sciencetech-blog

comments

Anna Wintour may have been derided for using a $15 flip phone at the US Open earlier this year - but it appears she may have simply been ahead of the curve of Japanese fashion. 

New figures reveal Japanese shipments of traditional flip-phones rose in 2014 for the first time in seven years while smartphone shipments fell.

Experts say the figures highlight Japanese consumers' tenacious attachment to the familiar and typically less expensive older models.

The handsets have been dubbed 'Galapagos' phones because they have evolved to meet unique Japanese standards and tastes

Dubbed 'Galapagos' phones because they have evolved to meet unique Japanese standards and tastes, flip-phone shipments rose 5.7 percent to 10.58 million in 2014, data from market researcher MM Research Institute Ltd shows. 

Smartphone shipments fell 5.3 percent to 27.70 million, down for a second year.

Users in Japan pay some of the highest smartphone fees among developed nations, the telecommunications ministry says, while flip-phone rates are among the lowest. 

Many Japanese accustomed to years of deflation are content with old-style flip-phones offering voice calling, email and in most cases basic Internet services.

Japanese electronics companies Panasonic Corp and NEC Corp have pulled out of the consumer smartphone business, unable to compete with dominant brands Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. 

They still make flip-phones, though, competing in a crowded market with Fujitsu Ltd and Sharp Corp, among others.

But with a mobile penetration rate of 98.5 percent, or 125 million subscriptions, there is little scope for significant overall growth in Japan's mobile market, MM Research said.

'Smartphones are also peaking in terms of functionality and they tend to last a long time as well, so there are fewer renewals,' said MM Research Executive Analyst Hideaki Yokota. 

He said 2014 was a particularly strong year for renewals in the subscription cycle for flip-phones, suggesting that last year's growth may not be repeated this year.

However, its not just in Japan the flip phone is back.

In between cheering on players at the U.S. Open in New York earlier this year, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour was pictured glancing at her cell phone - a rather dated looking flip phone.

The 64-year-old fashion maven was seen peering out from her signature dark sunglasses to look more closely at the tiny screen on the phone, which appears to be a $15 pay-as-you go phone from AT&T. 

Old-fashioned: In between cheering on players at the U.S. Open on Thursday, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour was pictured glancing at her cell phone - a rather dated looking flip phone

The model, an AT&T Z222 GoPhone, has a small two-inch display screen and offers texting and calling but no apps.

Her decision to use such a simple and inexpensive is something of a surprise considering Ms Wintour presumably has the most cutting-edge products at her fingertips. 

Perhaps the editor, who is known to be a creature of habit, simply likes to stick with what she knows best.

Indeed, back in 2004 she was seen using a similar flip phone while watching a Michael Kors runway show, although that particular model looked even more retro with an antenna.

By 2007, she graduated to a somewhat sleeker model - the Motorola Razr, which she brandished proudly at yet another fashion show.

From 2009 to 2012, Ms Wintour was pictured multiple times using a Blackberry, and it seemed she had finally found a modern phone she liked.

And just last year, she was seen carrying around both a Blackberry and an iPhone, a symbol of her busy business life.

RISE OF THE RETRO PHONE: 90'S MODELS FETCHING OVER $1,000 ON EBAY

Though it may be easy to mock Ms Wintour's low-tech choice of phone, she may actually be on the money.

A recent trend observed by MailOnline has seen classic 1990s models by Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola commanding four-figure sums on eBay and other resale sites. 

While they may lack features, these retro phones are simple to use, have batteries that last the week and are practically indestructible compared to their smartphone equivalents. 

'Some people don't blink at the prices, we have models at more than €1,000 (£810 or $1,360),' said Djassem Haddad, who started the site vintagemobile.fr in 2009.

'The high prices are due to the difficulty in finding those models, which were limited editions in their time.' 

French online shop Lekki, which sells a range of vintage, revamped mobile phones, claims simplicity is the way forward. 

'Too many online social networks and an excess of email and applications, have made us slaves to technology in our everyday life,' it said on its website. 

'We have two types of profiles: the 25 to 35 year-olds attracted by the retro and offbeat side of a telephone that is a little different, and those who are nostalgic for the phone that they used when they were younger,' said Maxime Chanson, who founded Lekki in 2010.

'Some use it to complement their smartphone, but others are going for the vintage, tired of the technology race between the phone makers.'

Here are some of the retro phones making a comeback:

Motorola StarTac 130: A model launched in 1998 - and repainted bright orange was recently offered for €180 (£145 or $245). Ironically, the trend is just starting as the telecommunications industry throws such handsets into the recycling bins, hailing smartphones as the way ahead.

Motorola StarTac 130, $245

History in the making: Nokia's vintage collection of phones

Nokia 8210: Has a tiny monochrome screen and plastic buttons, at €59.99 (£48 or $80). Finnish firm Nokia, the biggest mobile phone company before the advent of Apple's iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy, offloaded its handset division to Microsoft this year after failing to catch the smartphone wave

Nokia 8210, $80

Nokia 8800 Arte Gold: Currently listed for €1,000 (£810 or $1,360), while a Nokia 8800 could be purchased for €250 (£200 or $337).

Nokia 8800 Arte Gold, $1,360