i bought a pink flipphone
A few years ago, I started slowly making my smartphone a bit leaner - less an entertainment machine and more useful. Since I didn't have socials anymore, those apps weren't needed either, and I often prefer to use the browser to look at things anyway than have another app clog up the phone needing permissions. Apps aren't a convenience to me, they're an inconvenience.
That left a phone with a minimal home screen, more focused on being a calendar and to do list, having maps, banking, mail, an RSS feed reader app, public transport/car rental and messaging. I could also tap the button three times to turn it grayscale (my smartwatch is set to be permanently grayscale).
A while back, when my girlfriend was still working for a company recycling and refurbishing old phones, she brought me one of those you could slide open; I don't have it on me at the moment, but I think it is a Sony Ericsson W580i in soft pink. I love those and I wish they would bring them back - the Sony Ericsson S500i was my favorite among all phones I've ever owned. I wanted an older, dumber phone to take with me whenever it didn't make sense to haul my whole iPhone with me.
The issue with that W580i was the charging didn't work and so far we didn't put in the time to find a replacement for either the charger or the battery, so it's just been sitting there. But I came across the new HMD Barbie-themed flipphone, and I thought, why not. Has no internet capabilities, no browser, dual sim, space for an SD card, and a camera. It's cheap too.
So I ordered it.
That's what the packaging looks like.
The goodies included are kinda sweet. Stuff to dangle off of the phone like you had back then, stickers and rhinestones to bedazzle it.
I have to say though, I don't know yet if I will keep it. It seems comically large to me flipped open. I kinda hoped it would be a lot smaller, but I guess it's more like the later, bigger fliphones like the old Motorola Razr back then (oh man, everyone wanted the Razr back then). I loved how small the Ericssons were. I guess they were aware their audience is now used to big screens, so they can't make it too small before customers complain, but honestly - if I am not going to browse anything anyway, might as well make the screen small. I guess it's the camera, too.
They could have also made the keyboard smaller, which seems equally weirdly large to me, but I guess they're also aiming for customers who may not be used to those (anymore).
It also feels somewhat cheap in the hand. Almost like a toyphone for kids, but it isn't, they even say that. The plastic just feels a bit like Happy Meal Toy. I didn't expect the world at 130 Euro, but still. I would've preferred a smaller, heavier, a bit sturdier version if possible. And it should be; with how much we cram into smartphones these days with smaller and smaller components for much more powerful features, we could have had a really nicely small one without losing out on power and function. The same things from back then simply shrunk and became more efficient.
I think it's funny that they opted to include a mirror on the surface that will likely get scratched the most first, and also results in you seeing your mean mug staring right at you before you flip it open.
I'll have to think it over. Haven't ordered a separate SIM card for it yet, thankfully.
Edit: Decided to send it back :( I liked everything about it aside from size and the cheap feel. I could have gotten used to the size quickly if I was happy with the quality, but both is kinda hard to get over. I am still in the market for a little heavier, sturdier one that doesn't feel like a Barbie plastic horse in my hand. Maybe now that everyone is getting so sick of their phones and digital detox is reaching the masses, maybe we'll see more.
Published 13 Sep, 2024, edited 2Â days ago