$12 Basic Emergency Phone Emerges In China

I think a lot of people are sick and tired of having to constantly upgrade their phones. Some tech geeks would happily buy an upgraded smartphone several times a year if they could, but for some people, this lavish living is not an option. Don’t get me wrong, upgrades are good, but it all comes with a price. Usually smartphone upgrades are expensive, and maybe that is why a new kind of $12 basic emergency phone has suddenly emerged on the Chinese market.

This basic emergency phone was discovered and acquired by Andrew Huang at the Mingtong Digital Mall in Shenzhen, China. For people who have a constant craving for new apps and extravagant features, this phone is not for you. This emergency phone is merely an option for people who don’t need anything other than the ability to call and text. The price tag itself certainly justifies its existence, at least when there are people in the world who can’t afford a $300.00 smartphone.

It might not impress many people with its features, but it sure will with its price tag. For that amount of money, it’s a wonder it even has features like Bluetooth, quad-band GSM connectivity, a charger, USB and microSD ports. The screen is a retro two-color OLED screen, and you will be able to store a massive 8MB on it before you have to download it to a nearby computer. There’s not many features to brag about, that’s for sure. However, the notion that you will always have a way to call someone when you are in a dire situation should justify the $12 price for sure.

Did I mention the phone is contract-free? It is, and once you have purchased this badboy, you will be able to instantly make calls and text your friends. It’s like experiencing the ’80s all over again, isn’t it? But this time around, it comes at a much lower price tag – one that actually makes sense. Whether or not we’ll see these phones in Europe or even in America is of course impossible to say, but they certainly have a place in today’s financially chaotic society.

Basic Chinese $12 Emergency Phone

Via: [bunnie:studios] [Boing Boing] [Technabob]