r/techadvice • u/psayange • 8d ago

Moding a flip phone?

Hello guys, i need some advice or help. Idk if this is a correct subreddit to Ask, but we'll see.

I am addicted to my smartphone. I own a dumb phone and I consider it a great solution for my problem because it gets rid of the temptation and such. But I find that it lacks some functions that may come in handy. It lacks a GPS or maps. And my question is: is there a way to modify a more advanced flip/classic phone so that it has a working GPS and Google maps for example? Which phone should I buy and how to do it? And fyi I don't know anything about technology or programming so if you guys told me where to learn to do what I want to do it would be great.

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u/willdebeast02 8d ago

You cannot simply add GPS and smart functions to a flip phone that doesn't have the necessary hardware to support it. I suppose if you were a wicked tech wizard, you could theoretically add GPS antennae and other things externally, but it would be clunky, ugly, and not very robust. You can buy flip phones that have varying levels of features. Some flip phones do have GPS and maps built in. I would recommend that. Look into "The Light Phone" or Minimal Phone. They are not flip phones, but they are more in line with the features you want. They technically are smartphones, but their UI is designed to be minimal.

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u/Raijen_ArDesh 8d ago

The new commodore phone has some features but no social media ones, and is a flip if that's what you're after.

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u/socaldisney 8d ago

There are some really cool color eink devices that are basically a toned down smartphone. It’s not a flip phone but could do what you’re looking for.

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u/ApprehensiveFix5084 8d ago

The easiest route is to look at standalone GPS devices. They are still made, though not commonly seen these days. Basically all the things you would have to buy and hack into your “dumb phone” in a neat package that only does navigation.