Dumb phones

[Woody girl]

I'm looking for a recommendation for a dead cheap dumb phone. Just need txt phone calls and photos.
I am confused by technology terms.
Sim only, what's that? Most I've looked at say that. I've only ever had just a sim with all my phones . Surely that's all you need?
Can anyone recommend a cheap basic phone that is dumb..(like me)
I don't want to spend more than £30 all in and working.
Also, I don't buy online, so needs to be available from somewhere like teso, argos, or a phone shop.
ee works best here, but I'd use another provider like Vodafone.. second best... if nessasary.
I tried to reserect one of my old phones but I can't find the charger, and asking my neighbour about it he said it probably won't work anyway as its only 2g. Shame.
So why is this model for sale on ebay if it won't work anymore? Do people realy buy stuff that doesn't work anymore?

 

[Woody girl]

The old phone I had before I went digital, I'd love to get it working again.

 

[HorseGuy]

Try your local Cash Converters or equivalent shop. They probably have several dumb phones you can choose from.

 

[Woody girl]

Try your local Cash Converters or equivalent shop. They probably have several dumb phones you can choose from.

Don't have anything like that near me less than 2 bus rides away! Nearly 2 hrs travel time each way.
Is a dumb phone the same as sim free?

 

[nigelp]

Sim free means the handset is not locked to a specific network. You can put whatever sim in you prefer.

Tesco phone shops are popular here for less technical folk to go and speak to a real person.

 

[slowworm]

AFAIK, but worth confirming, 2g phones still work for phone calls and texts. My Mum's O2 phone is 2g only and despite warning texts from 02 it still works and should work for a couple of years according to their shop.

 

[Woody girl]

Sim free means the handset is not locked to a specific network. You can put whatever sim in you prefer.

Tesco phone shops are popular here for less technical folk to go and speak to a real person.

Thanks...
Are you not a real person ?

I know what you mean.
I just want to get the terminology right as I, being an absolute luddite, can easily end up with some tech savvy person taking advantage, and making a few more bucks than is needed if I'm not careful.
I had this once at a bike shop, charging me for work that wasn't done, when I pointed it out, I got threats and wouldn't let me have the bike back untill I paid up for the non existent work. Being a female, they decided to scam me, and got ****** and nasty when I sussed them out.
Stinging review, put the word out at my local meet ups, and we soon put paid to their start up, especially after they conned a few others. Someone burned them out.
They no longer exist!(as a business that is..)
Give me a motorbike, and I know what I'm at.
Can't and wouldn't do that myself, but it did knock my confidence, and trust in businesses for six.
Cost me a lot of time and money as I had to take the bike elsewhere and have the work done properly.
Sorry, that's a bit off topic, but tech is not my strong point, I know it sounds a stupid question to most who are au fait with modern tech. But it is truely my one big weakness.
I have no confidence with it at all.
I can do m/c mechanics on old bikes, even rebuild engines given a haynes manual, and build a garden bench out of an old kids bunk bed mind!

 

[saxonaxe]

If it helps Woody, I have a £60 'Flip' phone that is insurance against nagging kids when I go wandering, I never use it. It does have a camera..apparently. The Tesco contract was £7.50 a month last time I looked. They cut me off last year because I didn't know that I had to make a call at least once every 6 months I think it was. Now I leave the phone in my van and phone my landline every couple of months when I happen to be in a signal area, like Town, to keep the connection. There is no mobile signal where I live anyway, I use the landline if I need to make the rare phone call.
Bloke in Tesco was very helpful and spoke in non Nerd when he explained the cheapest deal.

 

[ngundu]

I'm looking for a recommendation for a dead cheap dumb phone. Just need txt phone calls and photos.
I am confused by technology terms.
Sim only, what's that? Most I've looked at say that. I've only ever had just a sim with all my phones . Surely that's all you need?
Can anyone recommend a cheap basic phone that is dumb..(like me)
I don't want to spend more than £30 all in and working.
Also, I don't buy online, so needs to be available from somewhere like teso, argos, or a phone shop.
ee works best here, but I'd use another provider like Vodafone.. second best... if nessasary.
I tried to reserect one of my old phones but I can't find the charger, and asking my neighbour about it he said it probably won't work anyway as its only 2g. Shame.
So why is this model for sale on ebay if it won't work anymore? Do people realy buy stuff that doesn't work anymore?

I'm sure 2g (GSM) is still working, I understood there is a lot of remote equipment that still uses it. It's 3g that was recently turned off.

 

[Woody girl]

If it helps Woody, I have a £60 'Flip' phone that is insurance against nagging kids when I go wandering, I never use it. It does have a camera..apparently. The Tesco contract was £7.50 a month last time I looked. They cut me off last year because I didn't know that I had to make a call at least once every 6 months I think it was. Now I leave the phone in my van and phone my landline every couple of months when I happen to be in a signal area, like Town, to keep the connection. There is no mobile signal where I live anyway, I use the landline if I need to make the rare phone call.
Bloke in Tesco was very helpful and spoke in non Nerd when he explained the cheapest deal.

Thanks that's very helpful. I might just go to tesco next time I'm in town.

Is that a real old dial up phone? Cool! Wish I could find one of those. Been looking for one for years. I love retro stuff.

 

[Minotaur]

The old phone I had before I went digital, I'd love to get it working again.
View attachment 103527

I love my tech however my Motorola Razer will always have a special place in my heart. Basically, the flip phone used in tv and movies still.
A 5g dumb phone which could be used as a hot spot would be a brilliant outdoor phone as you could then carry a tablet for all of the smart stuff.

 

[Woody girl]

I love my tech however my Motorola Razer will always have a special place in my heart. Basically, the flip phone used in tv and movies still.
A 5g dumb phone which could be used as a hot spot would be a brilliant outdoor phone as you could then carry a tablet for all of the smart stuff.

I have a graveyard of 4 tablets.
I give up!
They take days to recharge, only last a few hours, and then die on me . and I'm totaly fed up with it all.
I rarely even have a phone on me when I'm out, unless I'm leaving town to go to hospital or shopping.
I realy only go online to watch u tube or check in here, occasionally Google something I need to know. Other than that, I'm rarely need to be on line.
I live a very luddite life, which reminds me, I must go and do the washing...by hand.... and get it on the line.

 

[Falstaff]

The problem with rechargeable batteries is that, if you don't use it and it runs flat then the battery is often dead and not rechargeable. I've had the same problem as Woody Girl and given up on my tablet. I have a bag full of old phones but most won't charge up again.
Looking at user feedback it's the same problem with the fancy Biolite stoves, built-in rechargeable battery, you put it away for 3 months and the battery is U/S.

 

[Toddy]

I'm quoting this because it's easier than trying to make sense of me writing it out. Basically, you can kick start a 'dead' rechargeable battery, by sort of forcing power into it.

"Rechargeable batteries often "die" because they have been deeply discharged below their charger's minimum voltage threshold. You can revive them by using a smart charger's refresh mode, jump-starting them with a fully charged battery, or trickle-charging them to bypass battery management systems (BMS)."

 

[HorseGuy]

To prolong the life of lithium-ion batteries, which are type commonly found in devices such as mobile phones and laptop computers, it's best not to let the charge fall below less than about 30-40% before recharging them.

The Battery University website is a great source of detailed information regarding battery care for all different kinds of batteries. Here's the relevant page for lithium-ion: https://www.batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-808-how-to-prolong-lithium-based-batteries/

 

[saxonaxe]

Thanks that's very helpful. I might just go to tesco next time I'm in town.

Is that a real old dial up phone? Cool! Wish I could find one of those. Been looking for one for years. I love retro stuff.

I'm told the land line phone has a device in it that allows it to work on the modern press button system, Woody.
Dialling a number is exactly the same as it used to be, if you dial an 8 or 9 you have time to put the kettle on before the dial gets back for the next number..Loud dialing tone and bell 'Ring Ring' too, but it's only about 27 years or so old. So a modern conversion

 

[Falstaff]

I'm quoting this because it's easier than trying to make sense of me writing it out. Basically, you can kick start a 'dead' rechargeable battery, by sort of forcing power into it.

I appreciate the advice but , per the article ref'ds by Horse Guy (thanx)
"Mobile phones come with built-in obsolescence to entice selling a new model" and "Most smartphones no longer provide access to the battery"

In the context of phones, tablets and the Biolite stoves, they all have inaccessible batteries of this type. Folk like Woody Girl and myself do not have the sort of kit and knowledge to do 'owt with them. Now, I have some standard AA & AAA sized rechargeable batteries and if I could swop those in and out there wouldn't be a problem for us and we'd never buy a new phone again.