What the H happened to flip phones?

I remember when I bought my first smartphone. I bought an HTC1. That thing never cracked. it never broke. it never fell. I ended up selling that phone a while ago to someone who was brand new to the whole smartphone thing. Within just 2 days.... well you all know what happens to most new smartphone owners don't you.

Anyway... I actually had my Galaxy S5 stolen from me at gun point. Did I ever get my phone back? Nope. Police didn't even file a report including my, expensive at the time of purchase, cell phone.

I spent about 7 years owning a smart phone. And last year I finally decided to just axe that part out of my life completely, and I bought a flip phone.

Do you know how much it sucks owning a flip phone in america now? there is only 1 flip phone you can buy and it is from alcatel. I own this phone. It is the phone I DOWNGRADED to. Everyone is in this smart phone frenzy... watching youtube videos, chatting with people on some social app, or generally just wasting time on the clock looking at MEMES all day. I went back to a flip phone because I suddenly came to the realization that I no longer need a data plan. I no longer have time to drive out to a place out in the middle of no where to watching youtube on the go. I am more focused on my tasks at hand now and I only browse these sites when I am at home on my expensive computer.

Why pay 550+ dollars a month to do something I do at home all of the time? I have a wifi router if I don't feel like getting out of bed right away so I do have a few tablets. But besides all of that... WHAT THE **** HAPPENED TO ALL OF THE FLIP PHONES?

Why do cell phone carriers only stock up on smartphones? I wanted to get a VKS phone. I even bought a newmind phone that looked absolutely AWESOME. But when I wanted to activate it in the US for service? Its like... all of a sudden flip phones went extinct. All I can buy is that stupid Alcatel phone.

I want a better made flippin phone, not some piece of garbage from alcatel. I can't even get an old indestructible Nokia phone with service.

What the hell happened? I get that absolutely everyone and their mom has a black mirror they carry around with them every where they go so they can attach themselves to a screen, invading other people's lives.... And it is the major market trend. But honestly I turned myself OFF from all of it when I downgraded and I am actually a lot happier now that I don't have ads thrown in my face every time I open up my phone. But I want a different flip phone. This thing is a major piece of ***!

The phone randomly shuts off. I miss text messages. Sometimes I don't even get a ring of my phone to happen. I can at least use an MP3 as a ringtone on it but still. This is ridiculous! I am trapped into a corner with 1 style of flip phone that works on any carrier and it is this thing:
Alcatel go flip.

Man. I can't tell you how much I hate this phone. You'd have to experience it for yourself.

But I am trapped. I mean absolutely NO ONE allows me to use the phones I bought with any carrier. I am trapped in a world where I HAVE to have a smartphone.

I am so sick of it.

I mean texting with T9 isn't the greatest experience I know but come on. At least allow me to use my VKS phone. AT least allow me to buy something better than this stupid alcatel go flip. Seriously. When it comes to flip phones in the us you can only buy 1 type of flip phone from 1 company.

How many others out there have this same problem? Has anyone got any answers? Seriously I will switch to what ever cell phone company allows me to use a flip phone OTHER than an alcatel go flip.

a reply to: GiulXainx

Go to Ebay and get a Motorola Razr. (or if you want to go REAL old school) Startac

You can get one for almost any carrier.
They last a long time.

I worked in their call center and I remember many calls from people that drove over their flip phones and they still worked after. Try that with a phone today!

I don't have a cell phone anymore, I gave it up about seven years ago. My wife has one, she just upgraded from her flip phone a year ago to a smart phone. It cost sixty bucks for that smart phone and costs us like thirteen bucks a month for the service, it is one of those Shopko phones. There are only like two hundred minutes a month of phone time, we had lots we didn't use from years of the ten dollar a month phone that she transferred. We don't use the little data we get each month either, we still got over two gigs of data from the switch. It is set to use the internet first. She actually made about five texts this year on her phone, she shocked the kids and grandkids.

I don't even want to learn how to use the smart phone. I have been working with computers since eighty eight, I would rather just sit at a desk and type than use my thumbs like that.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I don't have a cell phone anymore, I gave it up about seven years ago. My wife has one, she just upgraded from her flip phone a year ago to a smart phone. It cost sixty bucks for that smart phone and costs us like thirteen bucks a month for the service, it is one of those Shopko phones. There are only like two hundred minutes a month of phone time, we had lots we didn't use from years of the ten dollar a month phone that she transferred. We don't use the little data we get each month either, we still got over two gigs of data from the switch. It is set to use the internet first. She actually made about five texts this year on her phone, she shocked the kids and grandkids.

I don't even want to learn how to use the smart phone. I have been working with computers since eighty eight, I would rather just sit at a desk and type than use my thumbs like that.

I upgraded to a smartphone. I actually find it annoying. Freaking thing when you are on a call the touchscreen thinks your ear lobes is a finger or thumb and hangs up calls. What genius came up with this craploa?

a reply to: GiulXainx

I have never owned a smartphone Iphone and I didn't buy the hype about vcr's.
I bought my first vcr for 25$ brand new after dvd came out.

I collected cassettes and never bought the cd hype either.
I bought my first cd for 3$ after people got ipods and mp3 players but still kept my cassettes.

I will do anything to keep my flip phone...I will NEVER cross the line into having a dumbphone.
I paid $25 for it, it costs me $28 a month and I barely carry it.

I got rid of my phone last year for a few months and it was easy just by having an internet connection...if push comes to shove, I can live without a phone.
Also,I am really really cheap and my fav guitar I have ever owned cost me $150.

Doesn't anyone remember having a phone with a cord stuck in the wall and how much we didn't need people staring at plastic all day??

Edit...if it weren't for my boss,I wouldn't even own a phone....life is simple,people are complicated.

a reply to: DrumsRfun

Doesn't anyone remember having a phone with a cord stuck in the wall and how much we didn't need people staring at plastic all day??

Remember when someone called and if you didn't answer, you wouldn't know who it was. Those were the days!
If it was important they would call back.

Let's put it this way. How many flip phones do you think would be sold in a year? That's why they don't sell flip phones any more. Life moves on. If you don't, that's okay. It gives you something to brag about. Now everyone on the Internet who "wastes time" on ATS (Is there any other explanation?) will tell us how and why they don't have the latest and greatest from Apple or Samsung. But somehow you found time to get on here and complain, right? Hmmmmmm.

a reply to: GiulXainx

Fun fact.






I have to charge my smart phone to get it to at least 15% before I poop.

a reply to: schuyler

Yeah but I purchased a few phones that were made in 2016. flip phone and bar phones. But when I go into my shop they tell me "Oh no those phones do not work on our service."

I even brought them a blackberry and they thought I was trading it in for a smartphone.

Basically I can't get anything other than this stupid alcatel go flip phone. Seriously even if I bought it from amazon it won't work.

I have to remind people not to take pictures of information to send to me because I don't have a smart phone and can't read stuff on my small screen. I used my Nokia for years until I washed it in the washing machine. I miss that phone. I have one where the keyboard slides out. Also all those emojis are just little rectangular shapes. Its bad enough I don't know phone numbers anymore but I can still drive without GPS telling me where to go. I will get maps and directions from google but also love my paper maps.

My wife has had a flip phone since I met her almost ten years ago, and she has dropped it numerous times, but it has never died. We have no plans to go smartphone, and I have never owned a cell phone in my life.

a reply to: schuyler

But somehow you found time to get on here and complain, right? Hmmmmmm.

In my day...people used to try rob you physically and you had the opportunity to kick their ass first.

Now its electronic and people screw you from their desk without guns. haha

So yes, I shall complain about the tech people while being on the internet and respond to the guy pointing out about people complaining on the internet.

Get off my lawn, they raised the price of grass seed!!!!

Motorola razr3v for $88 thru verizon.
Kyocera’s and samsungs are all out there.

I had motorola razr’s back in the day and loved them.

a reply to: Oaktree

Oooh. thanks for pointing me in the right direction. They actually have a Kyocera. THANK YOU! But... now I have to find out if my phones work on their service so I can use them. Although I do like that Sonim they have.

Actually wait no... they can't beat 25 dollars a month... I might actually have to go in to the store to see what they offer.


Looks like they require you to have some stupid data plan.. I am so sick of this. Is it so hard to have a plan that has 0 data? as in NO INTERNET to the device? Is that so hard to find now a days?

I have a TracFone LG (flip top). I don't use the internet on it, rarely even take a pic with it. I use it only when I need to in order to receive or make a quick call or receive and send a quick text. It works everywhere I go. I get double minutes and air time every time I buy I card with minutes. I even get codes sometimes to get even more minutes and air time. Love it!

I got a "smart"phone finally. And a plan for about $20.00 per month.
But, mostly because if we lose power, we lose the "land"line as well.

And, I use the phone for radar and directions. Emergency texts.
Almost never for making calls, as I don't like talking on the phone much.
IF I want pictures, I have a fairly good camera.

My husband also has a cell for emergencies....a flip phone....with a $3.00 per month calling plan.

a reply to: GiulXainx

Perhaps one of these with the big buttons.

www.amazon.com...=sspa_dk_detail_3?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07BHHHT7Z&pd_rd_w=jvUsG&pf_rd_p=f0dedbe2-13c8-4136-a746-4398ed93cf0f&pd_rd_wg =foiO7&pf_rd_r=7Y5R9CPRAMKQTD6GP9RG&pd_rd_r=ca306e67-1881-11e9-982d-992e9505a650

Why do most mobile phone vendors sell nothing but smart phones?

Because there's a whole lot more money to be made by selling smart phones. And not just through the cost of the device itself.

The additional functionality and ability to load and operate apps allows vendors to get a few steps closer to a person's credit or bank account. The easier the phone engineers make it for users do do things (and spend money), the more money is made. Convenience is not cheap!

When we consider functionality, the device we call a mobile phone is actually a portable computer that has an app to make and receive calls. Structurally, a "mobile phone" is actually more akin to a digital camera--based on the amount of hardware required to implement the function.

a reply to: GiulXainx

I so agree. I dumped my smartphone and went flip phone basic for about two years. Then my job with the State required me to have a phone that allowed me an internet connection for nonverbal communications.

Still went basic, got the cheapest one I could find, got an affordable data plan with Cricket and met the requirements of the job. I really don't use it that much anyway outside of work.