housemate and I are sick of smartphone AI and spyware!! looking for cheap, refurbished cellphones from the 00s
- the problem: all models we have found run on 2G, which is rapidly being phased out by all US carriers
- desired features: basic call and text functionality, durability, physical buttons, fits in pocket
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Look at the Nokia 2780, Nokia 110, and/or the Nokia 3210.
They’re modern equivalents to their predecessors of yore and run a simple non-smartphone OS (Kai OS) and use VoLTE so are compatible with modern networks. Bonus is they can do things like hotspot.
I was looking at those and similar about a year and a half ago when I wanted to switch to a dumb phone. I ended up compromising with the CAT S22 Flip which is a low-end Android phone in a flip phone form factor. Wasn’t difficult to de-Google and was able to root it. Unfortunately, they’re not made anymore so what’s left is what’s left. They’ve also jumped quite a bit in price since I got mine for $69.99 back in 2024.
May I point you towards a somewhat recent Pixel (6, 7, 8) so you can replace the OS with GrapheneOS? You can find verified unlocked phones on swappa.com and the process to upgrade the OS is fool proof on GrapheneOS.org.
You’ll get state of the art privacy and a full featured phone.
not interested in downloading apps or connecting to the web, but will look into it, thank you!
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