1. Design
We evaluate the appearance of devicesLet's start with the fact that none of the phones can be called heavy. If modern smartphones can weigh 200-250 g, thereby delaying the pocket, then mobile phones do not suffer from such a problem. Even the least successful BQ 2822 Dragon in this regard weighs only 126 g. And the Philips Xenium E255 seems like a feather at all. However, someone will say that it would be better if the manufacturers of these devices were generous with a capacious battery. Yes, some specimens do have problems with the battery, but we will talk about this separately.
Name | Dimensions | The weight |
Alcatel 3025X | 55.4x106x16.9mm | 108 g |
BQ 2822 Dragon | 55.9x107x20.5mm | 126 g |
Nokia 2720 Flip | 54.5x192.7x11.6mm | 118 g |
Panasonic KX-TU456RU | 53x106x23mm | 110 g |
Philips Xenium E255 | 51x104x19.3mm | 82 g |
All mobile phones we have chosen are folding. It is difficult to say which one is more beautiful. Teenagers are more likely to like the BQ product. And not only because of the second screen, but because of the green or orange edging available on the outer panels. The Panasonic KX-TU456RU is also of some interest. The top cover of this device can be completely painted in one color or another. And it also has indicators of a call, battery charge and the presence of SMS. They are used instead of an additional display.The phone that is distributed under the Philips brand looks the most boring of all, on the external panels of which there are no elements at all, with the exception of the speaker grid and the lens of the built-in camera.
Panasonic KX-TU456RU
Simplest
2. Display
Unfortunately, most modern flip phones have only one screen.If you decide to think back to the first decade of the 21st century, then folding mobile phones with two screens will come to mind. In those days, manufacturers were constantly expanding the functionality of their firmware, as a result of which it was not difficult for them to introduce a second display, which would display this or that information. They did not have to save, because mobile phones cost exactly the same as they are now asking for smartphones. But now no one will give that kind of money for a push-button telephone. That is why three out of five clamshells do not have an external screen. Only Nokia and BQ can boast of them. In the second one, it is implemented a little better, since it is large and colored, but the text on it turns out to be too small. This must be taken into account when buying, especially if an elderly person begins to use the cellular device.
As mentioned above, Panasonic uses indicators instead of this display. They are also very helpful. But it is difficult to argue with the fact that such a design still does not allow you to quickly find out the time or the name of the caller.
Name | Display type | Diagonal | Permission |
Alcatel 3025X | TN | 2.8 inches | 240x320 dots |
BQ 2822 Dragon | TN | 2.8 inches | 240x320 dots |
Nokia 2720 Flip | TFT | 2.8 inches | 240x320 dots |
Panasonic KX-TU456RU | TFT | 2.4 inches | 240x320 dots |
Philips Xenium E255 | TN | 2.4 inches | 240x320 dots |
If we talk about the main screen, then Philips and Panasonic turned out to be quite small. However, the display resolution of all five phones is exactly the same. This means that in three mobile phones you will find a larger, but also much more grainy screen. And not everyone wants to see individual pixels. However, we still recommend paying close attention to the screen diagonal, especially if the device is purchased for an elderly person.
Nokia 2720 Flip
Best functionality
3. Connection
We evaluate the quality of signal reception and the number of supported wireless standardsNow even cell phones can be paired with a Bluetooth headset. In this regard, none of the five manufacturers have abandoned the corresponding module. And Nokia can also boast that it uses the fourth version of the "blue tooth", which is very energy efficient. No wonder, because this device will be used even for listening to music, as you will soon see. The clamshell also included a Wi-Fi module, although not the fastest.
Name | Connectors | WiFi | Bluetooth | cellular | Qty SIMkart |
Alcatel 3025X | 3.5 mm micro USB | - | + | 3G | 1 |
BQ 2822 Dragon | 3.5 mm micro USB | - | + | 3G | 2 |
Nokia 2720 Flip | 3.5 mm micro USB | 802.11n | + | 4G | 2 |
Panasonic KX-TU456RU | 3.5 mm micro USB | - | + | 2G | 1 |
Philips Xenium E255 | 3.5 mm micro USB | - | + | 3G | 2 |
The mobile phones we have chosen mostly operate on 2G or 3G networks.Customers have no particular complaints about the quality of voice communication. But some complaints still arise. For example, the Alcatel 3025X has a mediocre microphone built in, and therefore the voice sounds muffled during a conversation. A similar claim from some buyers arises in relation to BQ. Neither these nor the other three phones have any problems with the signal reception range. We also note support for 4G from Nokia. It is needed to download applications and communicate in instant messengers.
Before choosing a specific model, be sure to pay attention to the number of slots for a SIM card! Alas, not all five phones are dual SIM - Alcatel and Panasonic received only one slot. As for connectors, none of the devices has the convenient USB Type-C, as it would affect the cost. But on the other hand, all five mobile phones are capable of boasting a 3.5 mm audio jack, so it is not necessary to look for a Bluetooth headset.
4. Memory
What is the amount of built-in storage and do mobile phones have a microSD card slot?A modern clamshell is rarely used as an MP3 player. And storing photos on a mobile phone does not make sense at all, because it will not be possible to view them in all details on such a screen. That is why manufacturers of push-button phones often save on the amount of built-in memory. The best result in this regard is shown by Nokia, which received 4 GB. But this is not surprising, because the owners of this model will use the messenger and install other applications. Basically, they need memory.
As for the rest of the phones, they assume that you insert a microSD card immediately after purchase. You can do without it, but in this case you will have to be content with the basic functionality - often even the built-in camera will not have enough memory.
5. Functional
What are the folding beds we have chosen capable of?Once upon a time, even a push-button telephone could surprise. Some models in terms of capabilities were almost as good as smartphones! Now the situation has changed. Only a clamshell from Nokia can boast of any wide functionality. But even she does not deserve high praise from us. Yes, it has the KaiOS operating system installed, which allows you to use WhatsApp and many other useful applications. However, this is the worst phone with this OS! He received a very weak processor and a minimum amount of RAM. As a result, the owner of the mobile phone is constantly faced with strong slowdowns. And yet, not the easiest to learn control is implemented here, so it’s definitely impossible to recommend such a device to older people.
The rest of the phones are typical "dialers". They have a calculator, an organizer and other similar functions, but nothing more. Our comparison also shows that the Panasonic has the worst music speaker ever. If you turn up the volume a lot, then its sound becomes very unpleasant for the ear. Also, this phone does not always display the name of the caller - sometimes everything is limited to his number, even if it is correctly recorded in the contact book. Philips does not have such a problem, but the name on the screen of this mobile phone is displayed very small - this is also unpleasant.BQ, on the other hand, gets the worst rating from us because of its unreliability. Alas, reviews are easily found on the network, which say that the device failed after a month. It's a pity, because the phone received a good contact book, as well as a decent structure for calendar notes.
Alcatel has an excellent implementation of the firmware. Even grandparents can master the phone! Deleting files, searching for contacts - everything is implemented as simply and conveniently as possible. Importantly, the firmware does not slow down at all, which indicates its competent optimization. You can only complain about the rather small font.
Philips Xenium E255
The easiest
6. Camera
Such phones, unfortunately, provide mediocre photo quality.It seems to us that in terms of camera capabilities, each of the five mobile phones we have chosen should suit any elderly person. All devices allow you to take a picture, the quality of which is enough to be placed in the phone book. And posting such an image on a social network does not make any sense. And what mobile will allow you to do this? Only Nokia 2720 Flip with its KaiOS. Also, this model is able to transfer photos to other people in the WhatsApp messenger.
Name | Camera resolution |
Alcatel 3025X | 2 MP |
BQ 2822 Dragon | 0.3MP |
Nokia 2720 Flip | 2 MP |
Panasonic KX-TU456RU | 0.3 MP |
Philips Xenium E255 | 0.3MP |
As you may have guessed, it was the Finnish phone that got the best camera. However, in this case, its resolution does not exceed 2 megapixels. If you were hoping for autofocus, then we hasten to disappoint you.Alas, but now push-button phones are not able to boast of anything like this, with extremely rare exceptions. Folding beds suffer the most.
Alcatel 3025X
Greatest color variety
7. Battery
Estimate the approximate battery lifeSince ancient times, there has been an opinion that a push-button telephone must work from a full charge for a week or even two. Unfortunately, in fact, the problem in this regard is observed even in such devices. An exception to the rule are protected mobile phones - their large thickness allows you to place a reinforced battery inside. The clamshell must be thin, and therefore there is no room for a particularly capacious battery under its back cover. For example, the BQ 2822 Dragon is powered by a 2000 mAh battery. And for most folding mobile phones, this parameter is two times lower!
Name | Battery |
Alcatel 3025X | 970 mAh |
BQ 2822 Dragon | 2000 mAh |
Nokia 2720 Flip | 1500 mAh |
Panasonic KX-TU456RU | 1000 mAh |
Philips Xenium E255 | 1050 mAh |
And how long can the models we have chosen work from a full charge? Not very long. Especially the Alcatel 3025X is the only clamshell that needs to be charged every day, especially if you're going to be on the phone quite often. However, the same frequency of using the network adapter can be observed during the operation of Nokia. But this is due to the fact that a full-fledged operating system is installed here, which consumes a considerable amount of energy.
The Xenium brand makes many of our readers think that it is the phone that spreads under it that needs to be connected to the charger the least. This is partly true. But one should not hope for a record result. Reviews show that a full charge usually lasts four to five days. If you do not talk on the phone too often, then BQ will be even more interesting in this regard.
8. Price
Low price is a distinctive feature of such devices, but not allAs already mentioned in the introduction, no one will now spend any serious amount on a folding push-button phone. That is why the devices included in our comparison have a fairly low cost. Basically, they ask for about 4000 rubles. Not that much money for a cell phone with adequate battery life.
Name | average price |
Alcatel 3025X | 4050 rub. |
BQ 2822 Dragon | 2890 rub. |
Nokia 2720 Flip | 7580 rub. |
Panasonic KX-TU456RU | 3890 rub. |
Philips Xenium E255 | 2890 rub. |
More expensive than the rest is Nokia. This is due to the fact that inside it are a dual-core processor from Qualcomm and a decent amount of memory. But this does not change the fact that any buyer will feel a serious overpayment. If you add just a little bit, you can buy a full-fledged smartphone with a touch screen, which will slow down even less. That is why the purchase of this clamshell seems unreasonable to us. The Finnish company urgently needs to change its pricing policy.
9. Comparison results
We determine the winnerWhat kind of mobile phone, made in the clamshell form factor, can be considered the best purchase? It is extremely difficult to answer this question. We could safely recommend Nokia. But this device is spoiled by two factors. First, it turned out to be terribly expensive. At least by the standards of push-button phones. Secondly, he is annoying with his slowdowns. All this did not allow him to win the highest average score.
Our comparison showed that it is better to purchase a phone from BQ. Especially if you are not afraid of its breakdown, which happened quite quickly for several buyers. This mobile phone will also please with an external screen, which most of its competitors do not have. Also a good choice would be a device sold under the Alcatel brand. And only two other devices we would not recommend. However, even they will suit an elderly person - such a user may not notice how simplified they are.
Name | Rating | Number of wins by criteria | Category winner |
BQ 2822 Dragon | 4.45 | 3/8 | Design, Battery, Cost |
Nokia 2720 Flip | 4.41 | 4/8 | Display, Communication, Memory, Camera |
Philips Xenium E255 | 4.38 | 2/8 | functionality, cost |
Alcatel 3025X | 4.37 | 1/8 | Camera |
Panasonic KX-TU456RU | 4.33 | 0/8 | - |