Comments

• scouser05

  ✭✭  /  November 2018

  I really appreciate there are others here who want to reduce distraction too. It's a really good thing to do because so many of us use smartphones too much for nothing really.

  
  

  If you need certain stuff like Google Maps, then definitely Nokia 8110 4G will be the one to go (I believe the only feature phone that has maps anyway). I can't comment about National Rail or podcasts because I don't own this phone, but for maps this seems to be the phone to get.
  

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• madbilly

  Super User  /  November 2018

  The only "feature phones" that can do this are KaiOS phones, AFAIK, like the new 8110. However, you've can also do all those things you want on an older, smaller smartphone. You can probably get one cheaper than a KaiOS phone and also do more things with it, if you need to. You'd also be saving natural resources.

  
  

  Or just get better at self restraint and don't browse so much
  

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• Corgan

  ✭✭  /  November 2018

  Agreed. The KaiOS ones probably are the best for that capability in a simpler package, but in my experience they're not fun to use. Going back to feature phones really makes the most sense when you've committed to removing these distractions entirely.
  
  That said, SMS to an email (and vice versa) has been super helpful for transferring notes in a pinch--and I've been relying a lot more on SMS notification services (where they exist) for transit schedules. 

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• abbas

  ✭✭✭  /  November 2018

  Be it touch screen of feature phones, the strength of a handphone is how versatile it is and this will depends on the variety of apps it can accommodate. On this, Android offers many apps so new comer KaiOS loses here. Then, I read an internet article where there is not much difference in time between a person who is fast as texting on keypads vs. touch-screen. So a good feature phone would be an Android QWERTY feature phone preferably with big key pads. I believe such a feature phone with a respectable CPU could do much but I don't think there Is any in production...yet.
  
  
  

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• user1542395851927

  ✭  /  November 2018

  Indeed, I still miss my old Nokia n series with a full keypad

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• Wade Wilson

  ✭✭  /  November 2018 edited November 2018

  scouser05 said:

  I really appreciate there are others here who want to reduce distraction too. It's a really good thing to do because so many of us use smartphones too much for nothing really.

  
  

  If you need certain stuff like Google Maps, then definitely Nokia 8110 4G will be the one to go (I believe the only feature phone that has maps anyway). I can't comment about National Rail or podcasts because I don't own this phone, but for maps this seems to be the phone to get.
  

  KaiOS on the Nokia 8110 4G lags so much. It's unusable. We were only allowed to use dumb phones during working hours, and I choose it. It's a bit of a cheating actually (since it promises smartphone features). That's what I thought. But the more I use it. the more I realize its weaknesses. It's slow, and it lags so much. I have to boot up my old Nokia C1-01 and C1-02 and put this thing on the drawer. Surprisingly, Google Maps on my Series 40s still works, albeit slow (Edge). 

  0
• Wade Wilson

  ✭✭  /  November 2018

  corgan said:

  Agreed. The KaiOS ones probably are the best for that capability in a simpler package, but in my experience they're not fun to use. Going back to feature phones really makes the most sense when you've committed to removing these distractions entirely.
  
  That said, SMS to an email (and vice versa) has been super helpful for transferring notes in a pinch--and I've been relying a lot more on SMS notification services (where they exist) for transit schedules. 

  Couldn't agree more. 

  0
• KhalidShaikh5379

  ✭✭✭  /  November 2018

  user1542395851927 said:

  Hi,
  As a way of reducing distraction I'm researching feature phones (currently on Android). Basically I'm trying to reduce meaningless browsing.
  However...
  I frequently use Google maps, bus company apps and the national rail app (I'm UK based). It would also be good to listen to podcasts (I don't use Twitter or Facebook).
  How suitable could a feature phone be?
  Thanks

  Currently KaiOs is not so that much developed to get those services in full-fledged but you can try your hands on Android go edition phones worth to rely on Nokia 2.1 is the beast with massive battery and advantage is Android go apps developers have taken bit pace in developing ighter apps to enjoy the go edition I suggest you to go for it

  1
• madbilly

  Super User  /  November 2018

  @Wade Wilson good to hear that the old Nokia phones are still working well even though the APIs for service they use have sometimes changed.

  
  

  One of my main gripes about the KaiOS "smart feature phone" marketing is that this is not new. They say they have the first app store for a "feature" phone (by which they mean a T9 classic phone)... er, no, Nokia had that before 2010 on the series 40; again on the Asha. AND KaiOS somehow manages to have less capabilities than those old Nokia phones.
  

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• Wade Wilson

  ✭✭  /  November 2018

  @kd5379 You totally missing the point. These people who buy feature phones are not always the people who can't afford smartphones. Sometimes, these people just want the simplicity of feature phones, and just like me, mandatory for a job. Obviously, people can buy better smartphones with the price of 8110 4G, but they choose not. Recommending people to buy a smartphone to counter the problems they have on KaiOS is really unintelligible. And to be fair, KaiOS is pretty much a developed OS. HMD would never spend money to use a half-baked OS. The problem on KaiOS is with its app support and optimization. I don't know why you disagree with my comment when all I did was tell the truth. 

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• Wade Wilson

  ✭✭  /  November 2018

  madbilly said:

  @Wade Wilson good to hear that the old Nokia phones are still working well even though the APIs for service they use have sometimes changed.

  
  

  One of my main gripes about the KaiOS "smart feature phone" marketing is that this is not new. They say they have the first app store for a "feature" phone (by which they mean a T9 classic phone)... er, no, Nokia had that before 2010 on the series 40; again on the Asha. AND KaiOS somehow manages to have less capabilities than those old Nokia phones.
  

  Totally agree. Despite backing from Google to bring its services (which is a technique by the way that will soon end KaiOS's ruling), KaiOS never really match the capability of the old Series 40. The new Smart Feature OS and Series 30+ are also not very welcoming. 

  0
• KhalidShaikh5379

  ✭✭✭  /  November 2018

  Wade Wilson said:

  @kd5379 You totally missing the point. These people who buy feature phones are not always the people who can't afford smartphones. Sometimes, these people just want the simplicity of feature phones, and just like me, mandatory for a job. Obviously, people can buy better smartphones with the price of 8110 4G, but they choose not. Recommending people to buy a smartphone to counter the problems they have on KaiOS is really unintelligible. And to be fair, KaiOS is pretty much a developed OS. HMD would never spend money to use a half-baked OS. The problem on KaiOS is with its app support and optimization. I don't know why you disagree with my comment when all I did was tell the truth.
  
  @Wade Wilson first of all sorry my bad I didn't know how I clicked on disagree as we both have same thoughts on kaiOS

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• Keith

  ✭✭✭  /  December 2018

  I like feature phones for work because of their durability. But if you need a podcaster then you'll have to have an Android Go device. To listen to podcast you would presumably have to go to the podcast actual website and stream  The maps go on the 8110 4G is very basic but not a satnav substitute. If you require WhatsApp or another instant messaging app the KaiOS phone will be no good. In fairness the 8110 4G is probably the best feature phone out at the moment but is slow. It has many glitches that haven't been resolved. 

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• Tom Barrasso

  ✭✭  /  June 2020

  Some of these issues have since been fixed, I'm able to use Google Duo for calls and PodLP (https://www.kaiostech.com/store/apps/?bundle_id=com.podlp.podlp) to listen to podcasts on my 8110 4G.

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