Japan has a loves flip phones....

[jamezr]

Who would have thunk it? Smartphone sales are declining while flip phone sales are growing....

For the first time in seven years, flip-phone shipments grew -- and grew by 5.7 percent to a hard-to-comprehend 10.58 million units. In the same year, smartphones units shipped fell 5.3 percent, down to 27.7 million. Flip-phones still make up a surprisingly large proportion of phone sales in Japan and it's actually the second year in a row that the market research firm has noted a drop in smart device sales. MM Research's Hideaki Yokota told Reuters: "Smartphones are also peaking in terms of functionality and they tend to last a long time as well, so there are fewer renewals."

http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/17/japan-flip-phone-gara-kei-feature-phone/?ncid=rss_truncated

 

[TheHateMachine]

I used to have a Samsung Juke before I got my Storm. Was probably the coolest "flip" phone I ever owned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_SCH-U470

 

[technosix]

I frequently visit Japan on business. For those unfamiliar with their culture the differences are challenging to understand. Flip phones have maintained a very big presence over the decade I've done business there. It's all about having a phone that meets their personal use pattern.

 

[Paradoxally]

People in Japan must be sick of smartphones and social networks taking over their lives. Flip phones are simple and don't have 500 million features to get lost in (read: suckered in and then addicted). Plus they don't affect productivity as much, and that's a big deal in Japan.

 

[MRU]

Japan has a love for flip phones....

Japan has a love of bukaki too. Coincidence?

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People in Japan must be sick of smartphones and social networks taking over their lives. Flip phones are simple and don't have 500 million features to get lost in (read: suckered in and then addicted). Plus they don't affect productivity as much, and that's a big deal in Japan.

And yet their toilets have more buttons and features than cockpit of the starship enterprise. Clearly poop productivity benefits from modern technology.

 

[kdarling]

Are Flip Phones Having a Retro Chic Moment?

NY Times

How Flip Phones Could Return In A Big Way

Business Insider

.

 

[Renzatic]

I used to have a Samsung Juke before I got my Storm.

Wait. You had a Blackberry Storm? I thought I was the only one!

 

[Technarchy]

Keep in mind that many of these Japanese flip phones a are not dumb phones or retro phones.

They are smart phones with flip phone form factors. Messaging, email, social, full browsers.

Thr Docomo Style being an example.

 

[JoEw]

Aging population.

 

[Gav2k]

If I can find the link there is a jap site doing a case for the iPhone turning it into a flip phone

 

[MRU]

If I can find the link there is a jap site doing a case for the iPhone turning it into a flip phone

That's taking bendgate to the extreme

 

[jamezr]

If flip phones become the next huge trend......
Could Apple make this????

 

[TheHateMachine]

Wait. You had a Blackberry Storm? I thought I was the only one!

Yea it was the first gen which had the screen gap. Never tried the second gen which kinda fixed it as I went straight to the Droid X after it.

I will say that the clicky screen was pretty awesome and the extra functionality it brought was pretty cool. For some reason I could type extremely fast on that phone despite the size.

 

[Technarchy]

Aging population.

Partly. There are nationalistic and cultural elements as well. Who makes these phones? Hitachi. Sony. Fujitsu. Toshiba.

And I recall reading that Japan has one of the highest costing cellular service rates on the planet, so flip phones help get cost down.

And I can see the appeal. Damn near infinite battery life. No getting harassed with notifications every 10 seconds. Durable as all hell.

 

[NT1440]

People in Japan must be sick of smartphones and social networks taking over their lives. Flip phones are simple and don't have 500 million features to get lost in (read: suckered in and then addicted). Plus they don't affect productivity as much, and that's a big deal in Japan.

....these are full fledged Android devices in a flip physical form.

 

[0007776]

Wait. You had a Blackberry Storm? I thought I was the only one!

I had one too since I was on Verizon at the time and they didn't have the iPhone.

 

[Renzatic]

Yea it was the first gen which had the screen gap. Never tried the second gen which kinda fixed it as I went straight to the Droid X after it.

I will say that the clicky screen was pretty awesome and the extra functionality it brought was pretty cool. For some reason I could type extremely fast on that phone despite the size.

The clicky screen was pretty cool, though I'd say it was the only thing I liked about the Storm. I remember how, at least once a week, I'd get calls that'd hang the entire phone. It'd ring, I'd look down, see it struggling to open up the phone UI, eventually displaying "UNKNOWN NUMBER", then it'd hard lock. I wouldn't be able to exit back to the home screen or even power the phone down, since that was a software feature. I'd have to pop the battery out, and reboot the entire phone, which usually took about 20 minutes to do.

...all because I got a phonecall.

I still consider it the worst $300 I've ever spent.

I had one too since I was on Verizon at the time and they didn't have the iPhone.

That's exactly why I ended up getting one. Wish I waited.

 

[midwestfisherma]

Wait. You had a Blackberry Storm? I thought I was the only one!

LOL....i still have a Storm at home. Granted it's setting in a drawer but, it looks new.

EDIT: Check that it's not the Storm, it's the Style 9670.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I'd love a smartphone with a keypad.

 

[Technarchy]

Lots of internet chatter about flip phones recently with one being prominently featured in "50 Shades of Grey" this weekend.

Who knows, maybe it will see a revival or sorts as people look to uncomplicate their days.

 

[kdarling]

I'd love a smartphone with a keypad.

One of my favorite Windows Mobile smartphones was the HTC Star Trek:



There's just something satisfying about flipping the phone closed to end a call

 

[Technarchy]

There's just something satisfying about flipping the phone closed to end a call

That's half the appeal right there. That distinctive sound for discussion closure.

 

[Sharewaredemon]

I've had the same "flip" phone since 2009. The iPhone never seemed to appeal to me to get over what I use:

200+ drops, no dropped calls, and I've never had it in a case.

It doesn't do as much as the iphone, but basically everything I do on it I get in and out faster than I would in iOS.

 

[SurferMan]

That's half the appeal right there. That distinctive sound for discussion closure.

And if you just sealed a sale/business transaction its like ---> CLACK ----> like a boss

 

[Altis]

I still use a flip for work. Samsung Rugby. Battery lasts about a week, reception is great, and it's tough as nails.

I actually used it to smash ice off the communal mailbox door after freezing rain.

The only thing is T9, which is actually quite good for normal text, is such a pain with anything it doesn't recognize (names, numbers).

I imagine an advanced version of a flip-phone could be pretty good for some people. I can see the hipsters picking up on it, unless they find a way to stick a vintage aerial antenna on a rotary phone.