Dumb Phone Prescription

Dumb phone comparison

What a flip phone really sells is not a feature. It is how hard it is to go back. The table is ordered by exactly that.

Prices move with exchange rates and contracts, so they are written as bands and the date we checked is next to each row. Check the official page before you buy.

This page takes part in the Coupang Partners programme and earns a commission from it. A buying link sits only next to a handset you can actually buy where the link goes. The table is ordered by how hard each one is to undo, never by commission.

Your current phone with the prescription

No new device / Checked on 2026-09-15

Price band Free

Sold in Anywhere

What works

  • Everything you already use
  • Banking and two factor apps
  • Maps and transit

What does not

  • Five seconds is all it takes to undo

Going back Very easy. Switch it off in Settings and it is over.

Source: no single official page, because the models on sale change too often to name one

Minimal Phone

Android with a physical keyboard and an E Ink screen / Checked on 2026-09-16

Price band 599 to 699 US dollars on the official store, at pre order pricing

Sold in Pre order on the official store, shipping stated for December 2026

What works

  • Every Android app still installs
  • 5G and a camera
  • A physical keyboard

What does not

  • It blocks nothing. The E Ink screen only makes scrolling slow
  • Colour and motion are limited by the screen

Going back Easy, because every app still runs. What changes is the shape of the device, not what it can do, so this is a differently shaped smartphone rather than a dumb phone.

Source: official page

CAT S22 Flip

Flip phone running Android Go / Checked on 2026-09-16

Price band not confirmed, because the official page does not print a price we could read

Sold in Built for T-Mobile in the United States and Canadian carriers. Other regions not confirmed

What works

  • The Play Store is still there
  • WhatsApp, Google Maps Go and Spotify
  • Hotspot

What does not

  • No 5G, no NFC, no wireless charging
  • No headphone jack

Going back Easy. With the Play Store still on it you can reinstall everything in a day, so the folding shape is the whole of the friction.

Source: official page

Punkt MC02

5G smartphone from Punkt of Switzerland / Checked on 2026-09-16

Price band 499 Swiss francs on the official store

Sold in Ships to more than 80 countries. In the United States the store lists refurbished stock only

What works

  • 5G and a camera
  • The Vanadium browser and a VPN
  • The Threema messenger

What does not

  • Whether Google Play is included is not stated on the official page
  • Mainstream messengers are not listed as preinstalled

Going back Moderate. It has a browser, so anything that works on the web still works.

Source: official page

Korean flip phone (LTE feature phone)

Flip phone sold by Korean carriers / Checked on 2026-09-15

Price band Roughly 100,000 to 200,000 won

Sold in Korean carriers only

What works

  • Calls and texts
  • One or two messengers on some models
  • Works with Korean carriers and your SIM

What does not

  • Most social apps
  • Most banking apps
  • Maps are technically there but the screen is too small

Going back Moderate. Move the SIM back and you are where you started.

Source: no single official page, because the models on sale change too often to name one

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Kids phone

Carrier device made for children / Checked on 2026-09-15

Price band Roughly 100,000 to 200,000 won, depending on the plan

Sold in Korean carriers only

What works

  • Calls and texts
  • Location
  • Whatever the guardian allows

What does not

  • App installs are blocked
  • Someone else holds the unlock

Going back Hard. Someone else has to unlock it, which makes it awkward for an adult to choose alone.

Source: no single official page, because the models on sale change too often to name one

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Wisephone II by Techless

American smartphone that installs only the apps on its list / Checked on 2026-09-16

Price band 399 US dollars for the phone plus a 39 dollar activation fee, with plans from 14.99 to 69.99 dollars a month

Sold in United States shipping. Other regions not confirmed

What works

  • Maps, music, texts and a camera
  • Two factor codes
  • WhatsApp, Signal and Waze by choosing them

What does not

  • No web browser
  • No social apps, games or email
  • Hotspot is on the higher plan only

Going back Hard. The plan is tied to the phone, so going back means moving your service as well.

Source: official page

Sunbeam F1

American flip phone where each model fixes what it can do / Checked on 2026-09-16

Price band not confirmed, because the official page does not print a price we could read

Sold in Built for the three United States carriers and their resellers. Shipping regions are not listed on the official page

What works

  • Texts and a camera
  • Hotspot and Waze on some models
  • Voice to text

What does not

  • No web browser
  • No social apps or music streaming
  • No maps other than Waze

Going back Hard. What it can do is fixed in the model, so changing your mind later means choosing a different phone.

Source: official page

Nokia 3210 (2024)

Feature phone brought back by HMD / Checked on 2026-09-16

Price band not confirmed, because the official page does not print a price we could read

Sold in Europe and several other markets. In Europe and China the cloud news and weather apps are left out

What works

  • Calls and texts
  • 4G and Bluetooth
  • Snake

What does not

  • No 5G
  • No maps or music streaming
  • No app installs

Going back Hard. With no apps at all you have to move banking and two factor codes to another device first.

Source: official page

Mudita Kompakt

Polish device with an E Ink screen / Checked on 2026-09-16

Price band 339.15 US dollars on the official store, down from 399

Sold in The official store sells in dollars, pounds, euros and zloty. It does not list which countries it ships to

What works

  • An E Ink screen
  • An Offline+ mode
  • A headphone jack

What does not

  • Whether maps, music, hotspot or messengers work is not written on the official page

Going back Hard. There is no app ecosystem, so banking and two factor codes have to live on another device.

Source: official page

Punkt MP02

4G feature phone from Punkt of Switzerland / Checked on 2026-09-16

Price band 299 Swiss francs on the official store

Sold in Ships to more than 50 countries

What works

  • Calls and texts
  • Tethering
  • An encrypted messenger that talks to Signal

What does not

  • No camera, no browser, no music player, no maps
  • No app installs
  • Banking and two factor apps

Going back Very hard. You would need to buy a phone again, and on an import a return takes weeks.

Source: official page

Light Phone III

Purpose built device from Light of the United States / Checked on 2026-09-16

Price band not confirmed, because the official page does not print a price we could read

Sold in The official store of an American company. Shipping regions not confirmed

What works

  • Calls and texts
  • Music and text based directions
  • A camera and a hotspot

What does not

  • No web browser
  • No social or video apps
  • Email, which the maker says will never be added

Going back Hardest. You have to change devices, and that difficulty is exactly what it sells.

Source: official page

Find my prescription

Before you buy anything, the free row at the top of this table is the one to try.