There is still a huge population which wants basic phones as a backup atleast. There are places in india where electricity is not so easy to get and the monthly salary is still under 100$ The senior citizens even though have migrated to smartphones stil are in the dire need of a durable small phone.
I feel apple may also jump in with a luxury feature phone,Just a matter of time
Might not be apparent in Silicon valley but in third-world countries its:
* Snatcher deterrence. It would be less likely targeted than say an iPhone when used in risky public areas.
* Ideal for people who'd only use a phone for texting and calling (eg. older people, farmers, laborers).
* A phone that does not need baby sitting: long batt life, doesn't care if it falls on the floor, when it rains just wrap it in plastic.
* And the one thing that I miss the most in smartphones: Texting without ever looking at the screen.
And voice dictation is very accurate these days, and probably faster than most people type.
I don't just want a basic phone as a backup. I want real sim card portability/functionality. I want to have a smart-phone when I need it, and I want a lightweight, rugged, long battery endurance phone I can pop the sim card into for activities where I'm willing to compromise features for durability (or speed/ease of use).
> The senior citizens even though have migrated to smartphones stil are in the dire need of a durable small phone.
I still can't believe that nobody has done this. I attribute it to my cynicism about dealing with telecom middlemen (data providers).
I had to buy a cheap phone, and to be precise, the 3310 costs 3 times the cheapest (an Alcatel).