The resurrection of the flip-phone

Originally published on Feburary 18th, 2015

I recently read an article that flip phones have re-emerged as a “trend” in Japan. Some may think that this, being a trend, is superficial and it very may be. However, I would be lying if I didn’t say I missed the practicality and satisfaction which comes from being able to manually ‘flip’ open my phone to answer calls. There’s just something about being able to physically interact with something mechanical (or the flip-of-the-wrist-open coolness). I’d like to say it’s more of a ‘man’ thing, not dissimilar to using a Zippo lighter or mechanical keyboard, but don’t this would be fair assessment being that I don’t know the demographics.

Then again there’s the practicality of the flip-phone that we’ve ignored with the evolution to the one-glass smartphone (note that a ‘button’ of some sort still exists for a reason). For instance the move to actionable notifications has its benefits, but I can’t help but to think we’re missing the point that having a ‘lock screen’ in the first place. The flip-phone on the other hand, lends more confidence in that everything is hidden underneath a physical barrier. I for one think its worth the extra half second of inconvenience.

One of the biggest flaws of the ‘candy-bar’ style phone was it’s tendency to make ‘pocket’ or accidental calls because buttons were exposed to forms of pressure. For obvious reasons the flip-phone eschews that altogether. With my current Samsung smartphone (Note 4) I’m always a bit nervous that I’ll press something which activates either answering or declining a phone call before I’m able to take it out of my pocket because everything but the back cover has the potential to react to touch. To be totally honest, a lot of this is due to the industrial design of the phone itself, as buttons extrude, particularly the home, instead of being recessed a la iPhone. However, that extra bit of confidence that the flip-phone provides is a feature that is sorely missed.

I’m not saying we move back to what flip-phones used to be, but that we consider evolving it to the point that it’s a viable option rather than a trend. Let’s keep the touch screen, but give me the option to have the features that the flip-phone provides.

I can list even more valid reasons, including the hipster appeal, of having a flip-phone. The point is that I still feel there is a need for flip-phones to exist beyond their ‘burner’ and ‘low-end’ status. From an evolution to begin we can’t ignore the benefits of the past.