The Best Dumb Phones in 2023

Smartphones have definitely taken over the world. It’s hard to blame people for loving these phones so much because they really do have everything that you’ll need. If you’re looking for something simpler – or something to use for calling and texting only, then you might want to get a “dumb phone” instead.

Dumb phones are basically cheap phones. As the name suggests, it lacks the advanced features of a smartphone, such as a camera, apps, and others. However, dumb phones do have all of the basic features that we’re used to back in the day. Dumb phones are very cheap, so they’re a great buy if you want a phone when traveling abroad. Here are the best dumb phones you can buy.

Before smartphones arrived, Nokia served as one of the premier phone makers. The brand has since shifted to creating smartphones as well but that doesn’t mean that the company has opted out of making basic phones. In fact, the Nokia 2720 is one of the best dumbphones right now.

The Nokia 2720 is a flip phone and dumb phone at the same time. The flip phone design makes the Nokia 2720 very compact when you put it in your pocket. While old flip phones are bulky when folded, this one is surprisingly slim, so you can place it anywhere inside your pocket, bag, or elsewhere. Of course, the phone becomes very sizeable once you open it up, but it’s still very good on the hands and is very comfortable as well. It comes with all of the caveats of using flip phones, but aside from the basics, the 2720 comes with a lot of amazing features that make it better than your run-of-the-mill basic phone.

The Nokia 2720 can cost as low as $20 in some places. Despite its very cheap price, the phone comes with a 5 MP camera which is actually very high compared to other dumb phones out there. The 2720 also comes with a headphone jack and support for Bluetooth 4.2. The device can be a good musical companion for those long trips on the road. These features aren’t exactly necessary for dumbphones, but they’re well appreciated when it comes right down to it, as they help you get the most out of your money with their reasonable pricing.

The phone also comes with a swappable battery which is important if you’re always using the phone’s 4G capabilities that can drain batteries pretty quickly. Apart from all of this, the device also comes with a selection of bloatware, including Youtube, Google, and Google Maps. It makes us think twice about considering this phone as a dumbphone because of its amazing features.

Pros

• Cost effective
• Hearing-aid compatible
• Great price

Cons

• Limited storage

Specification

• Price $115.00
• Display Size 2.8 inches
• Battery 18 days standby / 3.4 hours talk
• Dimensions 7.59 x 2.15 x 0.46 inches

Our elderly need phones for emergencies and to keep in touch as well. However, the problem is that today’s phones are too complicated, which makes them a bad choice for them. If you’re looking for the best phones for seniors, we’d have to chalk that one up to the Easyfone Prime A6.

The phone is a pretty basic phone which keeps things nice and simple for your grandparents. The buttons are large, the fonts are large, and overall, the entire phone is very easy to use. The entire design is made to be a phone that can be given to the elderly as gifts or something that they can use for general purposes. Of course, it’s still good as an emergency phone for everyone else. If we’re talking about simplicity, the Easyfone Prime A6 is one of the most basic phones out there, which explains why the price is very affordable.

Another great feature of the Easyfone Prime A6 is an SOS button that you can use for emergencies. The emergency button can be used just about anywhere, making this a great phone to use if you’re going to be traveling to the great outdoors. On top of all this, the phone also comes with hearing-aid compatibility, which, again, makes it one of the best phones for seniors. The phone doesn’t come with a camera, and there’s little in terms of features. However, this is the kind of dumb phone that you’ll have to get if you don’t really want to splurge.

Rounding it all up is a battery that can make the device last for over 90 hours when not in use. It’s a reliable phone that can help you get out of many sticky situations. Overall, the Easyfone Prime A6 puts all of what you need in a single compressed package that makes connecting with others very easy.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Large fonts
• Best for seniors

Cons

• No camera

Specification

• Price $69.99
• Display Size 1.8 inches
• Battery 96 hours standby, 5 hours' talk timeWeight
• Dimensions 4.52 x 2.04 x 0.57 inches

Next up, we have another amazing option from Nokia. That is the Nokia 225. This simple and straightforward dumbphone comes with everything that you need, plus a few extra features that will make the phone extra better.

The Nokia 225 is not as simple as it comes with a few smartphone features that will provide you with hours of entertainment at a very reasonable price. For starters, the Nokia 225 features a pretty straightforward design. The size is just perfect to fit in the hand of most people. It’s not too bulky as well, so the phone can fit in your pocket without any worries. For the base features, the Nokia 225 can take and receive calls and compose messages. If you’re looking for a few more extra features, then you’ll be happy to know that there are a few extras worth noting.

The Nokia 225 can browse YouTube and Facebook, which is a pretty big deal. The interface of these apps definitely suffers from the poor screen and the phone’s design, but these are minor compromises for what you’ll have returned. Watching on YouTube does deliver pretty poor quality, but at least you’ll still be having entertainment on the go. Aside from that, the phone is compatible with many games making it even more perfect if you’re looking for something extra entertaining. It’s not as simple as most phones on this list, so that means it’s a little more expensive too.

On top of all these great features, the Nokia 225 also comes with an FM radio which puts an even deeper level of entertainment as well. It’s a battery-efficient way to get every news and entertainment moment that you need. With an extra SD card, you can even add more music to the phone. Overall, the Nokia 225 is a great starter phone to give to your kids because of its great features at an even better price.

Pros

• Excellent display
• Simple and cheap
• Comes with bluetooth

Cons

• Can be hard to text with

Specification

• Price $49.47
• Display Size 2.4 inches
• Battery 20 days standby / 6 hours talk
• Dimensions 4.91 x 2.01 x 0.54 inches

AT&T also comes with a good selection of cheap phones as well. One of the best out of the company is the AT&T Cingular Smartlfip IV which is arguably a stylish and simple dumb phone to have.

The AT&T Cingular Smartlfip IV is built to function like a simple smartphone. It comes with the basics that you’ll need in a phone such as being able to make and take calls, as well as make messages. As the AT&T Cingular Smartlfip IV runs on the KaiOS2.5, the phone is capable of running a few simple apps which could be essential to some. With the OS, the AT&T Cingular Smartlfip IV can run basic versions of apps like Facebook and Whatsapp. It’s a good way to stay connected with others outside of the basic communication tools of the phone.

The phone can make HD calls as well so if you hate cloudy and low-quality audio from other basic phones, then the AT&T Cingular Smartflip is one of the best phones to have out there.

The phone offers easy typing with the help of a basic version of Google Assistant. You can use the feature in most text entry fields so typing is pretty easy especially if you wear a headset with a decent mic. Lastly, you can sync the phone with your contacts in Google and Outlook too.

Additionally, the AT&T Cingular Smartlfip IV comes with its own camera which isn’t as impressive as other cameras you can find on phones but is still good enough. It can record low-frame videos which obviously, isn’t up to the standards of other cameras. The still shots also aren’t impressive in any way. 

The AT&T Cingular Smartlfip IV comes with amazing features for a dumb phone. If you want something simple but feel premium, this is the device for you.

Pros

• Comes with Facebook and Whatsapp
• MicroSD support

Cons

• Sluggish software

Specification

• Price $79.99
• Display Size 2.8 inches
• Battery 72 hours standby / 10 hours talk
• Dimensions 3.94 x 1.57 x 0.79 inches

Let’s talk about Punkt next. The brand might not be as prominent as Nokia, AT&T, or many others. However, what they bring to the table is something that’s out of this world.

The Punkt MP02 is an amazing dumbphone that comes with a lot of amazing features. It’s basically a smartphone with stripped-down features, which is why it’s one of the most expensive dumbphones out there right now. The design is still simple and straightforward, but many users will appreciate what this phone brings to the table. It comes with 4G, which makes connecting to the internet easy. Although you’re not getting the amazing features of a smartphone, you’re not losing a lot with the Punkt MP02 as well. What makes this such an amazing device?

The Punkt MP02 comes with support for Signal protocol. This neat feature is important as it allows for encrypted-internet-based calls. It also allows for metadata and communications, which further amps security. The MP02 comes in black and blue colors, which is nice if you’re looking for something stylish. The phone is designed to be as simple as possible without losing some key features. It’s a great buy for those that are looking for something simple but effective at the same time.

What’s extra unique about this phone is that you can connect it to laptops or desktops. This goes well for quick charging or if you’re going to transfer a few files if you want to. It’s a simple feature that’s oddly enough, not present in many basic phones out there. For that, the MP02 deserves a lot of praise for adding something extra to the field.

Pros

• Stylish design
• Can sync contacts via Bluetooth
• Tablet/laptop connection support

Cons

• Pricey

Specification

• Price $379.00
• Display Size 2 inches
• Battery 180 hours standby / 4 hours talk
• Dimensions 4.61 x 2.02 x 0.57 inches

Last but not least, we have the Nokia 6300. This is one of the best dumb phones out there. Many consider this as an excellent phone that sits in the center of wanting to be a basic phone and a smartphone at the same time. 

The Nokia 6300 comes with a lot of amazing features but let’s talk about the appearance of the phone first. The device is designed like a flip phone, but there’s a lot more flair to it. The overall design principle is simple and very stylish. It looks like how a smartphone would look if it were designed to look like a flip phone. The design also results in a very slim and compact phone that can fit in your pocket very well. Now, let’s talk about the amazing features that come with this phone.

The phone gives you access to a few important apps, such as Facebook, Whatsapp, and YouTube. With a battery of 1,500 mAh, the phone can last you a long time. On standby, it can last for as long as 25 days. If you’re using the phone for talking, it can go for as long as 7.5 hours which is pretty impressive as well.

Unlike most dumb phones, the Nokia 6300 can be used as a mobile hotspot. On top of that, you get a generous 4G of storage which you can increase to 256 GB with the use of a microSD card.

Pros

• Web access
• Long-battery life
• Expandable with MicroSD

Specification

• Price $49.99
• Display Size 2.4 inches
• Battery 25 days standby / 7.5 hours talk
• Dimensions 5.43 x 4.8 x 1.34 inches