UK Supermarket Asda Launches £5 ($8) Phone

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Cheap and cheerful.

Smartphones might be getting increasingly powerful, but they're also pretty expensive. While a dumbphone isn't half as useful, it still makes calls and sends texts, and it does it at a fraction of the price. (The majority are also probably more durable than your average smartphone and have a battery that lasts for days.)

UK supermarket Asda has introduced an uber cheap dumbphone that it reckons is the UK's 'lowest priced phone.' Manufactured by Alcatel, the features of the phone are fairly limited. It's got a 1.45-inch colour display as well as enough storage for 100 contacts and an FM radio. The phone itself runs on T-Mobile and is £5 on pay as you go.

Though the price probably isn't enough to convince you to give up your web-enable smartphone with a direct line to your email and Skype, it's certainly attractive in the context of an emergency phone for in the car or to take with you when you go camping.

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Jane McEntegart
15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ginjaninja7
    Why does anybody want a phone like that.... lol :-)
    Reply
  • silverblue
    As stated, for emergencies. A tiny phone like that in your glove box could be helpful, you just need to keep it charged. The FM radio is a nice touch, too.
    Reply
  • Ijack
    11890100 said:
    Why does anybody want a phone like that.... lol :-)
    Some people use phones to make phone calls.

    Cheap deals like that, on pay as you go, are fairly common in the UK. An FM radio as well seems to be a good deal.
    Reply
  • ginjaninja7
    I was sarcastic guys you guys are a bunch of noobs.
    Reply
  • Ijack
    Don't give up the day job. :)
    Reply
  • TeraMedia
    That doesn't look like a 5 pound phone. Maybe 4 ounces, but no more than that.

    That's basically a disposable phone. Pretty amazing that a cell phone can cost less than a ticket for a 2-hour movie.
    Reply
  • bnot
    yeah TeraMedia , was was just thinking a 5 pound phone (battery) should give you a few weeks without recharging too
    Reply
  • Ijack
    You're right. A simple phone like this does last a long time between recharges. Sometimes simple is better.
    Reply
  • Pherule
    WhatsApp? Colornote? AndChat? UB Reader? Gmail app?

    Without these apps at the very least, a phone is useless to me.
    Reply
  • Ijack
    Each to their own. I like a phone that goes for weeks on one charge, costs next to nothing, and - best of all - you can make phone calls with it.
    Reply