Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Single Purpose Cellphone

 only makes calls
  (+6)
(+6) 		  [vote for,
against]

No web browser, no GPS, no locator, no camera, no video or audio recording, no text messaging, no touch screen, no color screen, no background image, no Bluetooth, no wWiFi, no email, no FM radio, no AM radio, no voice dialing, no changable faceplates, no data capability, no infrared, no PC sync, no multimedia messaging service, no flashlight, no text keyboard, no hard drive, no calculator, no calendar, no to-do list, no voice memo, no memory card slot, no USB, no music player, no games, no digital wallet, no PDA, no java, no satellite TV; just a cell phone for making and receiving calls. Includes a built-in phone book and speakerphone, also displays the date and time.
—nuclear hobo, Apr 15 2007

Flint's Lighter http://www.nostalgi...ies/ourmanflint.htm
Our Man Flint [nuclear hobo, Apr 16 2007]

Retro Cell Phone Retro_20Cell_20Phone
[hippo, Apr 16 2007]

More brrrings, less bees? http://news.indepen.../article2449968.ece
Bees don't like cellphones. [imaginality, Apr 17 2007]

Redundant? Mobile_20phone_20th..._20phone_20calls_2e
Mobile phone that makes and recieves phone calls [BJS, Apr 17 2007]

[link]






       Try the Motorola F3. It does calls, speakerphone, texts, date/time, address book and alarm - no gumph, and the battery lasts for about a week and a half between charging. Not bad for 15 quid.
—zen_tom, Apr 15 2007
   

       <recycled joke> "I'd like a mobile please. But can I have one without a camera? And without an MP3 player? And also please without Bluetooth? How much would that be?"   

       "Well, most of our handsets come free with the contract. But with all these extras? Oy!" </rj>
—MaxwellBuchanan, Apr 15 2007
   

       I recently bought a new phone. It came with a paper manual about 140 pages long. After telling me how to arrange my photos, download MP3 tracks, organise contacts...on page 74 the manual detailed the steps necessary for making a phone call. [+]
—coprocephalous, Apr 15 2007
   

       NuclearHob - I'm curious as to your motives. Is it that you want something easy to use, or something cheap?
—MaxwellBuchanan, Apr 15 2007
   

       I've a Nokia 1100 I used to use, that's pretty basic. It has a flashlight and text capacity, both of which I needed where I used it. And changeable faceplates, which was kind of handy after the first one wore out.   

       As [MB] implies, I bought it because it was cheapest. And this "idea" has been ranted before.
—baconbrain, Apr 16 2007
   

       [coprocephalous] is pretty close. I'm sick and tired of "progress" masquerading as featurization, 99% of which is useless, incomprehensibly difficult to learn to use *and* which gets in the way of the primary function the device is supposed to perform.   

       I'm happy to pay for quality, but my definition of such does not include a cell phone that includes all the functions of Flint's lighter (and then some).
—nuclear hobo, Apr 16 2007
   

       I would dearly love to have my Motorola Star Tac back in my pocket. Rugged simple small and simply one of the greatest phones ever made.
—jhomrighaus, Apr 16 2007
   

       I still use my Nokia 3210 - a great phone, and very simple. I think where this idea has a fundamental flaw is in the assumption that we should buy new, simple-interface phones, whereas in fact it's a better idea (and cheaper) to just buy a new battery for your five-year-old phone which already has a simple interface.
—hippo, Apr 16 2007
   

       I'd like a mobile based on the old wind and release dialling mechanism - or the even older, tap-tap-tap, hello? mechanism.
—zen_tom, Apr 16 2007
   

       They are a bit strange, in that your finger is tensioned at an angle perpendicular to usual - which can take a while to get used to - but with practice, and a freely-wheeling disk, being able to feel the physicality of the interface is actually quite satisfying.
—zen_tom, Apr 16 2007
   

       [zen] see link
—hippo, Apr 16 2007
   

       Ahh yes, almost what I had in mind - only I'd quite like to keep the old rotary dial as is, and somehow fit a more modern design around that. Perhaps you'd dial your number, and then hold the dial to your ear - or something.
—zen_tom, Apr 16 2007
   

       This is great, but why do I have to receive calls? I just want to make them.
—phundug, Apr 16 2007
   

       Off topic, but nice to know: I just found a use for the MP3 player and external speakers on my fancy phone. I got an audio book from the library, ripped it, copied to my phone, and now can listen to a P. G. Wodehouse book through my pillow when I have trouble sleeping. Ahh, yess. I drift in and out, and don't start thinking about inventions.   

       Of course I keep the ringer turned off.
—baconbrain, Apr 16 2007
   

       This is almost redundant (see link).
—BJS, Apr 17 2007
   

       // I'm sick and tired of "progress" masquerading as featurization
Actually, the thing you're sick and tired of is featurization masquerading as "progress".
If there were real progress, it wouldn't have to hide. We like progress. We just don't like crap.		   

       We've probably all seen the retro headset for cell phones. I wonder if someone makes a retro typewriter to send SMS messages with. I want to see people's reactions in the subway as granny pulls her little Remington out of the carrying case and starts picking out L ... O .... L.
—jutta, Apr 17 2007
   

       Features over function is what sells phones, I think. What makes a bad design is not the features, but the way that one button can represent many different functions, depending on mode or user memory, and sometimes without a real reason. A typical example is the standard simple digital watch. Telephones are far worse than that, and you are aboslutely right: the designs of some of those are deplorable.
—Ling, Apr 17 2007
   

       I hate to admit it, but picture phones are starting to lead to some actual progress. They are useful for revealing police brutality, documenting car acccidents, rapes, etc.   

       While there are many times when I don't want any kind of camera around me, the effects on society overall may prove to be positive.   

       But I'm still crumudgeony about text messages. Why should cell phones have them when land lines don't?
—ye_river_xiv, Apr 17 2007
   

       Better yet [Ian] was when BT got Tom Baker to be the voice of those messages. Nothing better than getting a phone call from Doctor Who in need of some assistance.
—theleopard, Apr 17 2007
   

       //Actually, the thing you're sick and tired of is featurization masquerading as "progress".// [Jutta], don't put mouth in my words.
—nuclear hobo, Apr 17 2007
   

       [BJS] Thanks for pointing out where I saw this before. I knew it sounded familiar. Still a great idea.
—Galbinus_Caeli, Apr 17 2007
   

       The day my car was sideswiped and the creep took off, I ordered a camera phone.
—whlanteigne, Feb 11 2014
   
      
[annotate]
   


 

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