, contacts, FM radio, and voice recorder.

There’s a torch, a contemporary model of the basic Snake recreation, and even an Opera internet browser. The replaceable battery lasted for 5 days earlier than needing a cost and it’ll go for much longer on standby. It’s additionally a 4G primary cellphone which is the perfect kind to purchase because it’ll work for calls and texts on 4G networks even after outdated 2G networks are shut down in future years.

The one annoying factor is the outer quantity button is well pressed unintentionally, which might mute the ringtones with out you realising.

There’s a model of the cellphone obtainable within the US referred to as the Nokia 2780 Flip which runs the extra superior software program referred to as KaiOS that offers you entry to some quite simple apps reminiscent of Fb and Google Maps. You should purchase it on the Straight Speak or TracFone networks, or unlocked from Nokia.

These fashions are my high advice because of a good worth and good world availability.

This easy cell phone is likely one of the greatest you may get. It’s small, has a battery that lasts over every week on standby, and a plastic again you may take off to entry or substitute that battery. Identical to outdated occasions.

The display is vibrant and simple to learn, although one factor to remember is the buttons are fairly small. You’ll need to textual content in T9 model prefer it’s 2004 (no QWERTY keyboards right here) so that you would possibly wish to search for a cellphone with bigger buttons as these are fairly skinny and small.

In any other case, the 8210 has a really primary digital camera on the again if you really want to take a snap, plus a inbuilt MP3 participant and FM radio. Its options are similar to the 2660 and 2760 Flips, however it’s smaller and doesn’t have the emergency contact button.

It’s simply pocketable and is 4G prepared, however solely has 128MB storage – sufficient for contacts and SMS however not a lot else (not that the cellphone does a lot else).

The Doro 6880 is somewhat pricier than the Nokias above however it has higher construct high quality that makes it nicer to carry and use. Its matt plastic and rubberised construct feels premium whereas the white design inside with black buttons makes the buttons straightforward to see and press.

The display is vibrant and there are devoted buttons to take you straight to the digital camera or your textual content messages. Calls are properly loud and clear on the earpiece and the help button on the again can name or textual content contacts mechanically when pressed in an emergency.

I like that the cellphone comes with a charger and a docking cradle within the field. This implies you may depart the cellphone on cost in the identical place at dwelling like a landline so that you all the time know the place it’s and so it’s totally charged if you take it out with you.

There are easy capabilities like a digital camera, torch, and alarm, however this cellphone is greatest at being a cellphone.

If you happen to like the thought of a dumbphone however need one thing with somewhat extra model, the Punkt MP02 will enchantment to you. It’s a easy voice and textual content cellphone designed by Swiss firm Punkt and British designer Jasper Morrison.

It seems to be somewhat like a calculator however is in actual fact a 4G voice cellphone. It could actually ship texts too, and you may import your contacts from an iPhone in the event you don’t wish to manually save all of them.

It additionally has intelligent entry to the Sign messaging app utilizing its personal proprietary app Pigeon, although I discovered this buggy to make use of and extra bother than its price. To make up for it, it expenses by way of the fashionable USB-C, not like many cheaper telephones on this listing that use micro-USB.

And that’s the catch right here – the MP02 prices $300. It’s a luxurious dumbphone, which is a little bit of a paradox in some methods. However you probably have disposable earnings and you’re fed up with being in your smartphone all day, it is a very upmarket primary cellphone.

It additionally acts as a 4G hotspot in the event you actually do want to attach a pill or laptop computer to the web to ship an e-mail or get some work completed. The battery lasts about three or 4 days with mild use.

Ensure you get the ‘new technology’ of the MP02 – there’s an older {hardware} model that now not will get software program updates. The brand new model is far more achieved and secure, however it doesn’t overly fill me with confidence for the long-term software program assist of the brand new mannequin.

In a lot the identical vein because the Punkt cellphone, the Mild Telephone 2 is an aspirational primary cellphone made by New York begin up Mild. It has no dialpad buttons, as a substitute utilizing a small e-ink touchscreen (like a Kindle’s).

It comes with Telephone, Messages, Alarm and some different capabilities however you may go to a particular Mild dashboard on a pc and add in different ‘instruments’ that Mild is including over time. These embody a podcast participant, MP3 music participant, and a instructions software that works because the cellphone has GPS. It’s very gradual although, so is simply advisable for utilizing in the event you get misplaced. It’s good to have, although.

I’ve acquired three days of battery out of the cellphone at its greatest, however it will depend on your operator and sign energy. Once I used the cellphone in New Zealand on a neighborhood SIM, the battery life depleted to empty in lower than 12 hours, however within the UK it lasted me three days of sunshine use on the Giffgaff community.

You’ll be able to kind texts simpler than most different telephones on this listing although because of the touchscreen, and the podcast app is good to have paired with the headphone jack.

The Mild Telephone 2 is pricey however it’s nice {that a} product first launched in 2019 nonetheless will get common software program updates, bettering its worth for cash over time.

A substitute for Doro’s easy telephones is that this stark however good trying cellphone from European firm Emporia. It is a 4G voice cellphone with huge buttons and clear menus that may additionally ship and obtain textual content messages, although that is so laborious you’ll simply name somebody as a substitute. No unhealthy factor!

There are additionally three assignable buttons in white on the pad that when set will instantly name particular contacts, excellent for the older buyer who desires a tool with no barrier to make use of.

For beneath £100 the cellphone has a nice and sturdy rubber end and features a charging cradle within the field so you may preserve it charged always. A draw back is the display is sort of small, so in the event you essentially want the textual content measurement set bigger then menus are more durable to navigate as solely two traces match on the display without delay, and textual content has to scroll to be learn.

However if you wish to preserve issues so simple as doable and worth a torch over a digital camera, this cellphone is an efficient alternative.

If you happen to actually can’t stay with no smartphone however wish to in the reduction of in your cellphone use, or just desire a genuinely small cellphone, then check out the Jelly 2E. Maker Unihertz pushes it as a cellphone with a display so small you merely received’t wish to use it a lot, lessening time on the infinite scroll of social media.

With a tiny 3in display, I totally agree. This factor is miniscule. However it runs Android 12 together with the Google Play Retailer and each single app you possibly can run on the perfect Android telephones on the market. There’s a costlier Jelly 2 mannequin with a greater processor and NFC, however it’s caught on Android 11, therefore the 2E is the higher purchase.

It expenses by USB-C and in the event you don’t use it an excessive amount of the battery is sweet for about two days – ultimate in order for you apps if you want them however would slightly your cellphone stayed in your pocket slightly than drag you into senseless social media use. It even has a headphone jack!

If you would like – or wish to purchase for another person – a smartphone that has been customised with a quite simple visible interface, then this may very well be the one to get.

The Doro 8100 runs a model of Android referred to as Android Go that has simplified interface with giant apparent icons and software program that guides the consumer by means of app use if they’re unfamiliar or not sure of tips on how to use them. The software program even guides you thru establishing the cellphone with extra element than common smartphones after you may choose your information stage.

It comes pre-installed with some important Android apps, however you do have the Google Play Retailer to obtain any extra that you really want.

It’s the design and choice to preserve issues easy which are interesting right here, plus triple rear cameras, 4G, GPS, listening to assist compatibility, a transparent and loud earpiece, IP54 water and mud resistance and torch.

There’s additionally the MyDoro software program and an SOS help button to arrange that when pressed sends emergency alerts to associates or household. It’s peace of thoughts within the least intimidating smartphone you should buy, with three rear cameras and a selfie digital camera for snapping images and making video calls.

The third costlier primary cellphone on this listing is the one I’d suggest over the Punkt and Mild Telephone 2 in order for you probably the most ‘good’ options however nonetheless stand up to every week of battery life (utilization dependent).

The trade-off is that the Sonim XP3plus is a large, cumbersome flip cellphone. That’s as a result of it’s has army normal sturdiness designed for use in heavy business for builders and staff who would possibly drop it, drop issues on it, or use it with gloves on.

The cellphone runs a customized model of Android 11 that has no app retailer, so you may’t obtain Android app like you may on the Unihertz Jelly 2E.

That is initially a cellphone for calling, so it’s a disgrace that for a cellphone that runs Android the calendar and phone syncing is so unhealthy. You’ll be able to’t hyperlink your Google calendar or contacts lists to the system, an enormous oversight. Get the Doro 8100 from this listing as a substitute if that issues to you.

However the perfect characteristic right here is the wonderful voice name high quality. If you would like a cellphone that’s nearly indestructible with MIL-STD-810H army normal sturdiness and can all the time be able to make or obtain a name, that is it. It’s simply overkill for most individuals.

That is as about as low-cost you need to go for a contemporary cell phone, as even this remake of the basic Nokia 6310 from 2001 cuts some corners which may find yourself irritating you in 2023.

There’s solely 2G assist for calls and texts. That is OK to be used within the UK although as all of the networks nonetheless run their 2G frequencies.

Much less helpful is the paltry 8MB of storage on the cellphone. That is OK to retailer a number of textual content message conversations however if you wish to use the 6310 as an MP3 participant (which you’ll be able to), 8MB is about one track. Fortunately you should utilize a microSD card as much as 32GB in order for you.

It additionally takes normal SIM card sizes, not the nano SIM we’re all used to now, so that you’ll have to supply an adapter (many SIMs include one if you’re looking out for the perfect SIM offers).

With a detachable battery and micro USB charger within the field it’s straightforward to remain powered up, plus Nokia quotes a standby time of 21 days, or about 20 hours of speak time. In my use this holds true. This cellphone lasts for completely ages, similar to the great outdated days.

If you wish to go even cheaper and extra primary, the Nokia 105 is simply £25, and within the US you may get the Nokia 225 4G for $49.99.