Why the Basic Phone Is Still Around

iPhone or Galaxy? Windows or Symbian? When it comes to choosing a new phone today, these are the questions dominating one’s thoughts. Our smartphones are very much a part of our lives. But what happened to the traditional phone – the one that simply made calls and isn’t “smart”? Are they still made and why are people still buying them? 

Interestingly, it was only last year that smartphones outsold their “dumb” counterparts. Worldwide smartphone sales rose 46.5% to hit 225 million units shipped, while sales of traditional phones declined 21% year-on-year to 210 million units.

With prices dropping and more models competing, this upward momentum is bound to continue. Having the internet on the go, weather, news and traffic reports in an instant and even being able to play your favourite games like Flappy Birds, Candy Crush or jackpotjoy slots is something you can do at the push of a button – or even voice activation if you prefer!

But while many are celebrating the growth in communication devices, Nokia will be hard hit as it remains the world’s biggest brand in traditional cell phones. 

Nokia shipped just 61million feature phones in the second quarter of last year compared to 83 million the previous year. It’s no surprise therefore that Nokia is investing time and effort into its Window’s powered Lumia which saw growth of 112% at the end of 2013. 

But that’s still a staggering amount of traditional phones being used. Who’s buying them? 

While smartphones are big business in Africa and Asia – which also represent the fastest growing markets – these are also the biggest markets for feature phones: 200 million of them!

And it’s no surprise: a basic Nokia has a far better battery life. In areas where electricity is unreliable, having a communications device that will outlast the blackout is vital. Basic phones are also far cheaper. Despite smartphone prices dropping, these prices are still not viable for many in developing countries. In addition, a basic phone is far more durable. It’s hard enough getting your Apple fixed in the big city!

It’s clear the sales will continue to do well. Africa has for many years had more cellphones than landlines. But until communication infrastructures are improved and until support services become available in Africa and Asia, the basic “dumb” phone will continue to have a massive presence in our “smart” phone world.

Posted in: Apps, games, online games, Smartphones