In an age where manufacturers routinely release do-it-all phones for hundreds of dollars without consumers flinching, one company is attempting to do the opposite, cutting features – and price – to the bare minimum. Hop-On’s new Hop1800, announced Friday, has no Wi-Fi capabilities, no 3G Internet, no texting, no alarms, and not even a screen, but it costs just $10.
Designed to be used as a prepaid phone, the GSM-capable Hop1800 was engineered for just one purpose: making calls. Although it lacks all the extras, Hop-On claims that a simple tactile keypad with Braille markings and Infineon chipset for call quality ensure it does that one function very well. Weighing in at just 77 grams, it also beats many conventional phones for portability, and offers an impressive 4 hours of talk time, or 150 hours of standby.
Hop-On says the Hop1800 should be available in drug stores, convenience stores, and big box retailers immediately, for the promised price of $10. As a GSM phone, it will work on 40 domestic carriers with a prepaid SIM card, including giants AT&T and T-Mobile.
