Comments on: Android Flip/Dumb Phones – Not Too Far Off?

By: rich

rich — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:46:48 +0000

I have the G1 and I was an early adopter of the android system. As a cell phone geek I would still say that my favorite type of phone was a candy bar style phone like the Motorola SLVR. The phones can’t really be compared as they are so different, but what I hope for in the future is a candy bar android smart phone.

Having a physical number pad is a comfort i’ve had to live without for a long time now. I’m tired of it. Also, touch screens are gimmicky. Give me a trackball or directional pad any day.

Huge screens are unnecessary in my opinion. they eat up battery life, and can get broken easier. put android 1.6 (2.1 or whatever) on a motorola SLVR, give it real GPS, WIFI, an accelerometer and BlueTooth and i’ll pay astronomical amounts of money for it.

By: suidragon

suidragon — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:45:50 +0000

No touchscreen phone should ever be carried in the “pocket” that’s screen disrespect, especially one that runs android.

By: steven b

steven b — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:28:05 +0000

I hope this wasn’t the backflip, because the backflip opens the wrong way. The reason I want a flip phone is so that the keyboard and keys don’t get beat up in my pocket.

By: startac

startac — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 11:14:23 +0000

People want a simple flip phone with buttons that you can feel being pushed.
All these new touch screen phones are annoying and stupid.
Bring back the flip design and stop the selling of screen protectors.

By: 2FR35H

2FR35H — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:55:26 +0000

@Anthony

There is already a media player that utilizes android… That would be the newer Archos 5. How much you wanna bet when and if creative comes out with android in their media player that it will be touch screen?

Anyways back to my reply. I am not saying android should only be for phones but Android on phones is about the touch feature and trying to be an iPhone killer. A dumb phone or flip phone can not kill the iPhone. Plus those types of phones are a thing of the past.

By: davis

davis — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:14:07 +0000

this phone is clearly TMobile’s answer to Verizon’s Droid and Sprint’s Hero.

By: asqwerth

asqwerth — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:22:19 +0000

I think flip phones will still appeal to a certain group of people, and I’m sure Android is flexible enough to be adapted for more “standard” phones. If there is no expectation that these phones will be able to install apps, there won’t be any additional fragmentation of the Market.

And I must say that if you are a power sms texter who types messages by touch alone (not needing to look at the screen/keys), nothing beats having a physical phone number pad. With only a touch screen, it is no longer so easy to, ahem, surreptitiously send someone a text msg without letting the other people in the meeting room know you’re doing so. :-)

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:27:50 +0000

@2FR35H

Why not?

Barnes and Noble’s new eBook Reader, the nook, runs Android. It’s not anywhere near a cell phone, yet they were able to find benefits from the open platform.

I think that Creative is doing some work on a media player that utilizes Android.

There are tons of rumors of other web-enabled devices that have benefits from running Android.

If devices that aren’t cell phones become better with Android, why can’t a dumb phone? Obviously the experience wouldn’t be the same as an Android smartphone, but no one really expects that. It would almost certainly be better than the current dumbphone offerings.

Android is just starting to get going. It’s definitely not the time to be getting elitist about it. It’s flexibility and openness is what sets it apart from the iPhone.

By: 2FR35H

2FR35H — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:08:45 +0000

No Android should never be flipped out or dumb down it would take away from android itself Android without touch? thats just crazy and shouldn’t be done… it would be the worst choice any manufacturer can make.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:56:43 +0000

@petergdakin
I think it looks like the opposite. We’re seeing more granularity than ever before. There are now dumb phone, smart phones, eBook readers, netbooks, laptops, and desktops. And those just cover home users. Each one of those serves a different purpose that all the others fail on.

Some things will certainly converge. For most, there isn’t much use for a traditional car GPS if you have something like Droid + Car Dock.

Instead, things are just working together more. I don’t think your phone will ever replace your TV — however, you can use your phone as a remote control for your TV, or for watching your TV while you’re away, etc…

By: Z-liberator

Z-liberator — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:31:17 +0000

Honestly I would love a Razr with Android that would be hot!!! Razr still my favourite dumb phone. Razor is smarter than some phones on the market now, which is a shamE!

By: petergdakin

petergdakin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:31:28 +0000

Sorry guys, but the future of mobile phones is “smart” and the increasing bringing together of computers, phones, entertainment media into a single device.

By: Shay

Shay — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:17:53 +0000

This is great news. I’m not sure if I’d ever want to go back to flip phones from mytouch 3g but there are still a lot of people out there that do like flip phones and with android open source, flip phones don’t have to suck anymore.

They can be a bit more productive compared to what is available in the market and still be cheap, small and flipping floppin! (sorry I’m on a boat just randomly came to my mind!)

Take a good hard look at my Android Phone!! Someone should do a song on Android Phones VS. iPhone Users

By: jonathan

jonathan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:25:46 +0000

BRING THE FLIP PHONE BACK

I want a killer Lotus or Razr2 like Android phone.

Or like the DS, two touchscreens.

Make something killer, someone!

By: hEh

hEh — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:06:11 +0000

Dumbphones with android are not dumbphones.