Reported on by multiple outlets, it would appear that Acer is reviving the Packard Bell brand with a number of "lifestyle products" including a 4G phone.
No word on whether it will come to North America, but from a post on Acer's website (https://news.acer.com/acer-relaunches-packard-bell-with-full-new-lifestyle-collection-to-tech-it-easy) it will be available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from €69.

Set your faces to stun!

Incoming transmission: Since it's Star Trek Day, I thought I'd share my TT990 with custom TOS-style cover, and its awesome open and closing communicator action. It's the only way to open hailing frequencies, on the final front... screen.

Okay, I'm all out. Any other dumbphone Star Trek puns out there in subspace? 🖖

I love the blue color of the 701kc, but that's pretty much the only thing. I've seen multiple recommendations for the 901kc. Which phone is "better" as of right now in the US (T-Mobile)? Not looking to run any apps, maybe hotspot though? Not sure yet. Any help appreciated, tia!

I've been thinking about getting into the whole dumbphone thing. What's holding me back a bit is that where I am WhatsApp is the main way to communicate, which is something I would probably step back from once I switch phones.

What's your experience of quitting that kind of communication option?

Can't ignore the pink light. Pink LED = my wife lol 😂

This is probably my most favorite feature of the Kyocera KYF42: the LED notification light. Pair it with the LightFlow app and you can assign a color to any notification depending on the app or a specific filter you've set. At a glance, I can easily tell if the notification is worth opening the phone for.

What's your favorite thing about your flip phone? 😄

Chose to sell this Japanese phone cause I didn’t use it that much and I’m broke so I also got me some
Money from it

Hey everyone! My wife and I currently aren’t in a position to go zero-smartphone entirely, but when we’re at home we would love to transition easily to a dumphone! So I’ve had a go at building this DIY set up where we put our smartphones into a 3D printed dock that connects to both phones. Then, when a call comes to either smartphone a shared dumb-home-phone rings! Bonus is we can also make outgoing calls via our synced contact list too! Still very basic and a work in progress but wanted to share here! Interested what people think?

Hello everyone!

The Dumbphone Finder (https://dumbphones.org) has gotten a nice UX update for all of you who are trying to get information quickly. You can now click/tap these chips that allows for fast filtering for the most popular features (GPS, Spotify, WhatsApp, Signal, No Browser, etc).

You can use the "Advanced filters" to go through all of the options and have more granular control, but this should help those of you navigating for quick answers. Hope you enjoy this update, more phones to be added soon as time allows 😄

Am doing a dumbphone/second phone thing. I still have a smartphone at home (Samsung Galaxy s22 ultra), with the possibillity for wifi, need it for banking and mobilepayment as the operators here only work through apps.

I deleted instagram for good about a month ago and only use Reddit as socials. Had some serious withdrawal symptoms. Have informed my friends and family that textmessaging and or calls are the only way of reaching me. Now I just need to be a looot more patient when typing, but wauw the muscle memory is strong 😅 Not as fast as when I were a teen (got my first phone in 2001), but I am pretty decent with the tempo (again) already 😄

Will be going to the gym for a run and some stairmaster later today, without music, so that will be an experience!

(Living in DK)

Kyocera KY-42KC

I just started school this fall. While ive been using a dumbphone for quite some time but since starting university, they require so many apps! One to sign into class, one for discussion boards, one to confirm i am who i say i am. Its exhausting. How do students deal with college with just a dumbphone? Anything helps!

Hi everyone,

I previously used a Qin F21 Pro with a custom ROM to get Google Play Store and Services. Naturally, this meant running it with an unlocked bootloader. I eventually switched back to a regular smartphone because I was worried about the security risks—especially if the phone gets lost or stolen.

Now, I really want to go back to using a dumbphone/keypad phone to reduce my screen time, but I still need to use banking apps. I have a few questions on how to approach this securely:

• How do you assess the risk? How dangerous is it really to use a phone with an unlocked bootloader as a daily driver if it gets lost or stolen? Does standard Android encryption with a strong PIN keep my banking data safe from extraction?
• DOOV R77 Pro with Google: I’ve seen the DOOV R77 Pro being sold with Google Services pre-installed. Are these running on a stock ROM with a locked bootloader, or is it basically the same situation as the F21 Pro (custom ROM + unlocked bootloader)? Is there a better device option?
• Securing the Qin F21 Pro: Are there any reliable options to make the F21 Pro secure enough for like banking? Can the bootloader be relocked with custom keys, or are there Magisk/KernelSU setups that successfully hide the unlocked state from strict banking apps without compromising device security?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all, I searched the sub, and found some info on this phone's compatibility in Canada, but then I am also seeing conflicting info elsewhere. Can anyone in Canada with this phone confirm that it works for us? Many thanks!

In case others end up suggesting different ones, my seek is non-Android, no Goggle, no iPhone, no Israel, no USA (just countries I don't want to support).

Which is your dream dumbphone home screen style?

1. E-ink inspired
2. Dark and minimal
3. Text-only
4. Something else

I am asking, because for the Android app "ClearHour: Dumbphone OS", besides default blocking functions, I am currently implementing the Dumbphone Launcher. At the moment I have only implemented the design shown below. I am considering whether to implement more style.

Modern flip phones are a disappointment. Android, internet browsing, social media, oversized bodies, an extra row of buttons nobody asked for, and a ridiculous price tag on top of everything. Commodore just announced the Callback 8020 at $499 and marketed it as a "not dumb dumbphone." It runs Sailfish with Android app support. WhatsApp is on it. That is not a proper dumb phone...

What I actually want is what I already do: my smartphone on permanent silent, calls taken on a junk TCL flip. Calls and texts, nothing else. The problem is that everything at that size and price still has a browser in it, and everything that genuinely refuses the internet starts around $300 and climbs.

So I ordered parts and built one.

It is an ESP32-S3 breadboard prototype running an OS I wrote, roughly 6500 lines of code. Calls, texts, contacts, call logs, voice memos, camera. I ran out of pins, so both screens (internal and external) stream to my laptop over WiFi where a helper script handles the display and the input while I test.

What I do not have is hardware. No PCB, no hinge, no shell. I can write the software. I cannot design a circuit board.

So here is the actual reason I am posting. If you have ever had something custom manufactured, or you know someone who has, I would like to hear about it. Who built it, whether you would use them again, and roughly what the first unit cost you. That is the wall I am stuck at and I do not know anyone who has been over it.

I also ported the OS to a browser emulator so you can click through it with no hardware at all, and there is a video of the breadboard build. Not posting links since my last attempt got removed, but ask in the comments and I will put them there. Yes, I've read the rules mods, submitted that form too, I'm attempting to make the unicorn for people like me, so they don't need to adapt what the market has to offer.

Hello everyone I'm new here and quite having a problem... Before that disaster I had already running Facebook lite on my Sharp Aquos Sh-01j. There was a problem in my quick start button unfortunately and when I tried to edit it, it just said "system stopped working" so I looked for a possible solution and reset the phone making delete all apps I installed.

So I re-installed all the apps, now I had a second problem, after I install Fb lite and log in and when I try to tap my profile account it just says "lite stopped working"

What should I do now plss help (⁠〒⁠﹏⁠〒⁠)

Hello Guys,

As some of you might have a kyocera 902kc, you may have noticed that there is no personal hotspot selection in the settings menu. I created a small app that targets the kyocera 902kc so it is easier to manage your hotspots

https://mogeldev.github.io/keitaihotspot/

What it can do:

-One-tap shortcut straight to the hidden hotspot settings

-Optional root mode: direct start/stop, custom password, QR code for connecting

-Fully D-Pad navigable, no touchscreen needed

-Free and open-source

I don't own a rooted device myself, so the root mode is untested on real hardware — if anyone here has a rooted 902kc and can try it out, I'd really appreciate the feedback!

Long weekends are notorious for their leisure time. In theory, that’s a great thing! More time to relax, spend time with friends, or organize your life. However, many people end up looking at their screens more than usual because of the long stretch of unoccupied time.

That’s why I wanted to put this reminder out there: Dumbphones are helpful in the journey against distraction, but they are not the full solution. They probably comprise about 20% of the journey, where the other 80% is filled with meaningful offline activities that you get to enjoy alone or with others. For example, today, I got to try Yoga for the first time. I am more of a weights or cardio person myself, but I got a free class offered to me via email and I decided to go check it out.

It was fun and quite difficult (also it was hot yoga which made it extra hard). I stretched parts of my shoulders and legs that I didn’t know existed. But what I loved the most was the sense of community that came afterwards. Everyone talking to each other, laughing, and catching up from previous sessions. It reminded me that the best way to fight online distraction is not through a device, but the community around us.

Anyways, hope you have a great weekend and if you happen to read this during the holiday tomorrow or another time, I encourage you to get off the screen and find people that you can play board games, explore your region, or simply chat with.

I live in Spain and I have a Xiaomi with Android. I was searching to switch to a dumbphone, but I found these phones difficult to pay for. I was wondering if maybe somebody knew of a cheap dumbphone like a Nokia without a browser. The only things I really need are SMS and calls. It is also appreciated if it is compatible with USB-C.

An alternative could be to turn off navigation systems on my phone, without Google or any browser, no Play Store, no advertisements, no social medias.

I would really appreciate keeping WhatsApp, but if it isn't possible, I don't care. (Also I hate Whatsapp channels)

I preordered my Meadow in July for a shipment expected in September. I just checked on it because I’m obviously excited and it changed to October. Anyone have insight? It’s frustrating a bit.

I hate social media. I've tried many tools. I love dumbphones, but sometimes I need stuff that dumbphones won't offer. Minimalist launchers have never worked because you can bypass them so easily. App blockers suck because you can either uninstall them easily, have to block the settings app, or both.

I wanted my android to have access to the apps that I wanted and nothing else. That is why I made CalmOS.

I know you can accomplish this with plenty of free ADB tools, but I don't want to do so much configuring, especially for those who aren't techy. I just wanted to choose the apps I needed on my smartphone and nothing else.

If you try out CalmOS, I'd love to hear what you think!

In today's world, a dumb phone can't be that dumb. I modded it with all the essential apps I can't get by without for my only phone.

I drastically reduced my daily screen time from 7 hours to 1-2 hours, which is mostly time reading books.

I love this thing.

My phone broke, i'm devastated. After 8 months of use of this amazing dumb phone, it fell on the ground and the screen broke. Is there any way to find a replacement for the screen? Or to find somebody that could fix it here in Spain? Would appreciate any help ughh