[Humorist2290]

So I had a feature phone -- the Nokia 8110 4g. What sold me was that I could use it as a 4g hotspot and connect a smartphone to it, or not and be offline. The idea of "going online" is something I miss, in that it's not normal to be always attached to the internet. The connections I want to foster don't need to be mediated by an ISP, or a Telco, or a social media crime syndicate, or whatever else.

The "flip" part of this phone is cute, but the point Commodore makes about using it to punctuate the experience of using the device is significant to me. The Nokia also has a little sliding cover (which I always preferred over the flips as a matter of taste) and indeed the tactile interaction adds something. If it's still always connected to the internet though, it's just a gimmick.

Sadly my cell provider at the time gave me a SIM which just wouldn't work with it, and nowadays it seems like they aren't even available to buy anymore. I'd be interested in this, but not at a 600$ price level. I want a phone which (a) is a phone and (b) is a 5g wifi hotspot on demand and (c) nothing else. After years of casual searching, I have concluded that such a product is either too niche or too countercultural to be allowed.

[nehal3m]

I'd be the first to admit this alternative is less than ideal since it adds yet another device, but you could carry a battery powered MiFi router (even power it off to conserve it) to supply a mobile connection, and then a feature phone for calls. Plus of course whatever you'd want to use to go online.

I used a TP-Link M7650 when I was cut off from fiber for a while and it worked great for me.

[dredmorbius]

You certainly could. There are also pluggable modems which are powered directly off, say, your laptop or tablet.

There are also many dumbphones which act as hotspots. Most carriers have low nominal charge for ~100 GB of 150--300 Mbps connectivity monthly.