nokia 2780 flip review

made on june 7, 2025

 

hi, everyone. james edward here: the internet's busiest flip phone nerd.

 

so, this is my first flip phone (and dumb phone for that matter), and i plan on making it my last forever, because i enjoy using this thing every day for the most part. it does what i need: call, text, read certain audio and photo files, transfer stuff from my pc for more files, use google maps, and that's it. i hear a good portion of complaints like "the buttons are janky" and "the bluetooth sucks" but for me, i never had these experiences (at least not yet). i will say, though, it isn't just a flawless experience on my end either.

 

i would've made this an amazon review or something like that, but knowing amazon, i have to pay $50 for something off their site (not using gift cards) in order for them to justify posting my shithole of a review. so, i'm doing it here instead. and, as one robert 'granddad' freeman said, "why buy the tape when you can get the infomercial for free?"

 

on a brighter note to start off with, setting this phone up was somewhat of a breeze. i was easily able to navigate this phone, along with its barebones os, pretty fine. i saw a review once complaining about the performance of the phone and how it takes forever for everything to be done, but as of right now, i have absolutely no issues. anyways, everything on the phone was easy to find as i mentioned, and surprisingly, it took only a good few minutes (or maybe at the max probably 2 hours) to get all of the preferences to my liking.

 

 

first, some things i like:

 

- custom wallpaper and ringtones. after all, that's a given in this day and age.

 

- list view. it's actually perfect on my end, since all i really need are mainly 4 to 6 things for my phone software, and the fact that i can arrange them in any order makes it satisfying.

 

- i know people hate t9 keypads, but as someone who had to kill their hands in order to be able to type faster than the average nsa agent , i'd say it gets the job done pretty well, especially since the buttons are the right size. sure, they're a bit hollow, but i don't think it's that noticeable right now.

 

- battery life lasts longer than me during sex, which i'd say is pretty long since i left this thing uncharged for about 12 hours when i was sleeping, and the battery was still at a good point of charge (like 85% to 90%). it probably lasts even longer than that, too.

 

- very cheap. the fact that i can save like $950 and get something like this to call denny's and ask about the denny's grand slam at 1 am is truly a gamechanger.

 

 

now, here are some complaints i have:

 

- yes, kaios is very limited. while on one hand, that wouldn't be an issue for me. on the other hand, i can't delete any of the apps already pre-installed for me whatsoever, such as games, the weather app, or even notes. all i need are: contacts, call log, file manager, settings, and google maps. yet, kaios forces me to have *every* app for no reason. it's not like you need the kaios store anyways, because i wouldn't think you'd need any apps from there anyways.

 

my suggestion: add the feature that lets me delete all the apps, even if they're default, so i can make my phone more limited, rather than another swiss army knife phone.

 

- google maps is stripped down, too. i know this isn't the most featured phone at all, (and that's kinda one of the reasons i got it to begin with). however, a major feature i need on my typical maps app is to find alternate directions, such as with no freeways and/or toll roads. this isn't present on the kaios version of google maps, and so i'm trying to learn how to use google maps on pc for every travel ocassion i don't know. another small but really crucial thing missing is the lack of a voice telling me where to go, as if i'm a child being spoonfed applesauce for the 30th time this week. this wouldn't be much of an issue if it weren't for the fact that i would need to drive somewhere and have this thing be my mini-gps. having this thing in one hand and the steering wheel in the other sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen. it might be more ideal for people that walk, bike, or hike, but as for people that drive consistently, and possibly use this as their main phone with a gps, they're kinda fucked in that regard.

 

my suggestion: add the features i mentioned above. it shouldn't be hard. put a software update on it or something.

 

- i can't really customize a whole lot at all. sure, that's the case on any phone in general, with all the proprietary items being on there. however, with me being able to customize my ringtone, you'd think i'd be able to customize what my alarm sounds like... right??? wrong. because, the alarm sounds on here are more stale than most movies released in the modern day. and not just that, i can't even customize my icons. however, you'd think there'd be a modding scene with kaios, but from what i've seen, it doesn't seem like there is, and modding on such a device looks to be more difficult than meets the eye. somehow, modding a 20 year old nintendo console is a lot easier (and hell, safer) than modding what appears to be a plastic handheld brick that calls people. i know it's probably not easier on other devices, but c'mon: look at the operating system design. it shouldn't be that way. along with the alarm sound not being customizable, so is the startup sound, and i don't think i can change much about it at all, let alone the volume. i cover the phone in its entirety, and it doesn't make a difference because it's still so goddamn loud. also, the notification sound isn't customizable either (btw when i say "customizable", i mean putting in your own thing you made, not another made preset that comes with something, as if it wasn't obvious enough).

 

my suggestion: make the phone more customizable. that would be fun. i don't want to put a sticker on the back of my phone (while i would still do anyways if i can find/make one) and call it a day. i'd like this phone to call my own.

 

- it could absolutely only be me, but the microsd card slot is absolutely finnicky, and so is the sim card slot. now, i was able to get the sim card working fine. microsd, however, is a completely different story, as i bought a microsd card, and it did not register no matter how many times and where i put it in. this genuinely bothers me. granted, i did get this thing used, so inevitably (and as i said), it could only be a me problem. maybe one day i could get this problem fixed, but for right now, i believe "to play us out" is what they would most likely say in the journalism industry.

 

my suggestion: make the sim and microsd slots less finnicky, so that i don't break the fucking hinges instantly. i have to clarify here that i know how the mechanisms work. they just suck dick at being what they are.

 

- i'm not a big fan of the design. yeah, the internal os design isn't exactly the best with it being minimalist, but that's something i might've already touched on indirectly to begin with when it comes to this shitty minimal design. my complaint comes in the fact that the hinge on the phone where it flips is a pain in the ass, because it's like trying to open the doors at a chipotle. the form factor, despite resembling classic flip phone, still throws me off a bit. you're telling me that the sos button is on the side of the phone, when in reality, a power button should be present? why? i understand that people have emergencies and other urgent events, but if you're gonna put the sos button somewhere, don't have the volume button right next to it. people are bound to press it on accident.

 

my suggestions:

 

1. put the headphone jack and charging ports on the lower side of the phone. this makes it more convenient and less in the way of everything. and, i absolutely know there's a good portion of room for it, because the left side of the phone has only a headphone jack and nothing else, which shouldn't be the case whatsoever. this logic also applies to modern iphones and android phones, because none of them have headphone jacks, even though they are already portable star trek monoliths begging for another fucking port to be put in.

 

2. either put the sos button where the number pad is (and make it more obvious), or don't have it at all, because the sos button can easily be mistaken for another regular button (or even worse, the power button), if not known about beforehand. i am aware that we have instruction manuals for a reason. however, i doubt that anyone can tell at first glance whether or not a dedicated button on the right is meant to be for telling a 30 year old white guy that you've fallen and can't get up, or if it's meant to turn on your phone, because i sure as hell didn't know.

 

3. volume buttons on the left side. i understand that the buttons in of themselves aren't too easy to press and all, which is good, but if you're gonna put them anywhere, put them where the tips of the fingers are more easily accessible, rather than the both your thumb and palm of your hand crushing everything. i'm sure some people are ambidexterous, and/or use their left hand when carrying their phone, but do you already think that companies would care about them enough to change the design to be inverted? absolutely not.

 

4. power button on the right side. yes, i know these suggestions are essentially copying every other device, but that's because those form factors already work well not just for smartphones, but in my opinion, possibly every cellular device. at times, there can be exceptions, but in my personal opinion, the nokia 2780 is not one of them.

 

as for the hinge, this phone was released years back, so i don't think they would be able to do shit about that, let alone want to. maybe i could make my own phone at this point that fixes these problems, who knows?

 

- and finally, snake isn't even that good. it's made by gameloft, and i don't like it. the game looks and acts more like a watered down version of a socially isolated slither.io, rather than traditional snake.

 

my suggestion: i'd rather have a custom ringtone maker that does subpar midi-esque sounds than this waste of life. that or have the actual snake game on here, and not whatever this fake new one is.

 

 

conclusion:

 

overall, not a bad phone in terms of usability. definitely needs a little more things added. but regardless, it gets the job done.

 

8.4/10

 

the design isn't something to be impressed by (although why would you be?), but if you're looking for a flip phone in the modern day (considering the fuckers over at at&t, t-mobile, and the government have all shut down 2g and 3g networks in the united states), i'd say go for this one. just know what you're getting into beforehand.

 

kthxbai. >w<