Believe It or Not, Flip Phones are Alive and Well

Remember flip phones? I thought they were a thing of the past, but I discovered yesterday during a trip to a local coffee shop that there are flip phone users in 2021, and my mind is blown.

I was waiting in line for a coffee on Thursday when the cell phone of the gentleman in front of me began ringing. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device, flipped it open, and greeted the caller on the other end.

I audibly gasped. Luckily, my mask hid my astonishment as I stared at this stranger using a piece of technology that I haven’t seen in more than a decade.

I truly didn’t even realize they were still being manufactured. Every commercial on television highlights the shiniest, and newest smartphone available, leading me to believe that flip phones have become ancient history. This gentleman was living proof that flip phones are alive and well.

I couldn’t help but take a picture of this man. I felt like I was witnessing an ancient technological artifact at use. The last time I was able to aggressively hang up on someone by slamming my phone shut or aggressively text with the help of T-9 was in the eighth grade. I can’t imagine life without my iPhone 11, but this man got me thinking.

Life in 2021 with a flip phone sounds enticing. I am sure the alerts are far less, the apps are limited, and the camera quality is nothing to write home about. It sounds like a simpler life, and I envy this gentleman in a way for preferring that lifestyle. Maybe he just prefers real buttons, but either way, I was thinking about that flip phone for the rest of the day.

OK, after doing a little more research, I found out that there is a new top-of-the-line smartphone that is actually a modern reboot of a classic flip phone. But still, the sentiment of wishing for a simpler time still stands.