Dumb Phone Reviews

Here’s the complete list of all the dumb phones we’ve reviewed so far (we’ll keep reviewing phones, so the list should be growing over time):

 

Blackberry KeyOne Smart Phone

Blackberry KeyOne Smart Phone With Physical QWERTY Keyboard

This site is mostly about dumb phones. However, if you're looking for a *smart* phone with a physical keyboard, you'll want to get a Blackberry ...

BLU Jenny TV 2.8 Cheap Dual SIM Phone (Unlocked)

The BLU Jenny TV 2.8 is a simple bar phone that's available for below $25. It can take up to two mini-SIM cards, and as ...

BLU Tank II T193 Low-Cost Dual-SIM Phone (Unlocked)

The Blu Tank II T193 is our favorite low-cost phone (below $25). With a standby time of 30 days and up to 16 hours of ...

Casio g’zOne C781 Ravine 2: Rugged Flip Phone (Verizon)

I have no idea how Casio came up with this name, nor how to pronounce it, but the g'zOne C781 Ravine 2 (shall we just ...
CAT B100 thumbnail

CAT B100 Military Grade Rugged Bar Phone (Unlocked)

One of the toughest cell phones available: Designed and made by the construction company, CAT, the B100 is guaranteed to survive a fall from a height of ...
CAT B30 basic rugged phone

CAT B30 Rugged Bar Phone (Unlocked)

The CAT B30 is a waterproof rugged phone made by CAT, the construction company. Made of high quality materials, this phone is IP67 certified to ...
LG 450 thumbnail

LG 450 Simple Flip Phone (T-Mobile)

A light, small, and elegant phone, the LG 450 is basically made for texting, as well as for making and taking calls (really!). While it does ...
LG Exalt flip phone thumbnail

LG Exalt VN360 Simple Flip Phone (Verizon)

The LG Exalt VN360 is a simple, senior-friendly flip phone that's highly reliable, easy to set up, and intuitive to use. It is M4/T4 hearing ...

LG Extravert 2 QWERTY Slide Phone With Touch Screen (Verizon)

The LG Extravert 2 (VN280) is a versatile dumb phone that comes with a touch screen plus a full-blown QWERTY keyboard that slides out from ...
LG Xpression C395 QWERTY slide phone

LG Xpression C395 QWERTY Slide Phone (Unlocked)

The LG Xpression C395 is a slide phone that comes with a 3" touch screen on the outside. The phone slides open to the left, ...
Nokia 3310 3G Feature Phone

Nokia 3310 3G Simple Bar Phone (Unlocked)

A modernized version of Nokia's iconic classic, the Nokia 3310 3G is a stylish yet simple bar phone that works with today's 3G networks. It ...
Samsung a157 thumbnail

Samsung a157 Non-Camera Flip Phone (AT&T)

Phones without a built-in camera are rather hard to come by these days. With all the talk about hacking going on, some may be aiming ...
Samsung Convoy 3 thumbnail

Samsung Convoy 3 U680 Rugged Flip Phone (Verizon)

The Samsung Convoy 3 is a great, ruggedized flip phone that can handle a lot of harsh treatment. It meets military standard MILSTD810F in terms ...
Samsung Intensity 2 dumb phone with slide-out QWERTY keyboard

Samsung Intensity II SCH-U460 QWERTY Slide Phone (Verizon)

The Samsung Intensity II is a slider phone that was designed with texting and social media in mind, making it a great dumb phone especially ...

Samsung Jitterbug5: Easy-to-use Flip Phone for Seniors (GreatCall)

Reminiscent of the early 2000's clam shell style phones, the Jitterbug5 is a Samsung flip phone that was specifically designed for the elderly. This phone ...
Samsung R355C QWERTY bar phone

Samsung R355C Low-Cost QWERTY Bar Phone (Net10)

The Samsung R355C is a low-cost, good quality bar phone that features a full QWERTY keyboard. Owing to the need to fit all the keys in ...
Samsung Alias 2 QWERTY two-way flip phone

Samsung SCH-U750 Alias 2 Two-Way Flip Phone (Verizon)

This is one of the most popular dumb phones ever, due to its unique two-way flip design (see the pictures below to find out what ...
Samsung SGH A777 thumbnail

Samsung SGH A777 Basic Slide Phone (AT&T)

The Samsung SGH A777 is a reliable, popular slide phone that's simple to use and doesn't come with a whole lot of unnecessary extras. It's very ...
Snapfon ezTWO thumbnail

Snapfon ezTWO: Simple Phone, Great for Seniors (Unlocked)

The Snapfon ezTWO is a GSM phone designed specifically for senior citizens. It has a red emergency button on the back, that when pressed will connect ...
ZTE Z432 Low-Cost AT&T GoPhone with full QWERTY keyboard

ZTE Altair 2 Z432 QWERTY GoPhone (AT&T)

The ZTE Altair 2 Z432 is a popular low-cost GoPhone on the AT&T network. It features a full-scale QWERTY keyboard, great for typing text messages ...

Note that our aim isn’t to review every single dumb phone out there. We believe that such a list would be more confusing than helpful. Here’s our criteria for which phones we include:

  • They must be “dumb phones” (also known as “basic phones” or “feature phones”) — we don’t include smart phones that run with Android or iOS operating systems.
  • Phones should be at least a couple of years old, so they have been tested by many people in all kinds of everyday-usage situations. If you’re getting a dumb phone, you’re probably not looking for the latest model with tons of features — instead, you want a phone that’s reliable, easy to use, and with great battery life.
  • They should have mostly positive customer feedback.
  • All phones must be available in the U.S. and be eligible for use with a U.S. network provider. (Dumb phones that work with a SIM card can also be used when travelling abroad, of course.)

Click here for a comparison table that shows an overview of all of our dumb phones’ technical specifications.