John’s Phone: it’s a mobile phone. Only.

John’s Phone is probably a simpler phone than the very first mobile phone you ever owned. It allows you to make calls and take calls. It has one ringtone, that can be set to low, medium or high volume.

There’s no camera, you can’t send or receive SMS. There is an address book, but it’s not electronic, it’s a physical address book, that along with a small pen is secured underneath the phone, behind a clear plastic flap.

The fanciest that John’s Phone gets is that it has a vibrate function, and you can assign a speed dial number to each of the 10 numbered buttons. It also has a small screen on the top edge of the phone, displaying inbound and outbound phone numbers.

All of this keep it simple philosophy has a benefit over and above ease-of-use – excellent battery life. A full charge provides 6 hours of talk time, and will last about 3 weeks on standby.

John’s Phone is designed by John Doe Amsterdam, a Dutch design firm. In their words:

John’s Phone is a no-nonsense mobile phone, it doesn’t pretend to be anything more: no bullshit, just a phone to make your call.

 

John’s Phone price and availability

There are three price points for John’s Phone:

• €69.95 – white
• €79.95 – black, brown, pink, green
• €99.95 – limited edition gold

In the box is: John’s Phone, address book and pen, earphone, adapter with USB cable and instructions. Replacement address books are available for €9.95. All of these products can be ordered from the online John’s Phone Store.

John’s Phone specifications

• Built-in quad band. Will not work on the 3G networks in Japan and South Korea.
• Small screen on top of the phone displays inbound and outbound calls.
• Battery: 1200 mAh Lithium-ion
• Time to fully charge battery: 3 hours
• Talk time: 6 hours
• Standby time: more than 3 weeks
• Single ringtone with three volume settings: loud, normal and silent
• Charge by plugging the adapter into an electrical outlet or by plugging the USB cable into a computer
• 10 speed-dial numbers can be added to each of the 10 numbered buttons
• Dimensions: 10.5 x 6 x 1.5 cm (H x W x D)
• Weight: 95 grams