Just like the fax machine in Japan, the flip phone soldiers on. Happily forgoing decent photos and a huge degree of functionality in fantastically stubborn style.
Japan: still photographing on a flip phone
Photographs from a small group of islands
Photographs from a small group of islands
Just like the fax machine in Japan, the flip phone soldiers on. Happily forgoing decent photos and a huge degree of functionality in fantastically stubborn style.
Martin says
I hope he got a good shot of you! Japan does seem to have a love affair with the flip phone. I confess I recently almost bought a Motorola Razer new in the box for the better part of a grand but I came to my senses in time.
Lee says
It does. There have been a few articles of late about the flip phones apparent resurgence. Not sure they are all that popular to be honest, but there are still a good few in use that’s for sure.
Martin says
Oops I meant Motorola Aura.
Lee says
Ah, that makes sense. Was going to say, I have a Motorola Razr here that I’m more than happy to sell!
YTSL says
FWIW, I still have a Nokia. It’s more than 5 years old but it’s still working fine!
Lee says
Fair play to you. I’m a real sucker for new technology, but if something works and you are happy with it, why change?
Al says
Ha, great timing! Did he get a photo of you too?
Lee says
Probably not. By the time his phone took the photo, I’d long since moved!
Matt Talbot says
I remember the first time I went to the Japan, the flip phone was the height of fashion and cutting-edge technology. I couldn’t wait to get one. There was one shop I came across where you could buy as many second-hand phones as you could hold in your hand for (I think) 500 yen. I knew they didn’t work, I knew they wouldn’t work at home, but I still wanted them! Sad…
Lee says
How quickly times change eh?
The first mobile I ever got was in Japan. It was apparently the smallest phone in the world at the time. Now it would simply have the smallest screen in the world…
Hans ter Horst says
Lots of interesting people in this shot!
Those i-mode phones were great but also slowed down the introduction of smart phones as nobody felt they needed them, I think. I used to be a gadget slave but took my life back which is also good for my wallet, no more yearly “upgrades.” It feels great to be a luddite 🙂
Lee says
Yes, fortunately not usually a shortage in Ueno.
i-mode was such a revelation at the time wasn’t it? But like so many Japanese electronic products of late, they failed to see how quickly the apparent future can become the past…
I still very much like my gadgets. Well, some gadgets anyway. Although I do manage to hold out to 2 year upgrades!
Taki says
I think more likely that he’s just shading his eyes from the Sun 🙂
Lee says
The phone is probably better suited as a shade rather than a camera!
Marc says
I think he was flipping you off!
Lee says
Haha!
I was so shocked I clammed up.
Neil says
How ever did we get by with such little functionality on a phone?
I don’t have a PC at home, I rely on an iPhone 6 Plus for all of my outside of hours work – it’s amazing what can be achieved on a phone these days.