Announced a short time ago, the Callback 8020 is seen as a means of combating the addictive lure of the modern-day smartphone. While it supports Android apps via its SailfishOS, it disables features like web browsing and social media by default.
However, despite the noble quest for a ‘digital detox’, the phone met with a somewhat frosty reception online (no pun intended), with many comparing it to an elderly relative’s flip phone. In our poll, 70 percent of you said you wouldn’t be buying one.
You’re either paying a massive markup for that Samsung brand mark or your idea of a phone starts at the upper-middle range.
If you look for it there are plenty of recent phones with recent chipsets at around 250 EUR, they’re just not processing powerhouses with 8’’ HD screens and 256GB Flash but rather run some recent low-end chipset with less storage, less memory and smaller/fewer cameras.
Here’s an example from a big store chain in Portugal which is around $187 including 23% VAT, chipset is Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1, which according to this was launched in September 2022, so less than 4 years old.
You can get this one for $157 via AliExpress (shipped from France, 23% VAT included).