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John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

johnsphones.com

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Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#91

Post by calloc »

daten wrote: post #77
some1else wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want simple SMS, albeit with a retarded UI, check out Motorola F3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_FONE_F3

This is the first thing I thought of when I saw the headline "minimalist phone". The wikipedia page confirms it's not available from Motorola in the US. I'm curious if anyone has had luck using an unlocked one?

They were available from TigerDirect. I used to own one, and it was pretty good. I quickly got annoyed with the screen though, so when I had the money I purchased a Nokia phone.

However I found something just about as cheap from NewEgg, this one has a colour display:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875209...

Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#92

Post by mstevens »

Synaesthesia wrote: post #51
jacobolus wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> SMS has become a way of life Not for everyone. For example, I send one text message every two or three months. I could easily live without the ability to send or receive texts. The thing I don’t like about this phone is the silly pen-and-paper address book. Are there any phones out there that just make phone calls, and nothing else?

Check out the ZTE S306. Although I'm not sure if it's South African only. http://www.techcentral.co.za/zte-s306-review-a-phone-for-gra...

I was keen and had a google. Couldn't find any UK sellers.

Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#93

Post by calloc »

jcw wrote: post #80
jacquesm wrote: post #14

This is a very good idea executed poorly. SMS has become a way of life and you'll be receiving messages that you can not read, also a paper phonebook requires that you carry a pen with you. Play it again, John, this time with a pager sized (text) display and I'll buy one. edit: added the (text), it does have a display but can't display text messages.

Yeah. I think what you (and I) really want is a phone with a two-color LCD screen from seven years ago. Actually, I think those are called tracfones, but they have a stigma of being used by only elderly people. Dang it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875209...

Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#94

Post by dagw »

mstevens wrote: post #92
Synaesthesia wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Check out the ZTE S306. Although I'm not sure if it's South African only. http://www.techcentral.co.za/zte-s306-review-a-phone-for-gra...

I was keen and had a google. Couldn't find any UK sellers.

Check out doro.co.uk. Not the same company but Doro make phones that look just like that phone.

Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#95

Post by zumbojo »

jonknee wrote: post #76
roel_v wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where do you find them for that money?

Here's a Motorola for $20 US: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875209...

I pop the SIM out of my iPhone and put it into one of these whenever I go biking or camping. Mine cost $15 as a GoPhone (not unlocked). Couldn't be happier.

Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#96

Post by mstevens »

dagw wrote: post #94
mstevens wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was keen and had a google. Couldn't find any UK sellers.

Check out doro.co.uk. Not the same company but Doro make phones that look just like that phone.

Hmm. They actually look so similar I'm wondering if ZTE make doro phones, or something along those lines.

Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#97

Post by pqs »

mseebach wrote: post #60
bambax wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also very expensive. Basic Nokia phones that don't do much more than calls and SMS and that are very simple to operate and very sturdy, can be found (new) for around EUR 20.

SMS-lifestyle or not, I'd take the Nokia (at 2/3 the price or less) for the 10+ years of industrial design that went into it. To be honest, this doesn't seem to be a phone for children or the elderly (neither of which have some sort of cognitive short circuit that keeps them from grasping a simple Nokia while allowing them to embrace the idioms of this particular phone) -- but rather a phone for hipsters who need to…

I also would take a Nokia, but they are not water proof!

Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#98

Post by spacecadet »

Interesting. I agree with the SMS comments. I almost entirely SMS. Mostly only business and family on Talk.

Two years ago I did a "simple phone" concept. Mine was touched based. Never progressed it, to busy with other things. I find it funny that somebody did.

Here was my rough design. http://bit.ly/fTz643

Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#99

Post by pak »

smackfu wrote: post #83
some1else wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want simple SMS, albeit with a retarded UI, check out Motorola F3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_FONE_F3

Isn't this phone pretty terrible for SMS, since it basically uses a calculator style display?

You can read about 8 characters at a time, but since most SMS's are pretty short if you have good fingers and get used to the buttons it's not as bad as you might think (kind of like a pager). I know a guy that uses this phone as his primary. For composing, there's no T9, btw.

Re: John's Phone: a minimalist cell phone

#100

Post by beoba »

retroguy wrote: post #18
jacquesm wrote: post #14

This is a very good idea executed poorly. SMS has become a way of life and you'll be receiving messages that you can not read, also a paper phonebook requires that you carry a pen with you. Play it again, John, this time with a pager sized (text) display and I'll buy one. edit: added the (text), it does have a display but can't display text messages.

I think this is a good idea and has been executed pretty well, I don't think this is necessarily aimed at the HN crowd, but possibly at the HN crowd's grandparents. I'm sure there are some pretty switched on grand parents out there, but I don't fancy the idea of sending my grandmother an SMS. I'd need to call her and no doubt visit her to explain the whole SMS thing. I have a friend with a parent who is getting on in…

My grandparents wouldn't get this; too expensive.
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