Flips and Femmes


Tell me, is it just me, or am I correct in concluding that it is mostly the women who are buying flip-phones?

Prior to their new slew of slider phones, Samsung had a vast line of flip-phones. And, I swear, practically everyone I’ve met who was using a Samsung flip was a female. Ditto for flips from Panasonic and from LG. And even with Nokia’s new flips, it is the women who are going for them. Heck, I can count the total number of men that I have seen using flips with just one hand.

So what’s is about flips that flips the men out? I mean, this entire female-flip thing appears even stranger when you consider that flip-phones were originally designed to appeal to the male Trekkie crowd.


The first flip-phone was the analog StarTAC, which Motorola admitted as having been inspired by Captain Kirk’s trusty Communicator. Now that was a manly phone! And the women loved it too.

But today, men have apparently forsaken the new crop of flips.

So what is it? Is it the lack of manly designs? Or is it simply the in-your-face practicality of candybar phones?

I’ll be taking up the issue of gender and gadgets in my column in the upcoming issue of m|ph.

Any guys out there using flips?

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October 24th, 2005
19 Responses
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
iBern
Posted on:
10/24/2005 at 1:18 pm

NO FAIR! I’m still using an Ericsson flip phone! (T39m)

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
aldwin collantes
Posted on:
10/24/2005 at 4:46 pm

I’m using a black motorazr v3, and I love it.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
miranoriel
Posted on:
10/24/2005 at 4:49 pm

And what about all the men who went gaga over the Razr?

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
deep pockets
Posted on:
10/25/2005 at 12:47 am

i put my fones in my pant pockets, and most (but not all) flip phones are so THICK when closed.
one of the few ‘pocketable’ flip fones is the RAZR. That’s probably why it’s popular to guys.

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
smallpocket
Posted on:
10/25/2005 at 12:49 am

because guys put fones in their pants pockets, and flips are so THICK when closed.
A notable exception would be the RAZR. that’s probably why it’s popular with guys.

Comment Number:
6
Written by:
iBern
Posted on:
10/25/2005 at 7:21 am

@miranoriel: Probably reminds them of that thingie they use every morning to remove all those facial hair. =)

Comment Number:
7
Written by:
Paul Short
Posted on:
10/25/2005 at 10:44 am

Here in Ontario, Canada, I’ve noticed a lot of guys with flip phones. I think the sliders are becomming a lot more popular when people go for new handsets though.

Comment Number:
8
Written by:
Art Ilano
Posted on:
10/25/2005 at 4:50 pm

aldwin: i am using a black motorazr 3…
miranorial: And what about the men who went gaga over the Razr?

Glad you pointed that out. And glad to finally meet a guy who’s using it! :)

I have to admit that all the Razr owners I’ve seen were women :D Which is odd because it IS a manly design. I do love its sleek look. And this is one flip that won’t be too fat for the pocket.

But I’m still a candybar kind’a guy :D

Comment Number:
9
Written by:
Alma
Posted on:
10/27/2005 at 9:43 am

I got my husband a Nokia 6170, and so far I have not heard of any complaints…

Comment Number:
10
Written by:
miranoriel
Posted on:
10/27/2005 at 1:10 pm

@iBern
Hence the name? :D

I prefer the candybar form myself, but the N3650 is hardly a candybar. More like a detergent bar. :D I don’t like the flip — I’d break that hinge in a minute! :o

Comment Number:
11
Written by:
raw_knee
Posted on:
10/28/2005 at 9:54 am

I agree with miranoriel.

It’s the sturdiness of the candybar form that endears it to most men nowadays. There’s the possibility of damaging the hinge of the phone in due time for flips, which is nonexistent in a candybar phone.

Comment Number:
12
Written by:
manacsarc
Posted on:
10/28/2005 at 3:54 pm

alma: if my spouse would give a celfone for free, then why should I complain???

Here in my company in Xi’an, China, most celfones are flips…

Comment Number:
13
Written by:
Notaga
Posted on:
10/30/2005 at 8:33 am

Flip phones to me look girlish. I can’t explain why, but somehow I associate these phones with the girls. Maybe it’s because it looks a lot like that powder container girls bring with them everytime…

Comment Number:
14
Written by:
May
Posted on:
10/31/2005 at 12:12 am

My dad-in-law got one, Samsung in particular just cuz it has a feature that could really adjust the fonts up really cool. You won’t need a pair of eyeglasses to check out the digits in the screen.
Because they appear really large…i mean really LARGE *font size 38*

Oh well, am in Taiwan. So phones not really a big deal whether they’re flip-phones or expensive ones, etc. They consider more of the features they actually need.

There’s a lot of models and brands to choose from. Nokia isn’t really that famous here, comparatively speaking.

By the way, I just really wanted to say hi. Saw your site from inq7.net. Cool site!

Comment Number:
15
Written by:
John Ray Cabrera
Posted on:
10/31/2005 at 5:42 pm

having a fliptype(clamshell) phone gives them a feeling of having to unfurl their compact powders. and that gesture is generally womenly, not unless of course if their are men out there who are sporting m.a.c. powders in their clutchbags along with their digital doohickeys.

Comment Number:
16
Written by:
kinny
Posted on:
11/2/2005 at 3:53 pm

An ex boyfriend would only buy Nokia clamshells or sliders (8890, 8910) before the clamshells like 6170 and N90 came out. Reason: he has no patience to lock keypad of candybar types and has ended up with an exhorbitant bill because of accidental dialing while phone was in pocket or bag. It also gives him a kick to flip it open every time.

Comment Number:
17
Written by:
kenna
Posted on:
11/2/2005 at 10:26 pm

they’re nice to hold but all my experiences with them is bad really bad….

Comment Number:
18
Written by:
miranoriel
Posted on:
11/7/2005 at 9:14 am

More moving parts, more potential for damage to the unit. That’s the standout concern for me. Whether it’s a phone, a music player, PDA or some other device or gadget. And I love my gadgets. :D So if I can help it, I’ll go for something that I can’t fold, spindle, or mutilate.

Then I’ll make sure I never remove the original pieces of clingfilm, apply a protector film for the unprotected areas, stick it in a silicone casing… 8-o

Comment Number:
19
Written by:
kahli&karyl
Posted on:
6/28/2006 at 11:47 am

nowadays flip phones are the IN thing in the mobile industry especially abroad….its more fashionable and that makes it a femme thing i think.only pinoy guys find it womanly but most men use flip phones internationally speaking….LG U880 is cool;a 3G flip phone with awesome features and a great sounding MP3 player.men can use it without so much fuss since it is also thin and smaller than the motorola RAZR.