When all is said and done, the purpose of a cell phone is to make phone calls. While cameras, music playback, web surfing, and other multimedia options are nice to have, they are not essential. We’ve selected the best basic cell phones for each of the major US carriers. These mobile phones offer solid call quality, simple operation, and basic feature sets, making them ideal for those that don’t want – or don’t need – any frills.
If you are searching for a basic phone, you can’t go wrong with the Pantech Breeze C520. It is a good looking yet simple flip phone that is an excellent choice for the elderly, first time cell phone users, and people that just want the basics with no frills. Its large keypad allows for easily dialing and navigating the menus while its bright large screen makes it easy to read. Under the inside screen there are three large buttons labeled “1,” “2,” and “3.” These are the quick call buttons. By pressing these buttons, users of this phone can quickly dial a number assigned to the button. This is great feature for the elderly and anyone that makes frequent calls to the same three people. For a basic phone, the Breeze does have some extra features. It sports a simple VGA camera and even mobile email and web surfing. The Pantech Breeze C520 is an excellent entry-level mobile phone for those seeking simple, basic operation.
The Knack is a great entry-level phone from Samsung. It has a limited feature set but gets all the essentials right. It’s simple, clean design reflects the simplicity that runs through all elements of this phone. The menus, buttons, and simple feature set are all easy to use and intuitive. Its voice quality is outstanding and the screen is simple and bright with no frills. This is a perfect phone for first time cell phone users and seniors. Coupled with Verizon’s great network and service, the Knack is a great cell phone for basic use.
The Motorola V195s is the best basic phone offering from T-Mobile. It has good phone quality, a long battery life, and even Bluetooth connectivity. It has a small, simple monochrome external display that shows the time, battery, signal strength, and caller ID. The keypad is spacious and has great tactile feedback allowing for easy dialing. There are several programmable buttons for creating shortcuts to menu items. If you want to be part of the T-Mobile network while having a basic phone, the V195s is the way to go.
The LG LX 150 is a great basic phone for the Sprint network. It has a pleasing simple design and decent feature set. Its small outer screen shows important information such as time, and since it is monochrome, this data is visible even when the screen’s backlight is turned off. The internal display is clear and can show up to ten lines of text and numbers. The buttons and keys are slightly raised which allows for tactile dialing and makes them easy to use. The LG LX also has very good voice quality. Overall, it’s a great phone for beginning users and people who want a simple cell phone experience on the Sprint network.
Though candy bar phones are not as common as they once were, they are still popular among some users because of their simplistic design. The Nokia 2610 for T-Mobile is great mobile phone for those that need something basic but don’t want a flip phone. Its compact candy bar form is unobtrusive, lightweight, and easily fits in pockets. Its screen, however, is not anything to be excited about. It shows information and menus decently but isn’t that vibrant. The keypad is well designed with raised buttons that give great tactile feedback, allowing for dialing by feel. The five-way toggle for navigation is also raised and is really easy to use for navigating the phone menus. With its great basic features and great call quality, the Nokia 2610 is solid choice if you want a simple candy bar phone.