Three 'Dumbphones' That Can Run WhatsApp Applications

Old-time cell phone illustration (photo: dock. unsplash)

JAKARTA In the increasingly sophisticated smartphone era thanks to the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based feature, the dumbphone is still popular with some people. In fact, this phone is popular in several circles to support the Y2K style.

Dubphone is a term for ancient phones, the opposite of smartphones. This device selects a battery that lasts a long time, a very affordable price, is very secure due to the lack of internet connection, and the main feature is telephone and SMS.

Although the dumbphone is identical as a device with a bad internet connection, some dumbphones can run WhatsApp. This phone doesn't use KaiOS because WhatsApp has stopped support for the system.

If you're curious about what devices with the old model, the term for the past, which can still run WhatsApp, here's the list, reported by TechCrunch.

Emporia Touchsmart.2

The phone made by the Emporia is specially designed for the elderly who still want to connect with children or families who use smartphones. This device can only run WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram.

The appearance is similar to that of Nokia's cell phone in ancient times, but the screen size is 3.25 inches. This device has two types of keyboards, namely touchscreen and physical. Touchsmart.2 is only sold in Europe, but people outside Europe can buy it by paying more.

TT970 Phone

This one phone is almost similar to Touchsmart.2, but the features are much richer and probably more attractive. This device is made by TTfone, a US-based mobile phone manufacturer and the European Union. Just like Touchsmart.2, TT970 targets the elderly.

This phone is equipped with pre-installed applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook Lite, YouTube, browsers, and even emails. All of these features will be very useful for people who want to limit internet access, but want to stay connected to friends and relatives.

Cat S22

The last Dubphone is the work of Caterpillar, namely Cat S22. This Android-based phone can work like a smartphone, but the screen is a limit for playing certain applications, such as YouTube or TikTok for example.

Just like TT970, this phone suspects the touch screen and is physical and can run several communication applications, including WhatsApp. Technically, this phone is made specifically for T-Mobile and the MVNO network, but there are also unlocked versions for other GSM operators.