I dug out an old Motofone (the $40 eink candybar) for this reason, only to discover that it’s 2G, which has been decommissioned. Too bad, would’ve been fun to watch the kid learn T9.
replyModern dumbphones exist: https://www.hmd.com/en_int/nokia-3210
replyFor Americans, QVC and Target regularly have the BLU Flex or TCL Flip 3 bundled with a year of Tracfone service for $50 or less.
replyOf course they do. But this is HN - not as neat as using the 15-year-old phone I have.
replyI mean, sure you can find them if you look hard enough, but a phone that plays videos is not a dumbphone in my book. And I wouldn't hand it to my kid. It's probably worse than handing them a smartphone, because I'm guessing it is just dumb enough to have no parental controls.
replyNokia 105 has 4G version.
replyYou can buy a new feature phone with 4G for peanuts.
reply2G to 3G converter ftw!
replyIs there such a thing? Given it's radio waves in regulated radio spectrum, I'm not sure such a device would even be allowed to operate without a license. This said, there are 3G Nokia dumbphones (e.g. C2-01). I just had to stop using one because my operator tore down the 3G network here, like in most of Europe. (2G was already down since some time).
replyEdit: there are even 4G-VoLTE dumbphones by the way.
Ooma has a wifi box that you plug your handset into. It's not like a POTS where you need to put a jack in every room.
replyI believe cordless VoIP phones are still a product one can purchase new.
replyThey need only an electrical outlet for the charge stand.