Does a 4G flip phone exist?

[majhi]

In looking for a new phone, I'm noticing that there's nothing available on Verizon's site that meets my needs.  In particular, I want a flip phone that has the French language built-in (all the ones I'm seeing only support English and Spanish).  I talked to Verizon and they said if I wanted to get an unlocked phone, it would have to be 4G in order to activate it.  The catch is that I don't want a smartphone.  Does a 4G flip phone exist anywhere?

[GalaxyClass]

I do not know of any service provider that is now selling a 4G flip. With that being said about the best you can go for would be a prepaid from Sprint/Virgin or Boost (all working on the same system) or Tracfone, ATT and some others. When reading the sales promo. the providers would have you think 4G is shore to shore, it's not. So you may be far better off with 3G and CDMA, GSM service.

[B33]

I'm like GalaxyGlass finding a Device as what your looking for is probably going to be impossible to find and there's not whole lot of Basic phone available now as they were.. But who knows something might come out and Impress us all..

Have a Good Weekend.. 

[acraftylady]

A 4g flip phone would make no sense.  The screen would be too small to access the Web and use apps so why pay for a data plan on something like that.   I think even smart phones don't  have built in french, mine doesnt.   You would need a language app or something or a keyboard with different languages.  My husband just got a new basic keyboard phone and i saw a flip phone at the verizon store.  Mary

[majhi]

That's the whole reason why I want a basic phone: to avoid the data plan.  I don't need internet on my phone, nor do I even want it.

[#6]

acraftylady wrote:A 4g flip phone would make no sense.  The screen would be too small to access the Web and use apps so why pay for a data plan on something like that.   I think even smart phones don't  have built in french, mine doesnt.   You would need a language app or something or a keyboard with different languages.  My husband just got a new basic keyboard phone and i saw a flip phone at the verizon store.  Mary

Actually it would make sense. Verizon is eventually going convert all it's spectrum for LTE. For people using flip phones they will not work anymore. If one doesn't want a smartphone then there won't be any options for them if there aren't any 4G flip phones. Eventually all calls will be over LTE. That will require flip phones to have 4G radios in them if Verizon still wants to carry them..

[Tidbits]

I don't think there will be basic phones. They'll just remove the pricing structure for basic phones and only leave the smartphone option. I think all carriers will do this. IMS is already setup to handle calls and text(reason why new plans are unlimited calling and text). The rest is data and they make you pay for data access in the new plans first. Manufacturers themselves have been slowly phasing out on making basic phones.

Just a personal assumption.

[GalaxyClass]

I don't see Basic phones having a long life span ahead. Already you have some "so called job built" .smartphones on the market that are somewhat water resistance and take a few drop perhaps in the correct case. 4G LTE is a fact of life now be it good or bad as to where you live/work and 3G CDMA is being farmed out.

[#9]

Well the number of basic phones offered are getting smaller every year. Only LG and Samsung even offer them. When they'll stop making them who knows. Verizon still has 20 million basic phones still out there. How many of those are willing to convert to smartphones over the next few years who knows. I do know the 3G smartphone to 4G smartphone conversion is going faster than the basic phone to smartphone conversion. I believe at least 4 new models came out in 2014 and those models could still be selling in 2016 and those phones could last 5 years or more. If Verizon isn't going to offer 4G basic phones they need to stop selling basic phones within the next couple of years.

[Tidbits]

mrhelper wrote:

Well the number of basic phones offered are getting smaller every year. Only LG and Samsung even offer them. When they'll stop making them who knows. Verizon still has 20 million basic phones still out there. How many of those are willing to convert to smartphones over the next few years who knows. I do know the 3G smartphone to 4G smartphone conversion is going faster than the basic phone to smartphone conversion. I believe at least 4 new models came out in 2014 and those models could still be selling in 2016 and those phones could last 5 years or more. If Verizon isn't going to offer 4G basic phones they need to stop selling basic phones within the next couple of years.

I believe they will do just that when XLTE is fully rolled out and they start retiring their lower networks. 

[#11]

XLTE is supposed to be done by the end of this year. And unless Verizon has stated otherwise last I heard they plan on retiring 1x at the end of 2020. You'd hope it be sooner than that and maybe it will.

[GalaxyClass]

I was reading on a blog somewhere that low use small rural sites would be the last to go and that may happen. But I don't see VZW doing a spot here & there thing. When they change out a tower site it will be one and done for many reasons.

[B33]

What I posted acraftylady was just a suggested thought)  it has no weight or bearing.! my last two flip phones that owned and will ever own were the Motorola V3M  and the Moto Krzr.. before these 2   I was a candy bar connoisseur either I carried the Nokia's or the Moto's..  sometimes I carried both of them.

[GalaxyClass]

I also carried a Nokia bar and a StarTac flip...the good old days.

[RuralARMom]

Yes - look up the LG Wine Smart and LG Ice Cream. I think that Motorola has a "MotoSmart" model, also, and Samsung makes a Galaxy Folder. Unfortunately, it looks like most of the 4G LTE Android smart flip phones are being built for and released to the S Korean market only. Ebay or Amazon may offer a few for sale here and there.

I really wish they were more widely available - I need to wean the spouse off his clunky old flip onto something that actually gets a signal, and our area is already largely converted to LTE.

[Tidbits]

Dead thread, but your reply isn't in the OP criteria. He doesn't was a smart phone. He wants a basic flip phone.