device
Bar phone
The classic candybar shape — one rigid slab with keypad below the screen, ideal for one-handed T9 texting.
A bar phone (candybar) is the classic rigid slab: screen on top, keypad below, no moving parts. The Nokia 3210 and 3310 made the shape iconic.
Compared with flips, bar phones are faster to use one-handed — no opening motion — which makes them the better choice for frequent texters. The tradeoff is an exposed screen and the possibility of pocket dialing. Most minimalist phones (Light Phone, Punkt, Mudita) are bar-shaped, though they swap the keypad for a restrained touchscreen.
Related Terms
View all →Flip phone
A clamshell phone that opens to answer and snaps shut to hang up — pocket-proof screen, no accidental dialing.
Minimalist phone
A design-led phone built for ex-smartphone users: premium hardware, curated tools, and an explicit no-feeds philosophy.
T9 (predictive text)
The classic predictive-text system for 9-key keypads — press each key once and T9 guesses the word.