Tutor
•
6 Messages
Why does AT&T refuse to offer more featurephones?? (Besides the making more money factor.....)
I am one of many people in this country who do not want or need a smartphone. I have a toddler and two more on the way. Having a large piece of portable, breakable technology is not feasible for me now or anytime in the near future.
The Nokia phone that I have will not work with a 4G network. Why can't AT&T find someone to make a candybar style 4G phone?
I realize it is not new, it is not snazzy, but there are some people who need them. I dislike flip phones. I do not need to pay for a "rugged" phone. I cannot find one that will work, and this website offers all of four feature phones.
AT&T used to be called simply the phone company in my house. Please make phones again. I do not want a portable tablet. I don't need giant, breakable screens. I am not alone in this desire. I am 43 years old. It is not that I don't understand the technology, I just don't understand why you cannot see the need. I started my relationship with BellSouth in 1997. AT&T has become less and less user friendly over the years. I do not really want to switch over to someone else, but if they have a phone that will work for me....
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
111.2K Messages
6 years ago
ATT has never made Phones. And they stock what sells. They can only stock what manufacturers offer, and they only make what sells.
You do not have to buy from ATT. Shop eBay and Amazon and Best Buy for 3G /UTMAS/HSPA ATT phones with bands 850 and 1900. (Do not buy 2G/GSM)
The Snapfone EZ 3G is compatible.
Ask around. Lots of people have perfectly good bar phones they don't use, tossed in a drawer.
If you notice here: http://www.gsmarena.com there are few basic phones
Nokia still sells basic phones in Asia, But they won't work in the US.
If you want to be sure its compatible, ask the forum.
0
0
amneris
Tutor
•
6 Messages
6 years ago
Thank you, but I have looked - my last phone came from Amazon, I believe. It is a Nokia 230, and I love it. (I had a Nokia 6030 for over five years, so it is VERY similar) But it no longer works outside of my city. It does not work at all in Mississippi.
I need a 4G featurephone. If someone would offer an updated version of the ZTE F160, that would be perfection.
I do not want to buy a 3G phone, when I have been told by an AT&T employee that 3G will soon be phased out altogether.
Upgrade after upgrade is great for them, rotten for you and me and eve worse for the environment.
0
0
Gary L
ACE - Expert
•
16.4K Messages
6 years ago
You might have to get the 3g and have to do a new search whenever that gets phased out.
I'm guessing the markup on those isn't really that high and they aren't making a lot of money on non-smartphones.
It's an important reason for a money making corporation. This isn't a non-profit, you can't just exclude making money as a reason. It is their job to make money for the investors.
Then they have to support those phones (they have a hard enough time supporting the current lineup!).
While you say "many" want these non-featured phones, the success of the iPhone and Android makes it clear what people want (and I'd bet the number of users who didn't want those phones and now happily use them are way more in number than the "many" who are still holding out).
0
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
111.2K Messages
6 years ago
@amneris ATT does not distinguish between a 3G and 4G network. ATT network offers UTMS HSPA which is equivalent to 3 3/4G. ATT calls it 3G. So you will not find anything that says it is a basic phone with ATT 4G bands....no such thing. And basic phones do not work on the LTE network.
0
0