We don’t need to tell you that for those who value privacy, security and open source, the current mobile phone market is a bit bleak. Although there have been some noteworthy attempts to change the status quo, from the optimized version of mobile phones with popular Linux distributions to the promise of modular mobile phones, we still find that a few companies have released tablets that are roughly the same, and these companies tend to regard customers as a product.
Instead of waiting for technical relief that may never come, (vrhemutt) decided to solve the problem by reviewing the past. Specifically, the Nokia Asha 210 launched in 2013 is a relatively rare mobile phone, which provides a complete QWERTY keyboard, Nokia Series 40 operating system, WiFi, Bluetooth and removable BL-4U battery. Unfortunately, with the 2G cellular network shutting down quickly, it is unlikely that it will receive signals for a longer time (depending on where you live, if any).
So why do you want to use some strange old Nokia phones in 2022? [vrhemut] believes that the whole world of S40 software can still be used, from games to SSH clients. It is also relatively easy to develop your own S40 application in Java. The original software development kit is still available online for free. Combined with rugged hardware (if quite old), this makes the Nokia Asha 210 an amazing and convincing choice for the pocket hacking platform.
Whether you are looking for a cheap device that allows you to chat on IRC on the sofa, or want to write your own custom software to control your home automation or robot projects, you may need to check the Nokia Asha 210 in the secondary market. Or, if you’re eager to experiment immediately, [vrhemut] is actually selling phones with a large number of games and programs pre installed. Don’t think it is officially recognized; Frankly, we don’t have much confidence in the legality of re releasing all these software, but at least for those who want to get rid of the stimulation of modern smart phones, this is a choice.
If you want to find something more distant from today’s mobile supercomputers, perhaps we can make you interested in Rotary Un Smartphone.