"I just want a phone to make calls, nothing else." If you've ever thought this while staring at a shop window full of giant screens and hundred-megapixel cameras, you're not alone. More and more people are after mobile phones for calls only, whether it's to give to a child, to stop checking their phone every two minutes, or simply because they don't need anything more.
Today we're showing you five very different options, so you can see that "basic" doesn't always mean the same thing. Shall we get started?
Why choose a calls-only phone
The short answer is: to take the temptation out of the equation. A regular smartphone, however many apps you uninstall or time limits you set, still has the browser sitting right there, the app store sitting right there, and the chance to fall back in with just a couple of taps.
A phone built purely for calling (or close to it) removes that option at the root. There's no bargaining with yourself at eleven at night, because there's simply nowhere to go and get distracted.
So who's actually looking for this? Quite a mixed bag: parents who want to give their child a first phone without opening the door to social media, adults who've had a complicated relationship with their phone and need a clean break, or simply people who value calm and minimalism over having the latest tech in their pocket.
The best basic phones on the market
Here are five models that show off the different ways of thinking about mobile phones that aren't smartphones, and also a couple that are smartphones but don't behave like one. From the simplest option on the market to something with a bit more tech, but just as intentional.
Nokia 3210 (2024)
Here we switch category entirely. The Nokia 3210 isn't a smartphone in disguise: it's a proper physical-keypad phone, brought back for its 25th anniversary. A 2.4-inch screen, a 1450 mAh battery, a 2 MP camera and, of course, the legendary Snake.
No WhatsApp, no Google Maps, no online banking. Calls, texts, and not much else. Price: around €80, making it the most affordable option on this list, though also the most limited if you need any tech beyond talking.
Light Phone II
Almost a design object in itself. A black-and-white e-ink screen, no apps to install, no browser, no social media. What you get are "tools": calls, texts, alarm, calculator, music and not much more, all built to minimise the time you spend looking at the screen.
It's the most radical option on the list in terms of design: you literally can't install anything new even if you wanted to. Price: around €300, roughly in line with a Balance Phone, but without the option of using WhatsApp or Maps.
Punkt MP02
The most elegant of the keypad phones, designed by Jasper Morrison and looking more like a high-end calculator than a mobile. No camera, a small screen, and a menu built to do just two things well: call and text, the latter encrypted through Pigeon, its own Signal-based app.
It includes a Wi-Fi hotspot for sharing your connection with other devices, which is unusual for such a basic phone. Price: around €300, similar to the Light Phone II.
Balance Phone Kids
The version built for children and teenagers, with Samsung A17 hardware and Balance OS, our own operating system installed at the factory, not an app you can delete. It's our phone for kids, and the difference from the adult model is all about focus: here, the goal is to give parents peace of mind and offer children a safe first digital experience, without having to hover over the phone all day.
Calls, WhatsApp, Spotify and Google Maps, yes. Social media, addictive games or adult content, no. Price: €299.
One important detail: the first set-up is when you decide which apps the phone can have. Once it's configured, no other apps can be downloaded and no sites unsuitable for their age can be accessed, so there's no room for a child to work their way around those limits down the line.
Balance Phone
Our model for adults. It runs on a Samsung Galaxy A37 with our Balance OS built in (the same proprietary operating system as the Balance Phone Kids, not an app), so technically it's a full smartphone, just one we've stripped of everything addictive: social media, games, gambling, pornography and streaming are blocked at system level, with no layer to uninstall.
What you do get is calls, WhatsApp, Google Maps, Spotify, online banking, and pretty much any app you actually use day to day. Price: €399, with a 3-year warranty and a 14-day return window.
Who each option suits best
With all five models on the table, the obvious question is: which one's right for me? It largely depends on what exactly you're trying to leave behind.
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If budget is the deciding factor and you only need to talk: the Nokia 3210 does the job more than well enough, though you'll have to accept it falls short at pretty much everything else.
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If you want a radical break and don't mind losing useful apps: the Light Phone II or the Punkt MP02 are more extreme options, built for anyone who'd rather not even have the temptation to install something.
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If you're after a first phone for a child or teenager: the Balance Phone Kids is the easiest option, since it keeps WhatsApp and Google Maps so they can stay in touch with family and get around safely, without opening the door to social media or inappropriate content.
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If you're an adult who wants a functional phone without giving up anything essential: the Balance Phone gives you banking, maps, messaging and music, but without the door left open to social media, gambling or addictive content.
And this is worth pausing on for a second, because these days every job or way of life needs its own set of apps. Maybe you need an app to book a taxi, or your neighbour needs a clocking-in app for work, or your partner needs the specific bank they use. With a keypad phone, that app simply doesn't exist, and the only way round it is carrying a second device, which is the exact opposite of what you were trying to achieve by simplifying things.
That's where the Balance Phone makes sense: at that first set-up, you decide which apps you want available, and from then on nothing else can be installed. In other words, your taxi app gets in if you need it, but Instagram doesn't get in "just to check it for five minutes a day", that excuse we've all told ourselves at some point, and we all know how it ends.
No option is objectively better than another, it all comes down to whether you want to disconnect entirely or simply get rid of what's addictive without losing what you actually use. If you fall into the second group, take a look at our range: you'll probably find the balance you're after.
