
Verizon just launched its first LTE-only flip phone - msh
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/6/16/15811502/verizon-lte-flip-phone-lg-exalt
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jnordwick
Why does this cost as much as a cheap smartphone? Shouldn't it be much
cheaper?

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jimmies
You can ask why aren't Amtrak tickets cheaper than airplane tickets.

Flip phones have certain audiences in mind and I don't think they are meant to
compete with smartphones.

I used to use an equivalent of a flip phone for the last couple of months to
not fuck around on my phone and get work done. I just got back to smartphones
but I don't have apps on them.

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jnordwick
I would think the biggest market for this phone though would be this who are
price sensitive. The market of people getting one to be more productive at
work or for other reasons (being simpler maybe) would seem to be very small.

My first thought was those who didn't want to have access to an unfiltered
internet (frum/religious).

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gravypod
Wifi calling? Why can't I just call from my laptop then?

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ksec
I have always wonder how much Silicon space is saved if we ditch 3G and 2G
entirely. And which Baseband Chip does this flipphone use?

And I will be looking forward to a day where iPhone is LTE only.

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MBCook
Makes sense to me. If they ever want to be able to retire their 2G or 3G
networks then they need LTE only feature phones.

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tgb
Why would they need to be LTE-only instead of just LTE-compatible?

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basseq
This is the beginning of a "clean break" to LTE. Verizon has announced plans
to begin to retire their CDMA network in 2019, so this is a way to get people
_off_ CDMA entirely. They don't _want_ CDMA compatibility because they see it
as legacy technology with retirement fast approaching.

The first comparison that came to mind was Apple removing floppy disk drives.
"Why can't it support CDs _and_ floppies!?" people asked.

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MBCook
Right. At some point you need to stop supporting old equipment so you can
retire t with a minimum number of customers effected.

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joelrunyon
I would like a LTE-only, gsm flip phone with maps, an amazing camera and
swappable storage.

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jimmies
You already can. Just don't install any apps on your phone.

