Single-core, dual-core, quad-core, AMOLED, Super AMOLED, Retina Display, NFC, blah blah blah…sometimes all these fancy tech make life complicated. For those who yearn for a much simpler time when a phone was a phone and a tablet was a stone, this device could be just what the doctor ordered.
Say hello once again to John’s Phone. We posted about John’s Phone a couple of years back. It’s an interesting concept. John Doe Amsterdam, the dude that created the phone, claims that the device is the world’s simplest mobile phone. If by simple he means bare-bones, then yea, this sits right up there on the list of simple mobile phones.
John’s Phone does only two things. Make and receive calls. Actually, technically, that’s only one thing. With John’s Phone you don’t get a camera, there’s no OS, no fancy touchscreen and no contact organiser, you can’t even text with the device.
With John’s Phone you get a simple LCD which shows incoming and outgoing numbers and battery status. The phone has a special compartment that stores a specially designed pen and phone book for you to jot down phone numbers. There’s also a speed dial function for 10 of your frequently called numbers.
The John’s Phone is a quirk in today’s world of high-tech smartphones but it’s a quirk that has charm because sometimes all you need is just a phone. School kids (the really young ones) and some adults (the really old ones) might find John’s Phone to be exactly what they’re looking for.
In any case, if you’re keen, John’s Phone is on pre-order now at this local online store called GeekZen. The device retails for RM350 (excluding delivery charges) with three colours to choose from. Head over here to pre-order.
Update: Commenter Ajay says that you can get a decent feature phone for much less, about RM250 less and he has a point. In fact, if you add RM200 or so more and you’re in entry-level Android territory. John’s Phone might be the simplest phone in the world but it’s certainly not the cheapest out there. It’s a quirk and definitely not for everyone.
