Best Basic Cell Phone - 2018

By Matt Staker. Last updated May 29, 2018.

The LG Exalt 2 is the ReviewGist pick for the best basic cellphone for 2018. The LG Exalt 2 is a stylish flip style model and crosses all the right boxes when it comes to feature phones. According to CNet, it scores very well with respect to performance and has a good size screen to go with it. The LG Exalt 2 is available with Verizon which runs one of the best reception network in the US.

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Basic Phone Buying Guide - Why you should go for a basic phone ?

Lets face it - smartphones do not always make you smart. There is now a ton of research out there which is basically pointing us to the fact that by hyper-connecting our lives with all the social networking apps and constant notifications might not be such a great idea after all. It leads to distractions, which compromises focus on your tasks at hand. And online socializing isn't really as affective as the real thing - not to mention that Facebook induced depression is a real thing nowadays. So if you wanna quit the online world and get some sanity and happiness back into your lives, dumping your smartphone for the old feature phone is the probably the first thing you should do.

By definition, basic cellphones are meant to handle calls and not do much else. However, many manufactures often bill feature phones as basic models. Feature phones usually focus on one important task in addition to standard calling features. For instance, many basic feature phones are designed primarily for texting, Web surfing, listening to music or taking pictures. Nevertheless, a true basic phone covers only the essentials - letting you place and receive calls.

Before trying to choose the best basic cellphone for your particular needs, you must decide whether you need a secondary feature in addition to making and receiving calls. If you require a phone that only supports phone calls, call quality and clarity should be your primary focus. However, if you need a camera, MP3 player, Web browsing capability or another secondary feature, you will want to consider a feature phone. You might find that a feature phone gives you a little more functionality while costing you little more than a standard call-only cellphone. Before considering a feature phone, though, you should keep in mind that they may be bulkier and offer shorter batter lives than simple cellphones that support only calling.

When shopping for a basic cellphone, the best place to start is your current wireless carrier - if you have one. If you don't already have a plan with a carrier, you should research the various companies and their basic calling plans. Since basic cellphones are relatively cheap -- when compared to smartphones -- you may be able to find a plan that offers a free unit if you subscribe to a one or two-year contract or plan.

While basic cellphones do not offer all of the features and functionality of smartphones, they do offer some significant advantages. For instance, many basic cellphones are compact, rugged and have relatively long battery lives when compared to feature phones or smartphones. Because the screens of basic cellphones are relatively small -- versus the large displays common to smartphones -- chances of damaging one from a drop or scratch are minimal.

Best Basic Cell Phone With QWERTY keyboard

The LG Exalt 2 also comes a QWERTY keyboard so is also our pick for the best basic phone with QWERTY keyboard.

Best Basic Cell Phone For Texting

While the Exalt 2 is also great for texting, we found the Kyocera DuraXV as the most capable feature phones while it comes to texting - primarily because of its larger keys which give that nice feedback while pressing. Its also Durable and Water-resistant so great for underwater texting also - not that you we recommend texting while diving.

Best Basic GSM Cell Phone

The Sonim XP6 is our pick for the best basic GSM cell phone - it is as rugged as they come but the Android experience isnt top notch because of the smaller display.

Best Basic Nokia Cell Phone

Not so much known in the Americas but further east Nokia is known for making the cheap and robust feature phones which also happen to be immortal. The Nokia 105 with its mammoth 35-day battery is a cheap and sturdy looking cockroach phone which will be there for you when everyone else has given up.

Best Basic Sprint Cell Phone

Kyocera Verve not only does the basics of a feature phone well, it also packs in a spify camera just to keep the smartphone pangs at bay. The Kyocera Verve is the best basic phone for Sprint for 2018.