The Retro-Chic Revival of Flip Phones and the 3DS: From Nostalgia to Trendy Item

The Retro-Chic Revival of Flip Phones and the 3DS: From Nostalgia to Trendy ItemMentioning the 3DS might evoke images of last-generation design and underwhelming performance. With the Nintendo Switch's iterative models on the horizon, it seems to have faded from the public eye, except for a few nostalgic gamers, its naked-eye 3D functionality long forgotten

The Retro-Chic Revival of Flip Phones and the 3DS: From Nostalgia to Trendy Item

Mentioning the 3DS might evoke images of last-generation design and underwhelming performance. With the Nintendo Switch's iterative models on the horizon, it seems to have faded from the public eye, except for a few nostalgic gamers, its naked-eye 3D functionality long forgotten. Flip phones, even more so, are considered "antiques." Since the iPhone's emergence, straight-bar phones have dominated the market. Nowadays, you might only encounter them occasionally on public transport or during conversations with older relatives. Surprisingly, however, some phone manufacturers continue to release new flip phones, including HMD Global with its HMD Icon Flip 1. This phone inherits many classic elements of Nokia flip phones while incorporating the needs of modern users and is expected to officially launch this year. (Image source: HMD)

Even more unexpectedly, the 3DS and flip phones have become fashionable items, even coveted by many young people, with some loyal users employing them as their primary devices. This isn't an isolated phenomenon but a trend sweeping across China, Japan, and the West.

Not Using a Smartphone: A New Trend

"Flip phones are always the most fashionable item for girls!" Searching for Sharp on Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform), you'll find that people aren't solely chasing the latest and most expensive digital products. 3DS, CCD cameras, and flip phones, with their retro aesthetics, have successfully broken through to become fashion favorites. (Image source: Xiaohongshu)

While the digital world rapidly advances, the fashion world flows against the current, igniting a retro wave. Xiaohongshu users not only adorn their phones with various chains but also add extra flair, such as sparkling rhinestone embellishments or stickers of their favorite anime characters, complemented by beloved Tamagotchi virtual pets. Even if the phone menus are only in English and Japanese, it doesn't hinder their fashion appeal; functionality seems to compromise for style.

A similar phenomenon is occurring on Western social media platforms, with a trend surrounding flip phones and feature phones rising among young people overseas. (Image source: Reddit) Unlike Xiaohongshu users, Western youngsters emphasize the phone's practicality, or rather, its "impracticality." They seek the simple experience of no internet access, no gaming, and no social media distractions. Beyond calling and texting, only basic functions like GPS and music playback remain, returning the phone to its role as a "tool," unlike in the Chinese market where a phone often defines half of one's life.

Tired of the seamless experience of straight, full-touchscreen smartphones and the clamor of social media, these "self-inflicting trouble" young people are spontaneously choosing feature phones similar to their age, enabling HMD Global to sell tens of thousands of flip and slider feature phones monthly.

Japan: A Disruptive Force in the Mobile World

Interestingly, what's a relatively novel trend for teenagers is already commonplace in certain regionsJapan. Flip phones remain a significant part of the Japanese mobile market. (Image source: Sharp)

These aren't phones exclusively found in secondhand stores. Besides some small studios in the West occasionally crowdfunding flip phones, Japanese and Korean manufacturers continue to produce new models. We're not talking about high-end flip phones like Samsung's W series or foldable phones, but the most basic, unadorned, button-operated flip phones. For example, the Sharp AQUOS Keitai 4 launched in 2022.

In-depth Experience: Sharp Aquos K SHF31

Is this phenomenon driven by pure retro sentiment or a stable consumer base? To unravel this mystery, I purchased a Sharp Aquos K SHF31. (Image source: Lei Technology)

This first-generation Sharp semi-smart flip phone comes in red, white, and black. Mine is black, with a black-and-gold color scheme giving it a business-like air, further enhanced by a unique checkered pattern. (Image source: Lei Technology)

As a flip phone feature, the SHF31 has a 0.9-inch monochrome OLED external screen on the front, with a signal light on the left. Closing the flip or pressing the right button illuminates this secondary screen, with three preset display modes: clock only, clock and battery, and calendar, clock, and battery. Incoming calls or notifications also light up the secondary screen, displaying the sender or contact. (Image source: Lei Technology)

The left side houses the lanyard hole and charging connector, while the right side has the volume buttons and a multi-function button, which defaults to silent mode when long-pressed. (Image source: Lei Technology)

Although the body is plastic, the SHF31 doesn't feel cheap. Its 51mm width and 128g weight allow for easy handling and comfortable pocket placementsomething modern smartphones struggle to achieve. (Image source: Lei Technology)

Opening the flip reveals a 3.4-inch QHD (540960) TFT LCD screen. The screen isn't noticeably yellowed, and while the color representation doesn't match older Sharp phones using ASV screens, it's acceptable, with good viewing angles. (Image source: Lei Technology)

The system settings allow for eye protection and anti-peeping modes. The anti-peeping mode is implemented by drawing patterns on the screen. The Japanese flip phone's buttons differ from what we're used to. The shortcut keys around the navigation keys are for contacts, email, camera, and browser. Between the call and hang-up buttons is an independent back button. Below the number keys are back and network connection shortcut keys. It becomes quite user-friendly once you get used to it. (Image source: Lei Technology)

The keyboard has a good feel, neither too hard nor too soft, with clear and crisp feedback. Strictly speaking, the Sharp SHF31 is a smartphone as it runs AndroidAndroid 4.4. (Image source: Lei Technology)

The system only supports Japanese and English. After installing a Chinese region, some third-party software can display Chinese. The actual operational logic is similar to a feature phone; even if a student brings it to school, no one would think it's a smartphone.

In terms of specifications, it uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core chip (28nm process, 32-bit Armv7 architecture, 1.6GHz), with 1+8GB of memory and support for external TF memory cards. (Image source: Lei Technology)

While the Snapdragon 400 isn't exceptionally powerful, due to the simple functionality, the SHF31's daily use is smooth. Older versions of QQ, WeChat, and Alipay can be installed, but login functions are mostly blocked, only usable with smartwatch apps. Bilibili and NetEase Cloud have fan-maintained modified versions, which work fine, but I couldn't find a standalone WeChat app.

Jingdu Tianxia and Perfect Reader work well on the device for reading comics or novels, but games mostly rely on Java and NDS emulators, even older mobile games are incompatible. This is because Japanese flip phones rarely have touchscreens, while Korean flip phones are closer to our image of Android phones, and some even have dual internal and external touchscreens.

No touchscreen? The answer is a touchpad! (Image source: YouTube)

Sharp's exclusive Touch Cruiser EX feature allows the SHF31's keypad area to function as a touchpad controlling the mouse. This supports multi-touch, allowing long presses, dragging, and clicking. While swiping isn't possible, with enough dedication and time, you could even download drawing software and create art. However, to cut costs, subsequent models downgraded this function to the directional pad, which is a pity.

The back features an infrared emitter and a roughly 10-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS camera; the photo quality is only suitable for scanning codes. In the middle of the back cover is a Felica logo, indicating NFC support and electronic wallet functionality, very convenient in Japan but limited in China. (Image source: Lei Technology)

Conclusion: A Balancing Act Between Retro Sentiment and Practicality

Blending the traditional flip phone design with smartphone functionality is unique. However, with almost complete incompatibility with commonly used software, using it as a primary device isn't practical.

Flip Phones: Primary Device or Nostalgic Choice?

I know someone who actually used a flip phone as their main device. He went to Japan for his studies and bought a Mode 1 Retro II for nearly 25,000 yen. To understand his reasoning, I briefly interviewed him. (Image source: Lei Technology)

He said he chose this phone partly due to a favorable carrier plan and curiosity about the flip phone experience. He thought the experience was decent, but the flip design isn't suitable for touchscreen phones, video viewing was poor, and the build quality wasn't satisfactory. (Image source: Lei Technology)

When asked if he would continue using it as his main phone, he didn't give a clear answer, only sending a picture of a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The answer is self-evident.

Western users' motivations for buying flip phones or feature phones are similar; they seek an escape from the internet's hustle and bustle. However, for functions