Fast Five: Feature Phones for Emergencies

It’s common for our country to be struck by a lot of natural disasters year after year. Thankfully, some of our local smartphone brands are responding to this by offering affordable feature phones that deliver during those moments (which we wish wouldn’t happen). In this Fast Five, we take a look at five feature phones that can eventually be helpful in the worst times.

We don’t really wish for anything bad to happen anytime soon, but it’s better to be prepared than be sorry at the end, right? What these five phones have in common are large battery capacities that can provide connectivity in a snap, and some nifty features as well. Phones are listed in descending order of suggested retail price.

Cherry Mobile U6 (Php2,499USD 43INR 3,610EUR 41CNY 310)

First on out list is this two-toned rugged bar phone from Cherry Mobile, simply called as the U6. It boasts a large powerbank and a bright flashlight for searching your way in the dark.

Cherry Mobile U6 specs:
2-inch TFT LCD screen
expandable storage via microSD up to 32GB
Camera w/Video Recording
Dual-SIM
Audio and Video Player
Large Flashlight
Dust and Water-proof
2600mAh battery with Powerbank Function

Cherry Mobile U7 (Php1,999USD 34INR 2,888EUR 32CNY 248)

The U7, on the other hand, presents itself with a bit toned-down specs from the other member of the U series. Nevertheless, this one is said to stay afloat in water, in addition to its already-present dust and water proofing.

Cherry Mobile U7 specs:
2-inch TFT LCD screen
expandable storage via microSD up to 32GB
Camera w/Video Recording
Dual-SIM
Audio and Video Player
Floatable System
Dust and Water-proof

DTC Torch (Php1,999USD 34INR 2,888EUR 32CNY 248)

DTC recently unveiled the Torch, a feature phone which has a unique design. The phone itself is shaped after the body of a flashlight, primarily because the main feature is a huge torch light you can use outdoors. It also boasts amplified audio through its speakers should you need some good music outdoors.

DTC Torch specs:
1.44-inch display
expandable via MicroSD up to 32GB
Rear camera
Dual SIM
Bluetooth
Wireless FM Radio
Big Torch Flashlight
Super Bass Speaker
Video & Music Player
3500mAh with Powerbank Function

DTC Gear (Php 1,499USD 26INR 2,165EUR 24CNY 186)

Also from DTC, the Gear is one of the first phones to be featured in this category. At the time it was first introduced in the market, the Gear was on a league of its own — it touts to be one of the longest-lasting bar phones with its huge 4500mAh battery that can double as a powerbank at a really good price.

DTC Gear specs:
2.4-inch TFT Display (160 x 120 Pixels)
Expandable up to 32GB storagevia MicroSD
1.3MP rear camera
Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
GPRS
Bluetooth
Wireless FM Radio
Flashlight
Shock Resistant
4,500mAh Li-ion Battery with Powerbank Function

MyPhone my112 SOS Phone (Php1,399USD 24INR 2,021EUR 23CNY 174)

Rounding up our list, and the most affordable one of the bunch, is MyPhone’s newest bar phone with a whopping 6000mAh of battery and a shock and water resistance body. Its main feature? The SOS siren that’s just a press of a button away.

MyPhone My112 SOS specs:
2.3-inch display
Dual-SIM
Flashlight
Shock and Water-resistant
6,000mAh battery

And that’s it for five of the feature phones you can use in times of emergencies. Got another device not on this list? We’d love to hear them down the comments section.