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Dumb phones and low-tech phones

A dumb phone calls, texts and not much else. That's the point. Every phone below is sold in New Zealand, and once you pick your network we only show the ones we've confirmed can make calls on it.

Must have: WhatsApp, maps, hotspot and more
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5 of 5 phones

  1. HMD 105 4G

    The simplest, cheapest option: calls, texts, FM radio and a torch.

    • Bar
    • No app store
    • Battery: up to 10 hours of talk

    from $49

  2. Opel Mobile Lite Candybar

    Opel's cheapest keypad phone, with dual SIM, FM radio, a music player and a headphone jack. No apps, Wi-Fi or maps.

    • Bar
    • No app store

    from $79

  3. TCL OneTouch 4042S

    A cheap keypad phone sold by 2degrees and Warehouse Mobile, with an SOS button, FM radio, a music player and a headphone jack. No apps, Wi-Fi or maps.

    • Bar
    • No app store

    from $85

  4. Opel Mobile FlipPhone 6

    An easy-to-use flip phone for older users, with an SOS button, FM radio, a music player and a headphone jack. No apps, Wi-Fi or maps.

    • Flip
    • No app store
    • Battery: up to 3 days on standby

    from $149

  5. Alcatel 30.82 4G Flip

    A simple flip phone sold locked to One NZ, with FM radio, a music player and a headphone jack. No apps, Wi-Fi or maps.

    • Flip
    • No app store
    • Battery: up to 11 days on standby

    Out of stock everywhere we've checked.

    from $98.99

What is a dumb phone?

A dumb phone, also called a basic phone, feature phone or low-tech phone, is a mobile phone without the app store, feeds and endless notifications of a smartphone. Most have physical buttons and a small screen, and many have a battery that lasts for days rather than hours.

People buy them to cut down on screen time, as a cheap backup phone, for children and older relatives, or for places where a smartphone would get broken or lost.

What to check before you buy

Whether it can make calls on your network. Mobile networks are switching off their older 3G and 2G services, and many simple phones can only make calls over 4G on networks that have approved them. We check this for you: pick your network above.

Whether it has the few extras you can't do without. Some dumb phones have WhatsApp, maps or a Wi-Fi hotspot so a laptop or tablet can share their internet; most don't. Use the "Must have" boxes to narrow the list.

More guides

How we check · Which phones make calls on which network · Networks in New Zealand