The Members Forum

Unlike smartphones, feature phones are a matter of "what you see is what you get." They don't receive magical software upgrades or run thousands of additional apps, as does the iPhone 4, for example. Most do more than make calls, though you can find phones that only make calls, if a basic phone is what you want. But most feature phones include some combination of a camera, a basic Web browser, e-mail, and text messaging apps, and music and video players. Those features will usually be inferior to even budget smartphones, but they're perfectly usable.

Feature phones are typically less expensive than smartphones. They're available in a much wider range of shapes and sizes, and on a broader range of plans including prepaid options. Monthly service fees for feature phones are generally less expensive too.

PC Mag has the details HERE!

In the age of apps, smartphones get all the buzz these days, but half of the cell phones sold in the U.S. are still feature phones: camera phones, music phones, waterproof phones, texting phones, or just plain voice phones.

We're recommending smartphones to more and more people now, but there are still reasons to get a simpler device. It's not just about being a Luddite. Maybe you want to save on monthly fees by avoiding a smartphone's $10-$30 data package, you don't want to give your teenager the power to buy apps, or you just don't want to be tethered to the Internet all the time.