"Brick" Phone is a mobile phone that has:
*Some simple phones have very basic internet browsers. A call-and-text only SIM card ensures this can’t be used because they don’t connect to the internet via wifi and some can be blocked in parental controls.
Examples of brick phones:
They're significantly cheaper to buy and run than a smartphone: handsets cost as little as £17 and call-and-text-only SIM cards are available for £4 per month.
Maxcom MM135L
Cost: £17
FM radio, torch, calculator
Nokia 105 4G
Cost: £22
FM radio, torch, snake, calls and texts
TTfone TT300
Cost: £30
Flip cover, calls and texts
2G, 3G, and 4G
As of 1st October 2025 all mobile providers will have switched off their 3G network. Calls and texts can still be delivered via the 2G network but not all providers have 2G and by 2033 that will also be fully switched off.
So if parents want a phone that will work beyond 2033 they should get one with 4G capability.
SIM cards
Eco-Talk SIM.
- No data: unlimited UK minutes and SMS only
- £4/month: rolling monthly contract, no tie-in
- Switch anytime: no exit fees
- Runs on the UK’s fastest network
- Ethical Consumer Best Buy
We love this because unlike conventional mobile networks, Ecotalk channels its profits into rewilding the UK through The Green Britain Foundation — restoring forests, wetlands, and wildlife. A massive win-win.