Last year I had the chance to try out HMD's Nokia 3210 and, for the most part, found the experience pretty charming, but with some noticeable issues.
However, I've recently found myself feeling a bit down when it comes to modern smartphones. Devices like the iPhone 16e and PIxel 9a all seem to offer the same designs and features, with little to really distinguish them. So I found myself looking back to feature phones with a sense of curiosity.
After all, while they might not be the most powerful phones, they are certainly unique. With that said, there's no avoiding that my initial experience was mixed, so I was curious about what it is that draws other people to feature phones.
Is there something that I'm missing?
What is a feature phone?
Some of you might not know what a feature phone actually is. In essence, they're recreations of phones from the past with more modern technology.
Now, I should specify that we're not talking about phones like the iPhone 12 or the Galaxy S21. Instead, most of these devices come from the late nineties and are very different from what you might expect.
Feature phones are retro in nearly every sense of the word, despite being designed in the last few years. They usually have a physical keypad, a much smaller screen and a very basic camera.
Unlike modern smartphones, feature phones are often built out of plastic, with a removable back and battery. They're also usually much smaller in the hand than, say, the iPhone 16 or Galaxy S25.
However, thanks to the limited hardware, feature phones often cost less than even the best cheap smartphones. However, there are a couple of major limitations when it comes to feature phones.
Firstly, you won't be using social media apps like X or Instagram, not that the cameras take worthwhile images anyway. Nor will you be able to watch streaming services like Netflix.
You're also only getting storage and RAM in the megabytes, which is insane when you consider modern phones can feature up to 24GB of RAM.
What was my experience with feature phones?
My experience of using the Nokia 3210 was pretty charming and there were things I liked. For instance, one issue I have with modern smartphones is that they're just getting too big. That wasn't an issue with the Nokia 3210, which is perfectly sized to just sit in your pocket.
The limited apps and features also meant that I stopped looking at my screen constantly, which in turn helped my sleep cycle and concentration.
The limited apps and features also meant that I stopped looking at my screen constantly, which in turn helped my sleep cycle and concentration. There's also something to be said for keeping off of social media for a time, and if I did want to talk to someone I had to call them, which was novel.
However, I found using the keypad was more of an annoyance than I would have initially thought. See, back in the misty past, we had to make do with the keypad buttons on the phone to hold all the letters and symbols. When I was younger I could have pulled this off with better muscle memory, but years of controllers and gaming have killed my hands.
Not only that, I learned that I have been spoiled by comprehensive smartphone menus and Action Buttons. There is a menu on the Nokia, but it's limited and doesn't show every feature for the phone. Instead, there are certain things that you need to use the keypad for, such as putting the phone on silent. This would be fine, except the Nokia lacked any instructions on how to do it.
Finally, there was the issue of no app stores and no ways to find different games or apps. See, in the past phones had games pre-loaded and you could try them out, and then buy them trough the SIM card. The same is true on the new Nokia 3210, and it is as hellish an experience now as it was then.
What is it that draws people to feature phones?
So, I wasn't entirely sold on the concept, but there is still very much a market for feature phones.
“Featurephones have been experiencing a renaissance," said Adam Ferguson, global head of propositions, insights, product Marketing and commercial partnerships at HMD. "The volume decline seen in the global market has slowed over recent years and from an HMD perspective we are seeing growth, double digit for the second consecutive year."
Feature phones are rising to the challenge of digital fatigue and the desire to occasionally disconnect. We’re seeing uptake from much younger audiences as they strive to maintain balance in their digital lives.
Adam Ferguson, HMD
One of the leading markets for the feature phones is India where in the month of October 2024 alone HMD sold 2 million devices.
It would be easy to assume that this resurgence is due to cheaper prices but HMD is figuring out ways to modernize the feature phone while still keeping their main appeal.
"HMD is investing in features like cloud app accessibility and the integration of UPI payment functionality, enabling on the go payments with feature phones," said Ferguson.
And at MWC 2025 HMD's chairman announced plans to bring AI to feature phones, with an AI Assistant helping manage your device through natural voice commands.
When it comes to what draws people to the phones, Ferguson says that HMD has seen feature phones in Europe "rising to the challenge of digital fatigue and the desire to occasionally disconnect. We’re seeing uptake from much younger audiences as they strive to maintain balance in their digital lives."
"Sometimes you need a phone which specifically doesn’t do things like social media, so that people can have a little time out from the constant notifications which come with smartphones," said Ferguson. "Layer in simple interfaces, iconic form factors like flip phones and designs like the 3210, and you can see why feature phones are appealing to many.”
So, is a feature phone for you?
Feature phones occupy a strange place in the market at the moment, but it is a valid one. They're more than just cheap phones; they represent a way to disconnect from some of the more excessive aspects of modern phones, while still offering the necessities.
While I might not completely drop my smartphone for one, I can see the appeal when it comes to needing a break. There's something to be said for a cheap, capable device that lets you just decompress from it all.
I can especially see the advantage when it comes to kids, as it lets parents know their child is reachable without worrying about them overusing social media.
Have you started to feel digital fatigue when it comes to modern phones, or do you want to wait until feature phones offer a little bit more?
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