Recently I posted a guide and it was pretty well-received, so I thought I should expand on it to touch on the daily driving aspect of a keitai once you have everything set up and ready to go! Hopefully this gives you a better understanding of the capabilities (and limitations) of a typical keitai as of 2023 :)

My 701KC on my commute <3

In this guide, I'll be using my Kyocera DIGNO 701KC as an example of a typical keitai, hence mileage may vary. That said, I think this can be applied to most if not all keitais running android 5.1 or later!

The basics

A typical keitai menu

Since a keitai is fundamentally a phone, it can definitely handle calls and texts without much issue. However, it's worth nothing that most keitai models don't have the setting available to activate voLTE calling. I've never had the need to try it out, but I doubt group texts work on most keitais too.

Outside of calling and texting, a keitai is also capable of internet browsing, taking photos and other (JP-exclusive) features out of the box. Android 5.1 is pretty much obsolete by now, but the stock browser and included pointer works fine for when you're in a pinch.

good for the barebones

The camera on my 701KC is potato by modern standards, but well, having a camera is already a bonus in the dumbphone market.

Gives you that 2000s digicam vibe

As for the alarm, calendar etc, they function as you'd expect. Some keitais can also support additional features like hotspot sharing and a pedometer!

App support

As mentioned earlier, the OS my 701KC is running on is ancient now. However, popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram still support android 5, so I've not run into any major issues with them. Navigating these apps can be achieved with the help of the pointer!

I use a Walkman for my music, but Spotify Lite works fine on a keitai. The full Spotify app is also somewhat supported, but it's laggy af and I wouldn't recommend. Didn't try any other music apps, but I guess the experience should be about the same. To watch the occasional YouTube video, I find Newpipe usable on my keitai.

If you want a more up-to-date browser, Firefox and Opera are the more well-known browsers that can run on android 5.1, though cumbersome to use without a touchscreen.

Social media apps...why are you even downloading those? But anyway for the sake of this guide, Insta and Facebook works.

A often-talked about drawback of keitais is the lack of Google Play Services (in fact, it's a complaint I've seen many times on Japanese sites). That said, it is possible to use apps that require Google Services to some extent. Here is Google Maps as an example:

However, Google Maps can't detect my location even with GPS on (I think that requires Google services)

In a nutshell, app support on keitais are limited by two main factors: the OS and the pointer navigation. This post by u/Bananakaya discusses using apps on keitais too, so do check it out!

Battery life

Most keitais that you can readily buy are likely to be used, so just like any second-hand tech device, you can expect some battery deterioration by the time it reaches your hands. However, I can say that the majority of pre-loved keitais won't have a problem lasting through a day on a single full charge, and if you check your phone as infrequently as I do, two days or more won't be too much of a problem!

Pretty impressive for a six-year-old phone

On the same note, most keitais use Micro-USB for charging (newer models will support USB-C).

Concluding thoughts

Although not strictly adhering to the definition of 'dumbphone', keitais are great at being transitionary devices which helps you familiarise with a clamshell form factor while retaining limited smartphone capabilities (plus the aesthetic!)

I hope this gives a better idea of what owning a keitai as a daily driver is like~

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