Sweet nostalgia in a clamshell
Sometimes revisiting where you’ve been is a refreshing way to move forward. Technology is no different, and Metropol’s gadget guru Ian Knott goes back to the future with one such gadget.
THE GOOD:
• Affordable
• Satisfying clamshell flip design
• Large buttons
• FM radio, headphones included• Bluetooth and MP3s
• Long battery life
• Old-style texting takes ages
• Internet browsing is horrible
• Camera takes low-quality
photos
• Limited features compared to
modern smartphones
THE BAD:
• All of the above, depending
on your viewpoint
Remember when mobile phones only sent text messages, made calls, told you the time, played MP3s, and took really crappy photos?
There was no Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, or Messenger. No constantly checking the phone for instant gratification. To some, it sounds like a dystopian nightmare, but for many it was absolute bliss.
The need to digitally detox is an increasingly real one, and mobile phones like the Nokia 2660 Flip are becoming more and more popular. Stripped back devices that still allow loved ones to keep in touch, but are free of all other distractions.
During my time with the 2660 Flip, I would switch my SIM card over to it in the weekends, so family knew they could reach me via text message only. It was genuinely liberating.
The 2660 Flip is an inexpensive, lightweight phone with large buttons that are ideal for those with impaired vision or motor skills. It also has some features that may appeal, such as hearing aid support, an FM radio, in-ear headphones (wired, of course), Bluetooth, and MP3 storage (can anyone remember how to get MP3s?)
As a nostalgic bonus, the classic Nokia game Snake is included, which is still fun, and as difficult as ever.
One of the most pleasant throwbacks is the need to only charge the 2660 Flip once a week (or twice if you play Snake a lot), so you avoid the morning ‘digi-panic’ if you forget to charge your phone overnight.
There are some cons, however. Or are there? Because the negatives that come with this phone are actually what makes it fit for purpose. The camera is horrible (stop taking selfies), texting is labourious, web-browsing is downright painful, and there are no apps to keep you in the toilet for hours on end.
At around $130, the Nokia 2660 Flip is well worth having in your arsenal of personal wellbeing tools, and also a great phone for older family members or those who struggle with the modern smartphones.
