Here we’ve listed some of the best basic phones for those of you who aren’t impressed by smartphones. While you have the option of touchscreen devices in this category, you can choose to go for a numeric or a QWERTY keypad if you think multi-touch displays do not agree with you. To cut a long story short, these are your options from different carriers which not only offer all the essential functions that you seek from your handset, but also cut back on monthly charges for data plans; which is great if you aren’t planning to surf the web on your device. Take a look at all your options.
1 – Samsung Array:
The Array is a fairly new phone to have hit the market space and comes across as a great device for those who are self-confessed texting buffs. Its front panel has a decent 2.4-inch LCD display that comes in handy for surfing and enjoying videos on the move. It allows you to capture clear images as well, with a little assistance from a 2MP rear camera. This screen is accompanied by a numeric keyset that lets you send a quick text any time you want. But that’s not all – You can even expect a QWERTY keypad that slides out from behind the screen, while maintaining its sleek profile that measures not more than 0.59 inches. It tags along a GPS navigator and a web browser so you can check your email and even keep in touch with family and friends over social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter.
Price: $59.99 (Boost Mobile, with no-contract plans)
2 – LG Xpression:
Next, we have added a contender in our lineup of basic phones that lets you type conveniently on the QWERTY keypad that hides behind a 3-inch WQVGA multi-touch display. The stylish device packs in 50MB of internal memory and a 2MP camcorder on its 0.66-inch thick chassis. An expansion slot extends support to a microSD card of up to 32GB capacity.
Furthermore, its built-in web browser and pre-loaded social applications see to it that you are always connected. The handset boasts of world phone capabilities as well and comes with Bluetooth to facilitate transferring media content to and from compatible devices.
Price: $49.99 (AT&T, with a two-year contract)
3 – Nokia 112:
Nokia has made its mark in the feature phone market by introducing a number of devices that have been pretty efficient at delivering the kind of performance that is expected from them. And one of the latest gadgets to have been introduced by the Finnish manufacturer is the 112, a dual SIM handset that comes with Easy Swap technology to do away with all the hassles of opening up the body in order to switch SIM cards. Moreover, it remembers configurations of up to 5 SIM cards.
Operating with the help of the Series 40 OS, it flaunts a 1.8-inch TFT LCD display, a numeric keypad and a VGA camera. The handset even keeps you entertained on the move with a built-in music player and FM radio.
Price: €38 (unlocked)
4 – Alcatel One Touch Premiere:
The Premiere from Alcatel One Touch offers a touchscreen along with a QWERTY keypad, but unlike the aforementioned Xpression, it doesn’t slide out from behind the display. Both the 2.8-inch QVGA capacitive screen and the full physical keyset rest on the front panel. The flip side houses a 2MP camera that boasts of features like LED flash and the ability to record videos. Loaded with an HTML browser, it comes with a GPS navigator, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth along with 3G compatibility. As it draws power from a 1300mAh lithium-ion battery, you can enjoy talk time of about 5 hours at a stretch.
Price: $29.99 (U.S. Cellular, with a two-year contract)
5 – LG Rumor Reflex:
Another touchscreen phone with a sliding QWERTY keypad from LG that has graced our compilation featuring some of the best basic phones is the Rumor Reflex that is referred to as the green machine by Sprint, thanks to the Platinum certification for environment-consciousness. It runs the Brew mobile platform and lets you surf the web at 3G network speeds.
The handset with dimensions of 4.1 x 2.1 x 0.6 inches, crams in a 480MHz processor, and a 1000mAh battery that lets you talk for close to 5.3 hours without interruptions. A 2MP camera with video recording capability has also been added to the mix.
Price: Free (Sprint, with a two-year agreement)
6 – Pantech Swift:
The Swift is a messaging phone that has been loaded with all the essential features you may seek in a mobile companion. The handset shows off a 2.8-inch touchscreen and a full QWERTY keypad that hides behind the former. So you can type relatively fast on physical buttons and navigate through the device or surf the web on the multi-touch display.
Additionally, its angled screen rests on a curved form factor that highly reduces the glaring effect, so you can read even in brightly lit conditions. The purple-hued device has a built-in AT&T Navigator, a web browser and a 2MP camera to capture memories in the form of pictures and videos.
Price: $69.99 (AT&T, with a two-year customer agreement)
7 – Samsung Factor:
An array listing out basic phones is definitely incomplete without a flip handset considering that the clamshell design has been reserved for feature-rich handsets. So if you have always loved this form factor and wish to continue using one, the Factor seems to be an appropriate option for you. This lightweight and sturdy device naturally comes with a numeric keypad to facilitate texting on the move. Some of its other attributes include a digital camera, Bluetooth, email and IM support, an expansion slot for a microSD card of up to 32GB and more.
Price: $29.99 (Boost Mobile, with no contract plans)
8 – Nokia Asha 305:
Yet another dual SIM device from Nokia that has been listed in our catalog is the Asha 305. Its front panel is dominated by a 3-inch WQVGA resistive touchscreen, while the rear side sports a 2MP camera.
A built-in music player, speakers and FM radio make it apt for on-the-go entertainment and the GPRS as well as EDGE support let you browse the web. Featuring Easy Swap dual SIM technology, this handset comes drenched in shades of silver white, red, blue and grey.
Price: €38 (unlocked)
Conclusion:
So this is where we bring our roundup of the best basic phones to an end. Agreed, they are not as efficient as smartphones, but they seem capable of carrying out most common tasks that even include web browsing. Do tell us if you are willing to pick up any of these devices. And if you have any other feature-rich handset in mind, drop in a line to let us know about it.
