How small can a mobile phone get before it becomes comical? The folks at Zanco have asked themselves that question before, launching the Zanco Fly, but now they've decided to raise the stakes with the Zanco Tiny T1. It weighs just 13 grams, is about the size of a USB stick, and comes with almost all the essential functions you'd expect from an emergency phone.
The Case for a Basic Phone
Do you need a basic phone? Even though smartphones rule the market with an iron fist, you can still find units for €25 or less. They have physical keyboards, their batteries last for days, they let us talk... and that's all. Benefits and compromises on both sides of the street, which each user will surely need to evaluate carefully. Another point where the scales tip in favor of "feature phones" is the size. Without camera, WiFi, or Bluetooth, batteries last longer, but the space required shrinks with each component removed from the initial configuration. Lately we've seen very thin phones from China with dimensions similar to a credit card, however, what we'll see next leaves those models in the dust:
Meet the Zanco Tiny T1
The Zanco Tiny T1 is a sort of continuation of the Zanco Fly, which saw the light sometime last year, and which according to various publications became very popular in prisons for very obvious reasons, considering that the Fly is as big as a key. The Tiny T1 goes even further, with a size similar to a USB stick or two coins standing on edge (officially, 46.7 x 21 x 12 millimeters). Its internal memory holds 300 phone numbers, 50 SMS messages, and the last 50 incoming and outgoing numbers. It features a mini LED screen of 0.49 inches, a nano SIM slot, a voice changer system (13 different voices), and a micro USB port for recharging the 200 mAh battery, which by the way lasts three days on standby.
Limitations and Price
The most important limitations of the Zanco Tiny T1 are two: First, there's no hands-free support (which would have been great), and second, it only works on 2G networks, although recent data suggests that technology will remain available in Europe at least until 2025. Convinced? Then head over to its Kickstarter page, pay £35 plus shipping, and wait until May 2018 for delivery.
