A lot of businesses need to hand out phones to employees on very temporary basis, like handing them between managers of different shifts, security guards, drivers working as part of convoys, "on duty nightshift guy". At the end of his workday he hands it to the next guy.. (Our dispatch office where I work uses a cheap cellphone instead of landline, and keeps a spare on hand.). These people all already have smartphones, so no need to have a browser on the biz phone. What the biz and employees want, is a battery that lasts long time, tough as nails, and won't drop calls. Dependable more important than shiny features.

This may not be "exciting tech", but I think it will get decent sales.

My 6S Plus fits in my front pants pocket without any discomfort. Plain old fashioned Levis, not these big freaking clown pants you see and definitely not hipster skinny jeans.

Maybe fanny packs will make a comeback or multi pocket tactical jackets and pants. It's funny how they went from too small to these dinner plate size ones today.

Just don't say "fanny packs" if you are ever in the UK.

I can just imagine, knowing the word they use for cigarette ( or at least in the movies).

Fanny packs are so 80's!

They're not fanny packs, they're TACTICAL GEAR BUG OUT BAGS.
That makes them ok.

With the trend in wearable tech, just get a hat and attach the phone to the visor. Leave it in camera mode most of the time so you can see where you're going.



The Jedi Master

Wait what? How could you NOT like that phone? It had an amazing build quality, that scroll cylinder was pure brilliance and it had the most crisp speaker I ever experienced in a phone.
Really regret replacing it with an LG "smart"phone.


Having said that: real keyboards need a comeback in the mobile phone world.

Considering how rarely I used it to make calls, the speaker quality was immaterial. The scroll was nice, but again I didn't use it all that much. I could go a week without turning it on, I charged it like monthly or something. I found the shape unpleasant for my hand. It was narrow but really deep while shut. Didn't much care for the "Shine" part with the see-through mirror either.

I still rarely talk on my smartphone (we always have tons of unused minutes every month) but at least now I use the thing regularly for email and other apps. It also is comfortable to hold.



The Jedi Maste

Talking on a smartphone? What kind of weirdo does that?

Well if you don't do that you might as well just have a tablet with cellular data as it's otherwise identical.



The Jedi Master

LOL!!!

Where were you when I worked at BlackBerry..

Wife misses her BlackBerry something awful, would give back her iPhone in a heartbeat (work phone).

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have purchased a Kindle Touch 3 years ago, I'd get the one with physical buttons even if the viewing area is smaller.

I've still got my Kindle keyboard and I'm not giving it up! As much as I'd like a Paperwhite at night, I can't do it. It's too good.

Blackberry - Dead Company Walking.

I have a Kindle from 2011...and I never use the keyboard. It's a reader, not a writer, what do you use it for??? I use the menu/back/forward/nav buttons and that's it.



The Jedi Master

Thanks Obama!

Mostly for my password, but also searching/shopping. It also just feels good in hand, a little easier to hold than tablets since you naturally hold it at the bottom, having it higher up. I also prefer the page change buttons to a touch screen.
I also use the Kindle app on my tablet and phone, but you just can't beat a real Kindle for being easy on the eyes and super light. I charge it about once ever couple of months. Partly due to splitting duty with the tablet and phone, but it's also just efficient.