Heineken's 'Boring Phone': For Those Who Miss Simple Phones

Translucent folder-style design
Call, text message, and music playback functionality
No internet access or app usage
300,000-pixel camera
Limited edition of 5,000 units (provided through a social media giveaway in the UK)

'Heineken' and Finnish electronics company 'HMD' unveiled the 'Boring Phone', a collaborative creation, at Milan Design Week on the 18th.

It features a translucent design, a 2.8-inch QVGA internal display, a 1.77-inch external display, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The camera is also limited to a single 300,000-pixel camera.

Key features include calling and text messaging. Calls are limited to a maximum of 20 hours over a week.

Internet access is not available, and users cannot access social media services (SNS) or apps.

It's possible to play the nostalgic game 'Snake' (Snake), which was once popular on HMD's Nokia phones.

The phone's design, adorned with a transparent case and holographic stickers, draws inspiration from the retro trend favored by Gen Z.

The name 'Boring' was chosen due to the phone's extremely basic feature set.

A representative stated, "We created this phone, which may appear boring, to allow people to go back to a time before smartphones existed."

The involvement of Heineken, a beer company, in creating a phone has piqued considerable interest.

Dolf van den Brink, Heineken's CEO, explained, "We've created a way for people to truly connect while enjoying a beer without being disturbed by the constant buzz and noise."

The phone was developed specifically for young people who desire a break from modern technology.

According to a 'Millennial Smartphone Usage and Perception Study (2022)' commissioned by Heineken,

90% of the 4,000 Gen Z (those born between 1993 and 1998) across the UK and US admitted to scrolling through their phones while spending time with friends and family, and they check their phones an average of 7 times every night.

However, despite this habit, 1 in 5 (22%) of the Gen Z surveyed stated they turn off or leave their phones behind when meeting with friends or family, and 2 in 5 (38%) said they would consider doing so.

The Boring Phone will be produced in a limited edition of 5,000 units and will not be available for direct purchase. It will only be offered through a social media giveaway in the UK.

<b>Confirmed International Release Countries</b>

United States: June 2024
Canada: August 2024
Australia: October 2024
New Zealand: November 2024
European Union countries: First half of 2025
Asia, South America, Africa, etc. (Under discussion)

Heineken plans to consider the market conditions and consumer response in each country before making a final decision on release.

For the latest information on the international release of the Boring Phone, please visit the Heineken official website or check their social media accounts.

Meanwhile, in Korea, there are flip phones known as "孝도폰" (Hyo-do-pon) (literally "filial piety phone") designed for older generations who may find smartphones difficult to use, or "공신폰" (Gong-sin-pon) (short for 'Gongbuui Sin', meaning 'Study God') designed for students to help them focus on their studies.

These phones typically have simplified features.

<b>Samsung Galaxy Folder2 (SM-G160)</b>was released in September 2016 and has been refreshed three times since then, in 2017, 2019, and 2021.

The display is a 3.8-inch 15:9 aspect ratio WVGA resolution TFT-LCD panel.

There is no external display. The battery capacity is a removable 1,950 mAh.

It features an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera.

It gained attention on social media last year when actress Han So-hee was seen using it.