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{{short description|Mobile phone that is not a smartphone}}
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[[File:Nokia 130.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Nokia 130]] (c. 2014); a typical feature phone.]]
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[[File:Nokia 3310 2017.png|thumb|The [[Nokia 3310 (2017)|Nokia 3310 (2017 version)]], an advanced feature phone]]
A '''feature phone''' (also spelled '''featurephone'''), '''brick phone''', or '''dumbphone''',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-68465727|accessdate=18 July 2024|date=4 March 2024|title=School phone ban: Blandford pupils to be offered 'brick phones'|website=BBC News|last=Almroth-Wright|first=Indy}}</ref> is a [[mobile phone]] that retains the [[Form factor (mobile phones)|form factor]] of earlier generations{{When|date=November 2024|reason=which earlier generations, and earlier than when? mobile phones have existed since the 1970s}} of mobile telephones, typically with press-button based inputs and a small non-touch display. Feature phones tend to use an [[embedded operating system]] with a small and simple [[graphical user interface]], unlike large and complex [[mobile operating system]]s on [[smartphone]]s.


The functions of feature phones are limited compared to smartphones. Following the rise of smartphones, the feature phone has sometimes been referred to as a '''dumbphone'''.<ref name="tny-dumbphone-boom" /> However, some feature phones can provide functions found in smartphones, including internet capabilities, apps, and [[mobile games]].
'''Feature phone''' is a term typically used as a [[retronym]] to describe a class of devices that are still technically otherwise [[smartphone]]s, besides their lack of highly advanced hardware and capabilities of modern ones. Feature phones tend to use a proprietary, custom-designed [[software]] and [[user interface]], and typically provide [[voice calling]] and [[text messaging]] functionality in addition to basic [[multimedia]] and [[Internet]] capabilities and other services offered by the user's [[wireless service provider]]. Feature phones have a backlit LCD screen and micro USB port and have a physical keyboard, a microphone, SD card slot, a rear-facing camera to record video and capture pictures; and GPS. Some feature phones include a rudimentary [[app store]] that include basic software such as [[Mobile game|mobile games]], calendar and calculator programs.


==Definition==
==Definition==
Prior to the popularity of smartphones, the term 'feature phone' was often used on high-end phones with assorted functions for retail customers, developed around the advent of 3G networks, which allowed sufficient bandwidth for these capabilities.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.thespec.com/news/business/article/868294--rim-says-150-carriers-keep-it-from-palm-s-fate-toronto |title=RIM says 150 carriers keep it from Palm's fate |first=Hugo |last=Miller |date=11 January 2013 |publisher=TheSpec}}</ref> Feature phones were typically mid-range devices, between basic phones on the low end with few or no features beyond basic dialing and messaging, and business-oriented smartphones on the high end. The best-selling feature phones include those by Nokia, the [[Motorola Razr|Razr]] by Motorola, the multimedia-enabled [[Sony Ericsson W580i]], and the [[LG Black Label Series]] that targeted retail customers.
Prior to the popularity of [[smartphone]]s, the term 'feature phone' was often used on high-end mobile telephones with assorted functions for retail customers, developed at the advent of [[3G]] networks, which allowed sufficient [[bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]] for these capabilities.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Hugo|date=11 January 2013|url=http://www.TheSpec.com/news/business/article/868294--rim-says-150-carriers-keep-it-from-palm-s-fate-toronto|title=RIM says 150 carriers keep it from Palm's fate (Toronto)|website=TheSpec.com|publisher=[[The Hamilton Spectator|TheSpec.com]] – [[Metroland Media Group|Metroland Media Group Ltd.]]|access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117045934/http://www.thespec.com/news/business/article/868294--rim-says-150-carriers-keep-it-from-palm-s-fate-toronto|archive-date=17 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>


Depending on extent of functionality, feature phones may have many of the capabilities of a smartphone, within certain cases.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hardy|first=Ed|date=25 March 2003|url=http://www.Brighthand.com/article/Study_Says_Smartphones_Will_Outsell_Handhelds/|title=Study says: smartphones will outsell handhelds this year|website=Brighthand.com|publisher=Brighthand – [[TechTarget]]|access-date=13 February 2021|quote=The [[Europe]]an analyst firm [[Canalys]] has released a study that predicts shipments of smartphones will exceed those of handhelds in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa ([[EMEA]]) region for the first time in 2003. It says about 3.3 million smartphones will be sold in the region this year, as opposed to 2.8 million handhelds.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910033321/http://www.Brighthand.com/news/study-says-smartphones-will-outsell-handhelds-this-year/|archive-date=10 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Differences and similarities between other devices===
Feature phones run on proprietary [[firmware]] with third-party software support through platforms such as Java ME or [[Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless|BREW]].<ref name="phonescoop-smartphone">{{cite web |url=http://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=131 |title=Smartphone |date= |publisher=Phone Scoop |accessdate=2011-12-15}}</ref> The proprietary operating systems were not designed in mind to develop nor handle the intensive applications found on [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]], both of which specifically cater to third-party application development which became increasingly important.


The first [[GSM]] phones and many feature phones had NOR [[flash memory]], from which processor instructions could be executed directly in an execute in place architecture and allowed for short boot times. With smartphones, NAND flash memory was adopted as it has larger storage capacities and lower costs, but causes longer boot times because instructions cannot be executed from it directly, and must be copied to RAM memory first before execution.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vaq11vKwo_kC&dq=nand+flash+copy+sram&pg=PA12 | title=Inside NAND Flash Memories | isbn=978-90-481-9431-5 | last1=Micheloni | first1=Rino | last2=Crippa | first2=Luca | last3=Marelli | first3=Alessia | date=27 July 2010 | publisher=Springer }}</ref>
Depending on extent of functionality, feature phones may have many of the capabilities of a smartphone, within certain cases.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brighthand.com/article/Study_Says_Smartphones_Will_Outsell_Handhelds/ |title=Study Says: Smartphones Will Outsell Handhelds this Year |first=Ed |last=Hardy |work=Brighthand.com}}</ref> For example, today's feature phones typically serve as a [[portable media player]], and can have digital cameras, [[GPS]] navigation, [[Wi-Fi]] and [[mobile broadband]] internet access, and [[mobile gaming]] through discrete apps.


==Contemporary usage==
==Contemporary usage==
[[File:Walton Olvio E100.jpg|thumb|A [[Walton Group|Walton]] Olvio E100 feature phone]]
In developed economies, feature phones are primarily specific to [[niche market]]s, or have become merely a preference—owing to certain feature combinations not available in other devices, such as affordability, durability, simplicity,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/its-ok-not-to-use-a-smartphone-1461780160 |title=It’s OK Not to Use a Smartphone |first=Geoffrey A. |last=Fowler |date=27 April 2016 |publisher=Wall Street Journal}}</ref> and extended battery life per one charge (viz standby and talk times). In emerging markets, a feature phone remains the primary means of communication for many.
In developed economies, feature phones are primarily specific to [[niche market]]s, or have become merely a preference; owing to certain feature combinations not available in other devices, such as their affordability, durability, and simplicity.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fowler |first=Geoffrey A. |date=27 April 2016 |url= https://www.WSJ.com/articles/its-ok-not-to-use-a-smartphone-1461780160 |title=It's OK not to use a smartphone |work=The Wall Street Journal |location=New York|access-date=}}</ref>


A well-designed feature phone can be used in industrial environments and the outdoors, at workplaces that proscribe dedicated cameras, and as an emergency telephone. Several models are equipped with hardware functions — such as FM radio and flashlight — that prevent the device from becoming useless in the event of a major disaster, or entirely obsolete, if and when 2G network infrastructure is shut down. Other feature phones are specifically designed for the elderly, and yet others for [[Kosher phone|religious purposes]].
A well-specified feature phone can be used in industrial environments, and the outdoors, at workplaces that proscribe dedicated cameras, and as an [[emergency telephone]]. Several models are equipped with hardware functions; such as [[FM radio]] and [[flashlight]], that prevent the device from becoming useless in the event of a major disaster, or entirely obsolete, if and when [[2G]] network infrastructure is shut down. Other feature phones are specifically designed for the elderly, and yet others for [[Mobile phone#Kosher phone|religious purposes]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hirshfeld|first=Rachel|date=26 March 2012|url=https://www.IsraelNationalNews.com/News/News.aspx/154153|title=Introducing: a 'kosher phone' permitted on shabbat – the Zomet Institute has released a kosher telephone that can be used on Shabbat without breaking the Jewish laws of the day of rest.|website=www.IsraelNationalNews.com|publisher=[[Israel National News]] – [[Arutz Sheva]]|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref>
In Pakistan and other South Asian countries, many mobile phone outlets use feature phones for [[balance transfer]], referred to as [[Easyload]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.telenor.com.pk/easyload/#:~:text=With%20Telenor's%20easyload%20you%20can,as%20per%20your%20price%20plan. | title=Easyload }}</ref>


In the late 2010s and early 2020s, multiple new companies were formed specifically to manufacture and sell such phones in North America. These companies reported accelerated growth in 2023 and early 2024, driven by those who find contemporary smartphones too [[problematic smartphone use|addictive]], including parents worried about their children developing such addictions.<ref name="tny-dumbphone-boom">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/the-dumbphone-boom-is-real|title=The Dumbphone Boom is Real|first=Kyle|last=Chayka|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=April 10, 2024|access-date=April 25, 2024}}</ref>
==Rationale==
===For manufacturers===
Feature phones are often kept in phone manufacturers' lineups for several reasons:

* They are lower priced than smartphones, because:
** Most patents on basic mobile device technology have expired. Some expired patents make it possible to add more functions in their basic form that before were usually the purview of mid-range or high-end devices. Many standards-essential patents are required to have [[Reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing|fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licensing]] (RAND/FRAND), which typically means that license payments for each device using a standards-essential technology must be low enough that it will not disincentivize adoption of a standard or cause legal conflict;
** Less complexity translates to simpler and cheaper assembly;
** Relative modularity: a feature phone can be designed around one or two primary functions: flashlight, radio, MicroSD card slot for additional storage, music player, camera, Internet browser, and wireless hotspot for more advanced devices. Many basic phones now include some of that functionality, rendering them as either basic feature phones or smart feature phones—whereas advanced feature phones include all of these and more.

===To consumers===
From the point of view of markets and consumers, there are several situations for which feature phones are beneficial:

* Power requirements are typically relatively low, which translates to extended talk and standby times.
* Anticipated loss, damage, or reasonably rough use: Feature phones are often more durable, less complex, and more affordable, and for these reasons are preferred as travel devices, children's devices, and for field use scenarios. The devices' low cost means that loss of such an item is manageable, and usually serves as a disincentive for theft in mature markets.
* Liberal and mature markets are well-suited for specific functions: In countries where [[payphone]]s have been discontinued, some operators offer prepaid cellular plans with a SIM card and a basic mobile phone in one package for about the same amount a mid-tier [[Telephone card|calling card]] would have cost (€15 for the whole package in some areas). Travelers may often prefer this option, given expensive roaming fees.


==History==
==History==
{{Cleanup|section|reason=This section is full of repeated information.|date=September 2018}}
===Industry trends===
===Industry trends===
[[File:2 Nokia dumb phones.jpg|thumb|right|Nokia feature phones]]
In developed economies in the mid 2000s to early 2010s, fashion and brand loyalty drove sales, as markets had matured and people moved to their second and third phones. In the United States, technological innovation with regard to expanded functionality was a secondary consideration, as phone designs there centred on miniaturisation.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.BusinessWeek.com/stories/2008-06-16/the-iphones-impact-on-rivalsbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice|title=The iPhone's impact on rivals|magazine=[[Business Week]]|date=16 June 2008|access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref><ref name=PixelsTech>{{Cite web|url=http://PixelsTech.net/article/1359363948_Why_does_Symbian_collapse_|title=Why does Symbian collapse?|website=PixelsTech.net|publisher=Pixels Tech|date= |access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://WashPost.Bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-MINFW26JTSEJ01-6588TGRTS2A0543182U6TMUOV|title=Business: Washington Post business page, business news|website=WashPost.Bloomberg.com|publisher=[[The Washington Post]] – [[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]|date=|access-date=16 August 2013|archive-date=20 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320232341/http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-MINFW26JTSEJ01-6588TGRTS2A0543182U6TMUOV|url-status=dead}}</ref>


Existing feature phone [[operating system]]s at the time were not designed to handle additional tasks beyond communication and basic functions, and due to the complex bureaucracy and other factors, they never developed a thriving software ecosystem.<ref name=PixelsTech/>
The first cellular phone, the [[Motorola DynaTAC]] released in 1984, is considered a basic mobile phone due to its inability to do anything more than making voice calls.


By contrast, [[iPhone OS]] (renamed iOS in 2010) and Android were designed as a robust operating system, embracing third-party software, and having capabilities such as multitasking and graphics capabilities in order to meet future consumer demands.<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.TheGlobeAndMail.com/globe-investor/rims-long-road-to-reinvent-the-blackberry/article7901031/ |first=Iain |last=Marlow |title=RIM's long road to reinvent the BlackBerry |work=The Globe and Mail |location= Toronto |date=27 January 2013 |access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref> These platforms also eclipsed the popularity of smartphone platforms historically aimed towards enterprise markets, such as BlackBerry.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Jason Perlow|date=8 November 2009|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/in-smartphone-wars-darwinism-triumphs-over-intelligent-design/|title=In smartphone wars, Darwinism triumphs over intelligent design|website=www.ZDNet.com|publisher=[[ZDNet]]|access-date=}}</ref>
Despite the introduction of smartphones in the mid-1990s, ignited with the August 1994 release of the [[IBM Simon]], [[Nokia Communicator]] from 1996 on, and the [[BlackBerry]] line of handheld [[personal digital assistant]]s from [[Research in Motion]], feature phones enjoyed unchallenged popularity into the mid 2000s. In North America, smartphones, such as Palm and BlackBerry, were still considered a niche category for enterprise use. Outside North America, Nokia's [[Symbian]] devices had captured the smartphone market, in which price was the only barrier to entry, and Nokia offered smartphones across all feasible price segments. In the mid-2000s, phone makers such as [[Nokia]] and [[Motorola Mobility |Motorola]] enjoyed record sales of feature phones. In developed economies, fashion and brand drove sales, as markets had matured and people moved to their second and third phones. In the U.S., technological innovation with regard to expanded functionality was a secondary consideration, as phone designs there centered on miniaturisation.<ref>{{cite news |title= The iPhone's Impact on Rivals |publisher= Businessweek |date= 2008-06-16 |url= http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-06-16/the-iphones-impact-on-rivalsbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice |accessdate= 2013-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Why does Symbian collapse? |publisher= Pixelstech.net |url= http://pixelstech.net/article/1359363948_Why_does_Symbian_collapse_ |accessdate= 2013-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Business: Washington Post Business Page, Business News |work= Washington Post |publisher= Bloomberg |url= http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-MINFW26JTSEJ01-6588TGRTS2A0543182U6TMUOV |date= |accessdate= 2013-08-16}}</ref>


There has been an industry shift from feature phones (including low-end smartphones), which rely mainly on volume sales, to high-end flagship smartphones, which also enjoy higher margins, thus manufacturers find high-end smartphones much more lucrative than feature phones.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Ashraf Eassa|date=12 February 2013|url=http://SeekingAlpha.com/article/1173911-nokia-s-lumia-strategy-will-pay-off-nicely|title=Nokia's Lumia strategy will pay off nicely|website=SeekingAlpha.com|publisher=Seeking Alpha|access-date= }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Chris Smith|date=24 December 2012|url=http://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-s4-spearhead-impressive-samsung-year-company-sell-390-million-smartphones-2013-142489/|title=Galaxy S4 to spearhead impressive Samsung year, company to sell 390 million smartphones in 2013|website=www.AndroidAuthority.com|publisher=[[Android Authority]]|access-date=|archive-date=28 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628200329/https://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-s4-spearhead-impressive-samsung-year-company-sell-390-million-smartphones-2013-142489/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
However, consumer-oriented smartphones such as the [[iPhone]] and those running [[Android (operating system)|Android]] fundamentally changed the market, with [[Steve Jobs]] proclaiming in 2007 that "the phone was not just a communication tool but a [[Lifestyle (sociology) | way of life]]".<ref name="pixelstech1" /> Existing feature-phone operating systems at the time, such as [[Symbian]], were not designed to handle additional tasks beyond communication and basic functions, did not emphasis application developers much, and due to infighting among manufacturers as well as the complex bureaucracy and bloatness of the OS, they never developed a thriving ecosystem like Apple's [[App Store (iOS) |App Store]] or [[Google Android| Android]]'s [[Google Play]].<ref name="pixelstech1"/> By contrast, [[iPhone OS]] (renamed iOS in 2010) and [[Android (operating system)| Android]] were designed as a robust OS, embracing third-party apps, and having capabilities such as multitasking and graphics in order to meet future consumer demands.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/rims-long-road-to-reinvent-the-blackberry/article7901031/ |title= RIM's long road to reinvent the BlackBerry |publisher= The Globe and Mail |date= |accessdate= 2013-08-16}}</ref>


There has been an industry shift from feature phones (including low-end smartphones), which rely mainly on volume sales, to high-end flagship smartphones which also enjoy higher margins, thus manufacturers find high-end smartphones much more lucrative than feature phones.<ref name="lumiastrategy">{{cite web |url= http://seekingalpha.com/article/1173911-nokia-s-lumia-strategy-will-pay-off-nicely |title= Nokia's Lumia Strategy Will Pay Off Nicely |author= Ashraf Eassa |date= 12 February 2013 |publisher= Seeking Alpha}}</ref> For instance [[Apple Inc.]]'s operating margins from the [[iPhone]] remain high since these devices have always been sold to carriers at a high enough cost which compels carriers to get wireless customers to sign multiyear contracts.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-s4-spearhead-impressive-samsung-year-company-sell-390-million-smartphones-2013-142489/ |title= Galaxy S4 to spearhead impressive Samsung year, company to sell 390 million smartphones in 2013 |author= Chris Smith |date= 24 December 2012 |publisher= Android Authority}}</ref> The shift away from feature phones has forced wireless carriers to increase subsidies of handsets, and the high selling-prices of flagship smartphones have had a negative effect on the wireless carriers (AT&T Mobility, Verizon, and Sprint), who have seen their [[Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization | EBITDA]] service-margins drop as they sold more smartphones and fewer feature phones.<ref>{{cite web|last= Goldman |first= David |url= http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/08/technology/iphone_carrier_subsidy/index.htm |title= Apple's subsidy makes iPhone a nightmare for carriers - Feb. 8, 2012 |publisher= Money.cnn.com |date= 2012-02-08 |accessdate= 2013-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/sprint-nextel-apple-drinks-the-juice/article544696/ |title= Sprint Nextel: Apple drinks the juice |publisher= The Globe and Mail |date= |accessdate= 2013-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last= Gustin |first= Sam |url= http://business.time.com/2012/02/08/how-apples-iphone-actually-hurts-att-verizon-and-sprint/ |title= How Apple's iPhone Actually Hurts AT&T, Verizon and Sprint &#124; TIME.com |publisher= Business.time.com |date= 2012-02-08 |accessdate= 2013-08-16}}</ref> Trends have shown that consumers are willing to pay more for smartphones that deliver more features/applications such as [[4G LTE]] and touchscreens, and smartphones have become a part of North American [[pop-culture]] (while feature phones are no longer "cool"). Though smartphones cost more to produce, they deliver higher profit-margins than feature phones, thus device makers and wireless carriers have shifted towards smartphones.<ref>[http://www.eweek.com/mobile/slideshows/smartphones-sales-finally-overtake-feature-phones-10-reasons-why/]</ref>
The shift away from feature phones has forced [[mobile network operator]]s to increase [[Subsidy|subsidies]] of handsets, and the high selling-prices of flagship smartphones have had a negative effect on the mobile network operators, who have seen their [[Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization|earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation]] (EBITDA) margins drop as they sold more smartphones and fewer feature phones. To help make up for this, carriers typically use high-end devices to [[upselling|upsell]] customers onto higher-priced service plans with increased data allotments.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Goldman|first=David|date=8 February 2012|url=https://Money.CNN.com/2012/02/08/technology/iphone_carrier_subsidy/index.htm|title=Apple's subsidy makes iPhone a nightmare for carriers|website=Money.CNN.com|publisher=[[CNN Money]]|access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.TheGlobeAndMail.com/report-on-business/international-business/sprint-nextel-apple-drinks-the-juice/article544696/ |title=Sprint Nextel: Apple drinks the juice |work=The Globe and Mail |location= Toronto |date=9 February 2012 |access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gustin|first=Sam|url=https://Business.Time.com/2012/02/08/how-apples-iphone-actually-hurts-att-verizon-and-sprint/|title=How Apple's iPhone actually hurts AT&T, Verizon and Sprint|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=8 February 2012|access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref> Trends have shown that consumers are willing to pay more for smartphones that include newer features and technology, and that smartphones were considered to be more relevant in present-day [[popular culture]] than feature phones.<ref name=eWeek>{{Cite magazine|last=Reisinger|first=Don|date=15 August 2013|url=https://www.eWeek.com/mobile/slideshows/smartphones-sales-finally-overtake-feature-phones-10-reasons-why/|title=Smartphones sales finally overtake feature phones: 10 reasons why|website=www.eWeek.com|publisher=[[eWeek]]|access-date= }}</ref>


===Market share===
===Market share===
[[File:Motorola RAZR V3i 03.JPG|thumb|Motorola RAZR V3i]]
During the mid-2000s, best-selling feature phones such as the fashionable flip-phone [[Motorola Razr]], multimedia [[Sony Ericsson W580i]], and the [[LG Black Label Series]] not only occupied the mid-range pricing in a wireless provider's lineup, they made up the bulk of retail sales as smartphones from [[BlackBerry]] and [[Palm, Inc.|Palm]] were still considered a niche category for business use. Even as late as 2009, smartphone penetration in North America was low.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thespec.com/news/business/article/868294--rim-says-150-carriers-keep-it-from-palm-s-fate-toronto |title=RIM says 150 carriers keep it from Palm's fate |author=Hugo Miller |date=11 January 2013 |publisher=TheSpec}}</ref>
During the mid-2000s, best-selling feature phones such as the fashionable flip-phone [[Motorola Razr]], multimedia [[Sony Ericsson W580i]], and the [[LG Black Label Series]] not only occupied the mid-range pricing in a wireless provider's range, they made up the bulk of retail sales as smartphones from [[BlackBerry]] and [[Palm, Inc.|Palm]] were still considered a niche category for business use. Even as late as 2009, smartphone penetration in North America was low.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Hugo Miller|date=11 January 2013|url=http://www.TheSpec.com/news/business/article/868294--rim-says-150-carriers-keep-it-from-palm-s-fate-toronto|title=RIM says 150 carriers keep it from Palm's fate|website=TheSpec.com|publisher=The Spec|access-date=|archive-date=17 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117045934/http://www.thespec.com/news/business/article/868294--rim-says-150-carriers-keep-it-from-palm-s-fate-toronto|url-status=dead}}</ref>


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In 2011, feature phones accounted for 60&nbsp;percent of the mobile telephones in the [[United States]],<ref>{{Cite web|author=Don Kellogg|date=1 September 2011|url=http://blog.Nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/40-percent-of-u-s-mobile-users-own-smartphones-40-percent-are-android/|title=40 percent of U.S. mobile users own smartphones; 40 percent are Android|website=blog.Nielsen.com|publisher=[[Nielsen Company]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021195835/http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/40-percent-of-u-s-mobile-users-own-smartphones-40-percent-are-android/|archive-date=21 October 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=2 September 2011}}</ref> and 70&nbsp;percent of mobile phones sold worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ZDNet.com/blog/cell-phones/nokias-continued-feature-phone-focus-may-be-one-of-their-smartest-moves/7215|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202234544/http://www.zdnet.com/blog/cell-phones/nokias-continued-feature-phone-focus-may-be-one-of-their-smartest-moves/7215|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 February 2012|title=Nokia's continued feature phone focus may be one of their smartest moves|website=www.ZDNet.com|publisher=[[ZDNet]]|date= |access-date= }}</ref> According to [[Gartner]] in Q2 2013, 225&nbsp;million smartphones were sold worldwide which represented a 46.5&nbsp;percent gain over the same period in 2012, while 210&nbsp;million feature phones were sold, which was a decrease of 21&nbsp;percent year over year, the first time that smartphones have outsold feature phones.<ref name=eWeek/><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|author=Rob van der Meulen & Janessa Rivera|date=14 August 2013|url=http://www.Gartner.com/newsroom/id/2573415|title=Gartner says smartphone sales grew 46.5 percent in second quarter of 2013 and exceeded feature phone sales for first time|website=www.Gartner.com|publisher=[[Gartner]]|access-date= }}</ref> Smartphones accounted for 51.8&nbsp;percent of mobile phone sales in the second quarter of 2013, resulting in smartphone sales surpassing feature phone sales for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Cyrus Farivar|date=14 August 2013|url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2013/08/smartphones-outsell-feature-phones-for-the-first-time-worldwide/|title=Smartphones outsell feature phones, for the first time|website=arstechnica.com|publisher= |access-date=}}</ref>
In 2007, Apple introduced the groundbreaking [[iPhone]] and by 2009, the [[iPhone]] and [[Google Android]] shifted the smartphone focus from the enterprise to mass market consumers (at the expense of business-oriented operating systems such as [[Windows Mobile]] and BlackBerry).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/in-smartphone-wars-darwinism-triumphs-over-intelligent-design/11516 |title=In Smartphone Wars, Darwinism Triumphs Over Intelligent Design |author=Jason Perlow |date=8 November 2009 |publisher=ZDNet}}</ref> As a result, smartphones have enjoyed the largest selection and advertising among carriers, who are devoting less and less store space and marketing to feature phones.<ref name="engadgetoptimus" />


⚫
A survey of 4,001 Canadians by [[Media Technology Monitor (MTM)|Media Technology Monitor]] (MTM) in late 2012 suggested about 83 percent of the anglophone population owned a cellphone, up from 80&nbsp;percent in 2011 and 74&nbsp;percent in 2010. About two thirds of the mobile phone owners polled said they had a smartphone, and the other third had feature phones or non-smartphones. According to MTM, non-smartphone users are more likely to be female, older, have a lower income, live in a small community, and have less education. The survey found that smartphone owners tend to be male, younger, live in a high-income household with children in the home, and residents of a community of one million or more people. Students also ranked high among smartphone owners.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Oliveira|first=Michael|date=1 May 2013|url=http://GlobalNews.ca/news/526081/smartphones-push-old-flip-phones-to-extinction/|title=Smartphones push old flip phones to extinction|website=GlobalNews.ca|publisher=[[Global News Canada]]|access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref>
⚫
In 2011, feature phones accounted for 60 percent of the mobile telephones in the [[United States]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/40-percent-of-u-s-mobile-users-own-smartphones-40-percent-are-android/ |title=40 Percent of U.S. Mobile Users Own Smartphones; 40 Percent are Android |author=Don Kellogg |date=1 September 2011 |publisher=''[[Nielsen Company]]'' | archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/6Berfsowg?url=http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/40-percent-of-u-s-mobile-users-own-smartphones-40-percent-are-android/ | archivedate = 2012-10-24| deadurl=no}}</ref> and 70 percent of mobile phones sold worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zdnet.com/blog/cell-phones/nokias-continued-feature-phone-focus-may-be-one-of-their-smartest-moves/7215 |title=Nokia's continued feature phone focus may be one of their smartest moves}}</ref> According to Gartner in Q2 2013, 225 million smartphones were sold which represented a 46.5 percent gain over the same period in 2012, while 201 million feature phones were sold which was a decrease of 21 percent year over year, the first time that smartphones have outsold feature phones.<ref>{{cite web |title=Smartphones Sales Finally Overtake Feature Phones: 10 Reasons Why |url=http://www.eweek.com/mobile/slideshows/smartphones-sales-finally-overtake-feature-phones-10-reasons-why/ |publisher=[[eWeek]] |date=2013-08-15 |first=Don |last=Reisinger }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2573415 |title=Gartner Says Smartphone Sales Grew 46.5 Percent in Second Quarter of 2013 and Exceeded Feature Phone Sales for First Time |author=Rob van der Meulen & Janessa Rivera |date=14 August 2013 }}</ref> Smartphones accounted for 51.8 percent of mobile phone sales in the second quarter of 2013, resulting in smartphone sales surpassing feature phone sales for the first time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2013/08/smartphones-outsell-feature-phones-for-the-first-time-worldwide/ |title=Smartphones Outsell Feature Phones, for the First Time |author=Cyrus Farivar |date=14 August 2013 }}</ref>

⚫
A survey of 4,001 Canadians by Media Technology Monitor in fall 2012 suggested about 83 per cent of the anglophone population owned a cellphone, up from 80 per cent in 2011 and 74 per cent in 2010. About two thirds of the mobile phone owners polled said they had a smartphone and the other third had feature phones or non-smartphones. According to MTM, non-smartphone users are more likely to be female, older, have a lower income, live in a small community and have less education. The survey found that smartphone owners tend to be male, younger, live in a high-income household with children in the home, and residents of a community of one million or more people. Students also ranked high among smartphone owners.<ref>{{cite web|last=Oliveira |first=Michael |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/526081/smartphones-push-old-flip-phones-to-extinction/ |title=Smartphones push old flip phones to extinction - National |publisher=Globalnews.ca |date=2013-05-01 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref>


===Japan===
===Japan===
[[Japanese mobile phone culture|Mobile phones in Japan]] diverged from those used elsewhere, with carriers and devices often implementing advanced features; such as [[NTT docomo]]'s [[i-mode]] platform for mobile internet in 1999, [[mobile payment]]s, [[mobile television]], and [[near field communications]]; that were not yet widely used, or even adopted, outside of Japan. This divergence has been cited as an example of [[Galápagos syndrome]]; as a result, these feature phones are retroactively referred to as a {{nihongo|'gala-phone'|ガラケー|gara-kei}}, blending with {{nihongo|'mobile phone'|携帯|keitai}}. While smartphones have gained popularity (and implement features introduced on them), many gala-phones are still commonly used, citing preferences for the devices and their durability over smartphones.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jargon watch|url=https://www.Wired.com/magazine/2009/10/st_jw/|quote=Galápagos syndrome n. The scourge of Japanese mobile companies, whose superadvanced 3G handsets won't work on foreign cell networks. It's named for the birds of the Galápagos, whose specialized beaks don't cut it on the mainland.|website=www.Wired.com|publisher=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=19 October 2009|access-date=24 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Devin|last=Stewart|author-link=Devin Stewart|date=29 April 2010|title=Slowing Japan's Galapagos syndrome|url=http://www.HuffingtonPost.com/devin-stewart/slowing-japans-galapagos_b_557446.html|quote='Galapagos syndrome', a phrase originally coined to describe Japanese cell phones that were so advanced they had little in common with devices used in the rest of the world, could potentially spread to other parts of society. Indeed signs suggest it is happening already.|website=www.HuffingtonPost.com|publisher=[[Huffington Post]]|access-date=24 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Adelstein|first=Jake|date=5 March 2015|url=https://www.Forbes.com/sites/jadelstein/2015/03/05/in-japan-people-are-flipping-out-over-the-flip-phone-galapagos-phone-whats-old-is-new-again/|title=In Japan, people are flipping out over the flip-phone (Galapagos phone): what's old is new again|work=[[Forbes]]|access-date=22 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Tabuchi|first=Hiroko|author-link=Hiroko Tabuchi|date=19 July 2009|url=https://www.NYTimes.com/2009/07/20/technology/20cell.html|title=Why Japan's smartphones haven't gone global|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=22 April 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.WSJ.com/japanrealtime/2013/12/17/japan-as-galapagos-again-now-its-the-cars/|title=Japan as Galápagos again – now it's the cars|last=Takahashi|first=Yoshio|date=17 December 2013|website=blogs.WSJ.com|publisher=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=22 April 2019}}</ref>
In Japan, mobile phones developed a wide array of [[Japanese mobile phone culture#Features|features]] prior to the development of smart phones. The introduction of smart phones has largely displaced these at the high end, though smart phones for the Japanese market often include features first developed on feature phones. Many of these features were and remain specific to Japan,{{which|date=June 2018}} often requiring network support, and the resulting phones, while dominant in Japan, proved unsuccessful abroad. This led to the term "[[Galápagos syndrome]]" – specialized development dominant on an island, but not found abroad – and then the term is {{nihongo|Gala-phone|ガラケー|gara-kei}}, blending with {{nihongo|"mobile phone"|携帯|keitai}}, to refer to Japanese feature phones, by contrast with newer smart phones.


[[Mobile game]]s oriented towards smartphones have seen significant growth and revenue in Japan, even though there were three times fewer smartphone users in the country than in the United States as of 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.GamesIndustry.biz/articles/2017-10-17-japanese-mobile-market-outgrows-us-three-years-in-a-row|title=Japanese mobile market outgrows US three years in a row|website=www.GamesIndustry.biz|date=17 October 2017 |publisher= |access-date=22 April 2019}}</ref>
===United States===
When [[Apple Inc.]], a company then known for its production of the [[iPod]] media player and the [[iMac]] personal computer, introduced the [[iPhone]], featuring an [[touchscreen|all-touch]] user interface closely based on that of the [[iPod Touch]]. The first iPhone had a much more powerful hardware and operating system than contemporary feature phones and smartphones; in fact the hardware/software was derived from the [[Macintosh]] personal computer, in contrast to the existing phones which had slow processors and limited applications/firmware to conserve battery life. The iPhone's applications were also much more bandwidth-intensive than contemporary phones which would strain existing wireless networks.<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/the-inside-story-of-why-blackberry-is-failing/article14563602/?page=all]</ref><ref>[https://www.theverge.com/2012/2/21/2789676/rim-blackberry-mike-lazaridis-jim-balsillie-lost-empire]</ref> Featuring access to millions of [[mobile app]]s from Apple's [[iTunes Store]] (now the [[App Store (iOS)|App Store]]), it was considered to be among the first retail/consumer-oriented smartphones. At the event, [[Steve Jobs]] proclaimed that "the phone was not just a communication tool but a way of life".<ref name="pixelstech1">{{cite web |title=Why does Symbian collapse? |publisher=Pixelstech.net |date= |url=http://pixelstech.net/article/1359363948_Why_does_Symbian_collapse_ |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref>

At around the same time, [[Google]] was developing its [[Android (operating system)|Android operating system]] as a direct competitor to Nokia's [[Symbian]] and Microsoft's [[Windows Mobile]] operating systems. The iPhone's success lead to the company, led by [[Larry Page]], turning its methodology around, and Android as an [[open-source software]] platform for mobile phones was announced in November 2007 together with the founding of the [[Open Handset Alliance]], and the first Android smartphone, the [[HTC Dream]], was released in October 2008 in the US. Google would go on to launch its [[Google Nexus|Nexus]] line of smart devices and collaborate with various [[original equipment manufacturer]]s, including popular feature phone manufacturers [[Samsung]], [[LG]], [[Sony]], and Motorola, to adapt Android for devices of varying [[Form factor (design)|form factor]]s and computing platforms.

[[Motorola Mobility|Motorola]] had stayed too long with its aging [[Motorola Razr|RAZR]] flip phone and missed consumer trends for touchscreens and enhanced multimedia. Nokia and Research in Motion's attempts to implement some of the new capabilities from iPhone and Android to their existing proprietary [[firmware]] platforms was mixed, as these earlier operating systems were designed in mind to handle these intensive applications. Nonetheless as the iPhone was initially too expensive for mass market adoption, Nokia and Research in Motion did enjoy expanded sales as their offerings were considered a lower-priced alternative.<ref>[https://www.theverge.com/2012/2/21/2789676/rim-blackberry-mike-lazaridis-jim-balsillie-lost-empire]</ref>

By the turn of the decade, [[iOS]] and Android, together with less-common platforms such as [[BlackBerry 10]] and [[Windows Phone]], had shifted the smartphone focus from being a niche to mass market consumers.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/in-smartphone-wars-darwinism-triumphs-over-intelligent-design/11516 |title=In Smartphone Wars, Darwinism Triumphs Over Intelligent Design |first=Jason |last=Perlow |date=8 November 2009 |publisher=ZDNet}}</ref> Feature phones were primarily designed as communication devices, and manufacturers had, up to that point, been enjoying record sales of cell phones based more on fashion and brand, rather than technological innovation.<ref>{{cite news |title=The iPhone's Impact on Rivals |publisher=Businessweek |date=16 June 2008 |url= http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-06-16/the-iphones-impact-on-rivalsbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref><ref name="pixelstech1"/> Though smartphones cost more to produce, they were delivering higher profit margins than feature phones, leading to manufacturers and wireless carriers shifting towards smartphones.[http://www.eweek.com/mobile/slideshows/smartphones-sales-finally-overtake-feature-phones-10-reasons-why/] As a result, smartphones now have the largest selection and advertising among carriers, which devoted less and less store space and marketing to feature phones.<ref name="engadgetoptimus">{{cite news |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/06/29/lg-optimus-l7-review/ |title=LG Optimus L7 Review |first=Zachary |last=Lutz |date=29 June 2012 |publisher=Engadget}}</ref> In 2013, smartphones outsold feature phones for the first time,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2573415 |title=Gartner Says Smartphone Sales Grew 46.5 Percent in Second Quarter of 2013 and Exceeded Feature Phone Sales for First Time |author=Rob van der Meulen & Janessa Rivera |date=14 August 2013 }}</ref> accounting for 51.8% of mobile phone sales in the second quarter of that year.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://arstechnica.com/business/2013/08/smartphones-outsell-feature-phones-for-the-first-time-worldwide/ |title=Smartphones Outsell Feature Phones, for the First Time |first=Cyrus |last=Farivar |date=14 August 2013 }}</ref>

In an effort to provide parity with smartphones, modern feature phones have also incorporated support for [[3G]] and even [[4G]] connectivity, [[multi-touch]] screens of varying sizes, various sensors ranging from [[proximity sensor]]s and [[GPS]] to [[Bluetooth]] and [[Near field communication|NFC]], plus access to popular [[social networking service]]s.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.thegadgetbytes.com/lava-4g-feature-phone-reliance-jio-launched-india/ |title=Lava Launches 4G Feature Phone in India}}</ref> However, their functionality and support for third-party apps [[purchase]]d or [[download]]ed via an [[app store]] or other online distribution platform are still relatively limited in comparison to smartphones.


==Platforms==
==Platforms==
[[Java ME]] was a popular software platform for feature phones in the 2000s, with 3 billion devices supporting it as of 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.java.com/en/about/ |title=Learn about Java Technology |access-date=15 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308080819/http://www.java.com/en/about/ |archive-date=8 March 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other platforms which saw significant adoption at this time include Qualcomm's [[Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless]], abbreviated as BREW, and Adobe's [[Flash Lite]].
Several distinct operating systems have been developed which can run on a feature phone. These operating systems are designed to be lightweight to increase the feature phone battery life, work well with a small screen which does not have touch features, and also work well with a small hardware keyboard such as [[T9 (predictive text)|T9]] keyboard commonly found on feature phones.

[[Nokia]] has developed the [[Series 30]] and [[Series 40]] software platform and application user interfaces which run the [[Nokia Asha platform]].

MediaTeK has developed an embedded real-time operating system [[Nucleus RTOS]], [[MAUI Runtime Environment]].

NTT Docomo has developed [[MOAP]] software platform and [[:ja:オペレータパック|OPP (Operator Pack)]] (Japanese).

Qualcomm has developed a lightweight runtime environment [[Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless|Brew MP]], an operating system for ARM phones [[REX OS]], [[:ja:KCP|KCP]] (Japanese), and [[:ja:KCP+|KCP+]] (Japanese).

[[Tizen Association]] (formerly LiMo Foundation) has developed a Linux-based [[LiMo Platform]] for smartphones.

Smarterphone has developed [[Smarterphone|Smarterphone OS]], a full operating system designed for feature phones. The first release was in 2008.

KaiOS Tech has developed [[KaiOS]], a lightweight fork of [[Firefox OS]] which was developed by [[Mozilla]].


[[MediaTek]] developed an embedded operating system named [[MAUI Runtime Environment]] which is based on [[Nucleus RTOS]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://lazure2.wordpress.com/tag/maui-runtime-environment/ | title=MAUI Runtime Environment }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://MRE.MediaTek.com/en/start/what|title=What is MRE?|website=MRE.MediaTek.com|publisher=[[MediaTek]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104094204/http://mre.mediatek.com/en/start/what|archive-date=4 November 2015|access-date=26 May 2019}}</ref> Additionally, many phones could access the internet using [[Wireless Application Protocol]]. [[KaiOS]] can be used as an operating system for feature phones that supports certain apps written using HTML5.
==See also==
* [[E Ink]]
* [[Kosher phone]]
* [[Japanese mobile phone culture]]
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* [[Galápagos syndrome#Mobile phones]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist|32em}}


==External links==
==External links==
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{{Mobile phones}}
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{{Computer sizes}}
{{Portal bar|Telephones|Telecommunication|Technology}}


[[Category:Information appliances]]
[[Category:Information appliances]]
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[[Category:Mobile phones]]

Latest revision as of 05:38, 24 December 2024

The Nokia 3310 (2017 version), an advanced feature phone

A feature phone (also spelled featurephone), brick phone, or dumbphone,[1] is a mobile phone that retains the form factor of earlier generations[when?] of mobile telephones, typically with press-button based inputs and a small non-touch display. Feature phones tend to use an embedded operating system with a small and simple graphical user interface, unlike large and complex mobile operating systems on smartphones.

The functions of feature phones are limited compared to smartphones. Following the rise of smartphones, the feature phone has sometimes been referred to as a dumbphone.[2] However, some feature phones can provide functions found in smartphones, including internet capabilities, apps, and mobile games.

Definition

[edit]

Prior to the popularity of smartphones, the term 'feature phone' was often used on high-end mobile telephones with assorted functions for retail customers, developed at the advent of 3G networks, which allowed sufficient bandwidth for these capabilities.[3]

Depending on extent of functionality, feature phones may have many of the capabilities of a smartphone, within certain cases.[4]

The first GSM phones and many feature phones had NOR flash memory, from which processor instructions could be executed directly in an execute in place architecture and allowed for short boot times. With smartphones, NAND flash memory was adopted as it has larger storage capacities and lower costs, but causes longer boot times because instructions cannot be executed from it directly, and must be copied to RAM memory first before execution.[5]

Contemporary usage

[edit]
A Walton Olvio E100 feature phone

In developed economies, feature phones are primarily specific to niche markets, or have become merely a preference; owing to certain feature combinations not available in other devices, such as their affordability, durability, and simplicity.[6]

A well-specified feature phone can be used in industrial environments, and the outdoors, at workplaces that proscribe dedicated cameras, and as an emergency telephone. Several models are equipped with hardware functions; such as FM radio and flashlight, that prevent the device from becoming useless in the event of a major disaster, or entirely obsolete, if and when 2G network infrastructure is shut down. Other feature phones are specifically designed for the elderly, and yet others for religious purposes.[7] In Pakistan and other South Asian countries, many mobile phone outlets use feature phones for balance transfer, referred to as Easyload.[8]

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, multiple new companies were formed specifically to manufacture and sell such phones in North America. These companies reported accelerated growth in 2023 and early 2024, driven by those who find contemporary smartphones too addictive, including parents worried about their children developing such addictions.[2]

History

[edit]
[edit]
Nokia feature phones

In developed economies in the mid 2000s to early 2010s, fashion and brand loyalty drove sales, as markets had matured and people moved to their second and third phones. In the United States, technological innovation with regard to expanded functionality was a secondary consideration, as phone designs there centred on miniaturisation.[9][10][11]

Existing feature phone operating systems at the time were not designed to handle additional tasks beyond communication and basic functions, and due to the complex bureaucracy and other factors, they never developed a thriving software ecosystem.[10]

By contrast, iPhone OS (renamed iOS in 2010) and Android were designed as a robust operating system, embracing third-party software, and having capabilities such as multitasking and graphics capabilities in order to meet future consumer demands.[12] These platforms also eclipsed the popularity of smartphone platforms historically aimed towards enterprise markets, such as BlackBerry.[13]

There has been an industry shift from feature phones (including low-end smartphones), which rely mainly on volume sales, to high-end flagship smartphones, which also enjoy higher margins, thus manufacturers find high-end smartphones much more lucrative than feature phones.[14][15]

The shift away from feature phones has forced mobile network operators to increase subsidies of handsets, and the high selling-prices of flagship smartphones have had a negative effect on the mobile network operators, who have seen their earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) margins drop as they sold more smartphones and fewer feature phones. To help make up for this, carriers typically use high-end devices to upsell customers onto higher-priced service plans with increased data allotments.[16][17][18] Trends have shown that consumers are willing to pay more for smartphones that include newer features and technology, and that smartphones were considered to be more relevant in present-day popular culture than feature phones.[19]

Market share

[edit]
Motorola RAZR V3i

During the mid-2000s, best-selling feature phones such as the fashionable flip-phone Motorola Razr, multimedia Sony Ericsson W580i, and the LG Black Label Series not only occupied the mid-range pricing in a wireless provider's range, they made up the bulk of retail sales as smartphones from BlackBerry and Palm were still considered a niche category for business use. Even as late as 2009, smartphone penetration in North America was low.[20]

In 2011, feature phones accounted for 60 percent of the mobile telephones in the United States,[21] and 70 percent of mobile phones sold worldwide.[22] According to Gartner in Q2 2013, 225 million smartphones were sold worldwide which represented a 46.5 percent gain over the same period in 2012, while 210 million feature phones were sold, which was a decrease of 21 percent year over year, the first time that smartphones have outsold feature phones.[19][23] Smartphones accounted for 51.8 percent of mobile phone sales in the second quarter of 2013, resulting in smartphone sales surpassing feature phone sales for the first time.[24]

A survey of 4,001 Canadians by Media Technology Monitor (MTM) in late 2012 suggested about 83 percent of the anglophone population owned a cellphone, up from 80 percent in 2011 and 74 percent in 2010. About two thirds of the mobile phone owners polled said they had a smartphone, and the other third had feature phones or non-smartphones. According to MTM, non-smartphone users are more likely to be female, older, have a lower income, live in a small community, and have less education. The survey found that smartphone owners tend to be male, younger, live in a high-income household with children in the home, and residents of a community of one million or more people. Students also ranked high among smartphone owners.[25]

Japan

[edit]

Mobile phones in Japan diverged from those used elsewhere, with carriers and devices often implementing advanced features; such as NTT docomo's i-mode platform for mobile internet in 1999, mobile payments, mobile television, and near field communications; that were not yet widely used, or even adopted, outside of Japan. This divergence has been cited as an example of Galápagos syndrome; as a result, these feature phones are retroactively referred to as a 'gala-phone' (ガラケー, gara-kei), blending with 'mobile phone' (携帯, keitai). While smartphones have gained popularity (and implement features introduced on them), many gala-phones are still commonly used, citing preferences for the devices and their durability over smartphones.[26][27][28][29][30]

Mobile games oriented towards smartphones have seen significant growth and revenue in Japan, even though there were three times fewer smartphone users in the country than in the United States as of 2017.[31]

Platforms

[edit]

Java ME was a popular software platform for feature phones in the 2000s, with 3 billion devices supporting it as of 2013.[32] Other platforms which saw significant adoption at this time include Qualcomm's Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless, abbreviated as BREW, and Adobe's Flash Lite.

MediaTek developed an embedded operating system named MAUI Runtime Environment which is based on Nucleus RTOS.[33][34] Additionally, many phones could access the internet using Wireless Application Protocol. KaiOS can be used as an operating system for feature phones that supports certain apps written using HTML5.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Almroth-Wright, Indy (4 March 2024). "School phone ban: Blandford pupils to be offered 'brick phones'". BBC News. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Chayka, Kyle (10 April 2024). "The Dumbphone Boom is Real". The New Yorker. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  3. ^ Miller, Hugo (11 January 2013). "RIM says 150 carriers keep it from Palm's fate (Toronto)". TheSpec.com. TheSpec.com – Metroland Media Group Ltd. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013.
  4. ^ Hardy, Ed (25 March 2003). "Study says: smartphones will outsell handhelds this year". Brighthand.com. Brighthand – TechTarget. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2021. The European analyst firm Canalys has released a study that predicts shipments of smartphones will exceed those of handhelds in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region for the first time in 2003. It says about 3.3 million smartphones will be sold in the region this year, as opposed to 2.8 million handhelds.
  5. ^ Micheloni, Rino; Crippa, Luca; Marelli, Alessia (27 July 2010). Inside NAND Flash Memories. Springer. ISBN 978-90-481-9431-5.
  6. ^ Fowler, Geoffrey A. (27 April 2016). "It's OK not to use a smartphone". The Wall Street Journal. New York.
  7. ^ Hirshfeld, Rachel (26 March 2012). "Introducing: a 'kosher phone' permitted on shabbat – the Zomet Institute has released a kosher telephone that can be used on Shabbat without breaking the Jewish laws of the day of rest". www.IsraelNationalNews.com. Israel National News – Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Easyload".
  9. ^ "The iPhone's impact on rivals". Business Week. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Why does Symbian collapse?". PixelsTech.net. Pixels Tech. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  11. ^ "Business: Washington Post business page, business news". WashPost.Bloomberg.com. The Washington Post – Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  12. ^ Marlow, Iain (27 January 2013). "RIM's long road to reinvent the BlackBerry". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  13. ^ Jason Perlow (8 November 2009). "In smartphone wars, Darwinism triumphs over intelligent design". www.ZDNet.com. ZDNet.
  14. ^ Ashraf Eassa (12 February 2013). "Nokia's Lumia strategy will pay off nicely". SeekingAlpha.com. Seeking Alpha.
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