Why Flip Phones Still Matter in 2025 | w/ Tom Barrasso

What is HTML All The Things? HTML All The Things is a web development podcast and discord community which was started by Matt and Mike, developers based in Ontario, Canada. The podcast speaks to web development topics as well as running a small business, self-employment and time management. You can join them for both their successes and their struggles as they try to manage expanding their Web Development business without stretching themselves too thin. What's This One About? In this episode, Matt sits down with Tom Barrasso from Cloud Phone to explore why flip phones are still relevant in 2025. They discuss the rise of digital detox, who’s using feature phones today, and how developers can still build apps for low-spec devices. From KaiOS and Cloud Phone to nostalgia and screen-time reduction—this is a deep dive into the flip phone revival and the tech powering it. How to support the show Patreon Prices subject to change and are listed in USD Support the show from as little as ~$1/month Get a shoutout at the end of the episode (while supplies last) for just ~$3/month Help support the HTML All The Things Podcast: Click Here Scrimba Discount - Coding Courses! Learn to code using Scrimba with their interactive follow-along code editor. Join their exclusive discord communities and network to find your first job! Use our affiliate link for a 20% discount!! Click the link to take you to the Scrimba site A pop-up should appear on your screen with the discount amount and instructions on how to claim it Discount is for new accounts only We receive a monetary kickback if you use our affiliate link and make a purchase. Interview Questions & Topics When I think of a flip phone in 2025 I think of either the old school Motorola RAZR from my high school days, or a cutting edge phone with a foldable display (New RAZR, Samsung Fold, Samsung Z Flip). To establish where we are coming from for the audience, can you give us some context on what segment of the industry you work with and why? Why’d you get into flip phones in the first place? What kind of prices do these phones sell for? Why don’t people just buy cheap Android phones? We discussed off-air that some of the devices you work with have as little as 16MB of RAM What special considerations do you need to take into account to accommodate these devices in native apps and/or web apps? Do you build modern websites/web apps? If you do, why work with such low-spec devices? Digital availability and excessive screen time has been plaguing humans since smartphones starting hitting the scene in the late 2000s/early 2010s, and as such we are seeing people start to do digital detox where they get a dumb phone, an iPod, and a digital camera again Does this “digital detox” movement affect your industry at all? Is it becoming less niche and more mainstream with movements like this? Maybe this movement is more about temporary nostalgia? If people are using flip phones to get away from smartphone functionality, are they looking for more advanced tech like podcasts, YouTube, and ChatGPT? What about seniors, do older folks still use flip phones? What other demographics can you share? As a web developer, what other platforms can you target for flip phones? Can you build natively? What’s the difference between Opera Mini, Cloud Phone, and KaiOS? What about Android flip phones? Two decades ago, developers used to use WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). Is that still a thing? What about Java ME? There are so many models, manufacturers, and platforms. Why is the ecosystem so fragmented? I’m in Canada, you’re speaking to us from New Zealand, our listeners are all over. Where can we get a flip phone? How about one with Cloud Phone? Are there ways to test your app without a physical device? Tom's Links https://www.cloudfone.com/ https://developer.cloudfone.com/ https://www.reddit.com/r/cloudphone/ https://discord.gg/YDCh3NXYaN https://linkedin.com/in/tombarrasso https://github.com/cloudmosa https://puffin.com/

May 5, 2025 - 14:25

Why Flip Phones Still Matter in 2025 | w/ Tom Barrasso

What is HTML All The Things?

HTML All The Things is a web development podcast and discord community which was started by Matt and Mike, developers based in Ontario, Canada.

The podcast speaks to web development topics as well as running a small business, self-employment and time management. You can join them for both their successes and their struggles as they try to manage expanding their Web Development business without stretching themselves too thin.

What's This One About?

In this episode, Matt sits down with Tom Barrasso from Cloud Phone to explore why flip phones are still relevant in 2025. They discuss the rise of digital detox, who’s using feature phones today, and how developers can still build apps for low-spec devices. From KaiOS and Cloud Phone to nostalgia and screen-time reduction—this is a deep dive into the flip phone revival and the tech powering it.

How to support the show

Patreon

Prices subject to change and are listed in USD

Support the show from as little as ~$1/month
Get a shoutout at the end of the episode (while supplies last) for just ~$3/month
Help support the HTML All The Things Podcast: Click Here

Scrimba Discount - Coding Courses!

Learn to code using Scrimba with their interactive follow-along code editor.

Join their exclusive discord communities and network to find your first job!

Use our affiliate link for a 20% discount!!

Click the link to take you to the Scrimba site
A pop-up should appear on your screen with the discount amount and instructions on how to claim it
Discount is for new accounts only

We receive a monetary kickback if you use our affiliate link and make a purchase.

Interview Questions & Topics

When I think of a flip phone in 2025 I think of either the old school Motorola RAZR from my high school days, or a cutting edge phone with a foldable display (New RAZR, Samsung Fold, Samsung Z Flip).
- To establish where we are coming from for the audience, can you give us some context on what segment of the industry you work with and why? Why’d you get into flip phones in the first place?
- What kind of prices do these phones sell for? Why don’t people just buy cheap Android phones?
We discussed off-air that some of the devices you work with have as little as 16MB of RAM
- What special considerations do you need to take into account to accommodate these devices in native apps and/or web apps?
- Do you build modern websites/web apps? If you do, why work with such low-spec devices?
Digital availability and excessive screen time has been plaguing humans since smartphones starting hitting the scene in the late 2000s/early 2010s, and as such we are seeing people start to do digital detox where they get a dumb phone, an iPod, and a digital camera again
- Does this “digital detox” movement affect your industry at all? Is it becoming less niche and more mainstream with movements like this? Maybe this movement is more about temporary nostalgia?
- If people are using flip phones to get away from smartphone functionality, are they looking for more advanced tech like podcasts, YouTube, and ChatGPT?
- What about seniors, do older folks still use flip phones? What other demographics can you share?
As a web developer, what other platforms can you target for flip phones? Can you build natively?
- What’s the difference between Opera Mini, Cloud Phone, and KaiOS? What about Android flip phones?
- Two decades ago, developers used to use WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). Is that still a thing? What about Java ME?
- There are so many models, manufacturers, and platforms. Why is the ecosystem so fragmented?
I’m in Canada, you’re speaking to us from New Zealand, our listeners are all over. Where can we get a flip phone? How about one with Cloud Phone?
- Are there ways to test your app without a physical device?