Nokia 3210 4G and Nokia 106 4G Keypad Phone: Reviews and Verizon Flip Phone How-To

If you're comparing the Nokia 3210 4G and the Nokia 106 4G keypad phone for a real user, my bottom line is this: buy the Nokia 3210 4G unless the job is genuinely limited to calls and texts—then the Nokia 106 4G makes sense. I've ordered both, tested both with employees, and watched the total-cost math go in different directions.

Let me set the context. I'm an office administrator for a 75-person logistics company. I manage mobile equipment and office supply purchasing—roughly $180,000 a year across 14 vendors, and I report to both operations and finance. I took over the purchasing role in 2020. I'm not a telecom engineer, so I can't speak to carrier band coverage or antenna behavior. What I can tell you from a buyer's perspective is how these phones hold up, what they cost in setup time, and when they're a waste of money.

The Bottom Line First

The Nokia 3210 4G is the safer recommendation for most situations. It has a color screen, Bluetooth, FM radio, USB-C charging, a camera that is technically present, and the Snake game people keep asking about. It feels like a modern feature phone, not a relic. The Nokia 106 4G is more limited: no camera, smaller screen, fewer extras. It's the phone you buy for someone who needs to make calls, answer calls, and ignore everything else.

The number of budget phones on the market feels infinite, but the two Nokias fill separate buckets. Don't treat the 106 4G as a cheaper 3210. It's a different tool for a different job.

Nokia 3210 4G Product Info and Reviews

Product Info

Here's the spec sheet version: 2.4-inch QVGA display, 2MP rear camera, 1,450mAh battery, 4G LTE with VoLTE, microSD support, Bluetooth, and USB-C charging. It's not a smartphone. It's a modern interpretation of the 1999 classic, with enough connectivity to stay on today's mobile networks. Battery life is advertised as multi-day; in our test, a heavy user got four days before the low-battery warning showed up.

What We Learned From Reviews

I gave the 3210 4G to our warehouse lead, who normally carries a work smartphone but hates it. His review: 'It just makes calls, and it doesn't lie to me.' The build feels solid—not indestructible, but comfortable with normal pockets and occasional drops. The camera is not good, but nobody buying this phone cares about the camera.

The surprise wasn't nostalgia, although Snake on a color screen did get some attention. The surprise was how few IT support tickets the 3210 generated. During the month we piloted it, that employee filed zero help desk requests. For context, our smartphone fleet averaged two support contacts per device per month. That quiet month was worth more than the phone's price.

Nokia 106 4G Keypad Phone: The Call-Only Workhorse

The Nokia 106 4G is a no-nonsense keypad phone: small display, number keys, FM radio, flashlight, and 4G VoLTE support. It doesn't have a camera, and it doesn't have a touchscreen. The battery performance is the standout—standby time feels like it's aiming at infinity. I charged one, left it in a drawer for three weeks, and it still turned on without hesitation.

We piloted the 106 4G with our after-hours security guard. He needs to call the office when a gate issue comes up and respond to messages. The 106 handled that perfectly. No app notifications, no screen calibration issues, no 'why is this update stuck' calls. Just a reliable call tool.

Here's the catch: if a user needs to join a group chat, check a bank code, or look up directions, the 106 4G will frustrate them. It's a 4G phone in the network sense, not in the capability sense. Know the difference before you order.

How to Turn On a Verizon Flip Phone

If you're holding a Verizon flip phone and the screen is dark, the power button is usually in one of two places: the red 'End' key on the keypad, or a small dedicated button on the right edge. Press and hold whichever one you find for 3–5 seconds. A quick tap usually won't do it.

1. Press and hold the power key—red End key or side button—for at least three seconds.
2. Wait for the logo or lock screen. If the phone vibrates, release.
3. If nothing happens, plug the phone into its charger and wait 10 minutes. A fully drained battery can ignore power presses until it gets a small charge.
4. If the screen shows an activation message, call Verizon's activation line or use the My Verizon app to finish setup.

On the Nokia 2760 Flip that Verizon sells, the power key is typically on the upper right edge. On the Nokia 3210 4G, the red End key works as the power button. That small detail would have saved me a phone call the first time I set one up.

What Price Tags Don't Tell You

I'm a 'value over price' buyer. The Nokia 106 4G sells for around $40, and the 3210 4G usually lands in the $70–$90 range. You can find a used Android phone for less than that. But in my experience, the lowest quote rarely leads to the lowest total cost.

Real example: in 2022, during our vendor consolidation project, I ordered a batch of cheap tablets because they were $30 less per unit than the model we'd been using. We spent 12 hours configuring them, three were returned as defective, and one caused a help desk ticket before I finished the rollout. That $30-per-unit savings turned into roughly $1,500 in labor and returns. I've carried that lesson into every device decision since.

The same thinking applies here. A $40 phone that creates zero support work can be a better deal than a $120 smartphone that needs a case, screen protector, account setup, and monthly questions from a user who just wants to call her daughter. FTC advertising guidance (ftc.gov/business-guidance/advertising-marketing) requires product claims to be truthful and substantiated, but I still verify the details that matter: whether the charger is included, whether the battery is replaceable, and whether the manual is clear enough for non-technical staff.

When These Phones Are a Bad Choice

Let me be clear about boundaries. If someone needs banking apps, maps, video calls, or anything that runs outside a few built-in tools, don't buy these phones. A smartphone is the right answer. If the user expects to install apps, both the 3210 4G and the 106 4G will end up back in the box.

The 'Nokia phones are unbreakable' idea comes from an era when phones were simpler and mostly plastic. Today's budget Nokias are tough, but they aren't indestructible. Screens can crack, and charging ports can wear out. Buy a case if the phone is going to live in a pocket with keys.

Also check carrier compatibility before ordering. A phone can say '4G' and still not support every LTE band in your region. This gets into carrier-compliance territory, which isn't my expertise—check with your carrier or a knowledgeable reseller first.

In short, don't buy on a spec sheet alone. With Nokia's broad holdings—network equipment, patents, and the licensed phone business—you'd expect the phones to be thoughtful, and most of them are. But 'thoughtful' doesn't mean 'right for every user.' Match the phone to the job, and you'll usually come out ahead.