Flip is Hip Again

[easysurfer]

Now we're talking (pun intended):

Flip phones making comeback with celebrities and fashion icons - CBS News

What, flip phones were considered not cool? When did that happen?

I'm keeping my trusty flip phone

 

[Sue J]

DH and I still have our flip phones. While smartphones would be handy at times we have a legacy prepaid plan from when Verizon bought up our previous cell phone company. There is no monthly fee and when we add money to the prepay account it's good until we use it, nothing expires. Calls are 15 cents a minute.

We don't use our phones very much, mostly for checking in if one of us is out.

It makes calls, it texts. Best of all, NO MONTHLY FEE!

 

[easysurfer]

I don't have a smart phone and am hanging onto my flip phone.

I use it mostly for calls from the hotel or leave in the car for emergencies.

It does have text ability but I avoid that (cumbersome use of buttons only).

It's a prepaid TracFone but really all I need.

 

[ls99]

My 4 yo Tmobile flip phone runs around $10 to $30 per year. Oh and it is not smart.

 

[candrew]

If a flip phone is good enough for Indy Colts QB Andrew Luck (Stanford grad)......

"When questioned about his outdated phone last year, Luck explained that he has a history of breaking or losing his devices, so this way he doesn't have to worry about emptying his pockets for a new phone (not that he couldn't afford a new phone). I think subconsciously it's a way of getting away from the internet, social media and email."

It also helps avoid embarassing foot-in-mouth social media posts!!


Andrew Luck Is Still Using A Flip Phone | ThePostGame

 

[rodi]

I had the Motorola Razer flip phone for almost 10 years. I loved that phone. I still have it - but have a different carrier so can't use it. That think was completely indestructible. I also have an old LG Envy flip - with the flip out keypad. Again - very rugged.

 

[FIREd]

With the advent of ever larger smartphones, I think that flip phones can appeal to people like me who don't need the full functionality of a smartphone and don't want to carry a brick in their pant or jacket pocket.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

We have a ten year old Verizon plan that includes 5gb of 3g data for ~ $35/mo. total.
The only phone left that will tether data to a laptop is the Samsung Convoy 'smart' flip phone - very handy for our simple needs.

 

[easysurfer]

I confess to having a label tape with my cell phone number on the back of the flip phone as despite after many years, the number is not committed to memory.

Oh, I do know my landline phone number by memory

 

[ABQ2015]

Nobody wants to steal a flip phone. And when I lost my flip phone in a Las Vegas casino a few months ago, someone turned it in to security. Got it back the next day.

 

[RockyMtn]

Love my razr v3xx. Had it for years and it fits nicely into a pocket as opposed to the smartphones. When they wear out (keypads go south) I buy a new one on ebay for $30 or so.

 

[gauss]

I have a flip "jitterbug" style phone that I use for voice. It even has a simulated dial tone when you open it. I activated on PagePlus which operates on the Verizon network. At $72/2000 minutes that last for 1 year I am paying less than 4 cents/minute. All that with no monthly fee.

I have a separate cheapo smart phone that I use for data only. I recently ordered a go Karma 4G LTE hotspot for use with this. 1GB 4G LTE data/$15 and the data does not expire.

-gauss

 

[foxfirev5]

I knew my flip phone would be back in style if I hung on long enough. Not that I really care, it's the simple practicality and low cost that has me hooked.

 

[easysurfer]

I have since gone to the dark side as in getting a smartphone, but while watching the movie "The Intern" last night, there's a scene where the 70 year old senior intern Ben (played by Robert De Niro) starts is intern job, the young intern next to him brings out about 5 different electronic devices (smartphone, flash drive, usb cable and such). Ben takes out an old physical alarm clock, old attache case, and a flip phone which gets a glance by others. Ben is a cool dude.

 

[Car-Guy]

After about 10 years my old LG flip phone finally wouldn't hold a charge anymore. (it was showing it's age too. Dings, scratches, paint fading, etc) I went to the AT&T store to get a new one and they really tried to sell (almost give) me a smart phone but I went for a new flip phone. It makes and receive calls, it can text, send email (albeit a PIA to do that) takes pictures, videos, has Bluetooth, games, clock, stopwatch, etc, etc, etc.

The new phone cost me about $15 to buy, no monthly fee (Go Phone) and I spend less than $100 year on actual usage.

I still have a landline at home (like the voice quality) so I only turn on the cell phone when I'm away. Works for me!

 

[harley]

I thought you were talking about Flip Wilson.

 

[W2R]

I have had an iPhone nearly forever by now. I miss my old Motorola flip phone!

Mostly I miss it because it worked better as a phone. I don't really need all the smart-phone functions that much. I do need a phone. I also miss not having to pay for data.

Not sure what I will do when this phone needs to be replaced. I could afford another iPhone, but is that the best value for my money, for someone like me? I'm not so sure.

 

[Gumby]

I never transitioned from the flip phone to a smart phone, so I'll keep using the pre-paid phone that I have, secure in the knowledge that I am once again hip. In fact, I am extra hip because I have never texted, tweeted, twittered or taken a picture with my phone. It doesn't do any of that.

Now, if I could just find it. It is either in the glovebox of my car or one of my coat pockets in the hall closet. I haven't actually used it in well over six months, I'm sure.

 

[braumeister]

Gumby, I can understand. Several years ago, I was visiting an old friend who is about six years older than I am. We spent the weekend together and he kept marveling at all the things I was doing with my iPhone, so I gave him a little overview of its capabilities and recommended that he visit the nearest Apple store and get a more thorough introduction.

Spoke with him on the phone a few months later and he said he had a new iPhone and loved it, "mainly because my daughter thinks I'm hip now."

So, on my next visit, I was surprised when he kept asking me to do things with mine. Every bit of functionality that came up in the conversation ended with "I don't know how to do that." It turned out that as a lifelong computer-phobe, he simply wasn't comfortable trying anything new for fear he would break something.

After several years, he is now comfortable using it as a phone and sending/receiving texts, but that's about it. Still, he brags about using his iPhone and is proud of how much he knows about it!

 

[Ronstar]

I had a flip phone forever, followed by a few years of Blackberry, and now on my 2nd or 3rd iPhone. I liked the flip phone because of its size. I still have it just in case.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Koolau]

The battery in my 10 year old $10 flip phone was getting weak last year. Replacing the battery would cost $20 so I bought a new flip phone for $15.

FWIW, I found an iPhone a few months back and turned it to lost and found. YMMV