Not everyone wants a phone that gets online, has a range of apps or costs more than a couple of hundred dollars. Fortunately, there are a range of "dumb phones" available whether you just want to make calls and send texts, want one for a family member or are de-cluttering your digital life.
Best retro phone: Nokia 3210 4G
RRP AU$153.41
This candybar phone checks all the boxes for a simple phone with a retro feel.
- 4G LTE connectivity, classic telephone (T9) keypad
- Large battery with up 9 of talk time
- Comes in grunge black, Y2K gold and scuba blue
View on Amazon
This Nokia feature phone brings together the best parts of a familiar candybar design with connectivity for today's modern world.
With a solid battery, you get weeks of battery time when you're not using the device constantly.
Best phone for seniors: Opel Mobile TouchFlip 4G
RRP AU$179
The TouchFlip is designed purposefully with seniors in mind.
- 4G LTE connectivity, large buttons and a designated SOS button with GPS positions
- Up to two days of battery life, comes with a charging dock for easy charging
- Loud speakers and hearing aid compatible
View on Big W
Opel Mobile TouchFlip 4G is built with accessibility at the forefront. Large buttons make typing easier and messages are clear on a 2.8-inch touch-enabled colour display. A special SOS button can be used in emergencies to alert up to five pre-programmed numbers.
It comes with a charging dock which makes remembering to charge simple.
Best flip phone: Light Flip
RRP US$349
A minimalist phone from Light, this time in the classic flip phone style.
- 5G connectivity, classic telephone (T9) keypad, flip form factor with black and white OLED display
- Comes in a variety of shades including black, navy, red, pink, yellow and grey
View on Light
The Light Phone in a flip form factor probably fits the brief best for what many people are looking for in a dumb phone. You get a phone that's capable of just the essentials calls, texts, music, and maps. It even has Uber and 2FA tool.
But you won't find any infinite scrolling feeds here. No email, no web browsing and certainly no social media.
Best minimalist phone: Light Phone III
RRP US$899
The Light Phone III comes with an elegant, minimalist aesthetic.
- 5G connectivity, E Ink screen similar to an e-reader
- Ideal for minimalists with no online access (e.g. emails, social media)
- Up to two days of battery usage
View on Light
Minimalists will love the Light Phone III for its simplicity. Minimalism is the focus but it's not without some handy basic features.
Apart from phone calls and texts the device currently comes with a calendar, GPS, notes, a calculator, a simple music player and a podcasts tool. However, it will never support internet browsing, news or email as part of the brand's commitment for the phone to be used "as little as possible".
While past Light devices had e-ink screens, the Light Phone III uses a more conventional OLED display with a custom matte finish. It is still black and white, however.
How we picked the best dumb phones
To select the best dumb phones in this guide we considered the following:
- Connectivity. With the 3G network well and truly shut down in Australia we only included devices with at least 4G and VoLTE. This way you can be confident they'll keep working. Each phone is also unlocked so it will work with any Australian carrier.
- "Dumb" OS. We only looked at phones that don't run Android OS. While it's possible to find a cheap Android device we wanted to make sure that these phones qualified for the title of being a dumb phone.
What is a dumb phone?
In today's vernacular, a dumb phone is the counterpart to a smartphone. In the past, they've also been called "brick phones" because of their rectangular design or otherwise bulky frame compared to thin, long smartphones. Originally, these somewhat vintage phones were sold as "feature phones". They were so-called because they had more features than just being able to call compared to the first mobile phones.
Dumb phones come in a couple of distinct form factors including the classic flip style or the candybar shape. A dumb phone might lack some of the features people have come to love e.g. games, navigation, music players but also some of the things people find distracting like social media apps.
Dumb phones are ideal for those who just want a phone that sends and receives calls and texts and not much else. They typically start around $200 depending on the model.
Phone plans for dumb phones
If you're someone using a dumb phone chances are, you don't want a plan with a lot of data.
Here is a selection of cheap SIM-only plans in WhistleOut's database:
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Pivotel
25GB Mobile 4G Plan
$11.45/mth
Min. cost $11.45
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SpinTel
Editor's Pick
$23 Mobile Plan
$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
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Moose Mobile
Moose 30GB SIM Only
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
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Swoop
30GB SIM Only 5G
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
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Moose Mobile
Moose 50GB SIM Only
$17.00/mth
Min. cost $17
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Pivotel
50GB Mobile 4G Plan
$17.50/mth
Min. cost $17.50
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felix mobile
felix Unlimited Mobile Plan
$20.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
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Kogan Mobile
Large Monthly Plan
$20.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
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Alternatively, there's also the option of a long-expiry plan which allows you to pay for a whole load of data upfront. This can end up cheaper especially if you use a small amount of data each month.
Here are the cheapest long-expiry plans in our database:
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Lyca Mobile
Medium - Long Expiry Plan
$150.00
Per 360 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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Kogan Mobile
Medium - 365 Day Flex Plan
$159.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
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Lebara Mobile
$200 SIM Plan - 365 Days
$159.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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Coles Mobile
Prepaid $220 for 365 Days
$169.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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Kogan Mobile
Small - 365 Day Flex Plan
$179.90
Per 365 Day Renewal
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Kogan Mobile
Extra Large - 365 Day Flex Plan
$199.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
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amaysim
UNLIMITED 240GB Long Expiry
$199.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
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OnePass mobile
365 Day Plan - 200GB
$200.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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Vodafone
$350 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack
$219.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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Kogan Mobile
Large - 365 Day Flex Plan
$240.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
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Dumb phone FAQs
Can I turn my iPhone into a dumb phone?
Yes, it's possible to simulate the feel of a dumb phone with an iPhone or several other smartphones. You can start by deleting all the apps you don't want to use and then disable its browser which is Safari by default.
For a minimalist aesthetic, you can even be able to change the display to greyscale which removes all colour. Certain companies have made an effort to recreate a dumb phone style with existing smartphones. "Brick" for example, sells a tile that works with screentime on your iPhone to lock certain apps away with a tap so you can't use them until you tap again.
Can a dumb phone run WhatsApp?
Some dumb phones may be able to run WhatsApp but you would need to check before you buy. In some cases, WhatsApp can be run over the web. Not all dumbphones support group messages. The dumb phones in this guide do not support WhatsApp, but the Light Phone III does support group texts.
Dylan Crismale
Digital Content Editor
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