My smartphone has died, so I started looking on amazon for a basic phone to use until it is sorted. I saw these phones that are advertised as about the size of a credit card:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coofone-Credit-Unlocked-Bluetooth-Battery/dp/B00QWQIBSY/ref=sr_1_29?s=telephone&ie=UTF8&qid=1479909033&sr=1-29

https://www.amazon.co.uk/replacement-International-Emergency-activity-Christmas/dp/B007BUDI1K/ref=sr_1_22?s=telephone&ie=UTF8&qid=1479908983&sr=1-22

Has anyone tried one? They look perfect for going enduro without a camelback.

i got an old razr from the bay of evil ….. haven’t tried one
of those though !

My small packable emergency phone is an old Sony W810i. Similar size just 3x thicker than those micro phones. Robust and the battery lasts for at least a week (that’s the original 10 year old battery).

I take my old Nokia 6300 generally, battery lasts for days and it seems to get signal where my Samsung smartphone can’t.

The photo is probably 1/4 oversize.

I’ve often thought about it (more for hiking really) but never got around to it. Have a spot tracker for big trips.
Have heard that a payg Isle of man sim card is good as it uses multiple networks rather than being tied to Vodafone, O2 etc…

I’ve got an old SE K800i that I use for emergencies (PAYG with a few quid on it).

As above – an old non-smart nokia on PAYG. Only needs charging once every 2-3 weeks. Small enough and tough too.

I’d worry about the fragility of those micro phones + the battery life is awful. I’m sure you’ll get a nokia something or other for £10 on PAYG instead.

Only thing to watch on payg is expiry of credit…thieving barstewards that they are. Wouldn’t matter if you were dialling 999 or 112 though.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^°

Often thought about it but that’s why I’ve never bothered.

Some PAYG tariffs expire, like those that have minutes or data or whatever, but if you get a bum-basic phone that does nothing but text and calls then whatever you put on the phone stays on the phone, as it were, until you use it up by making calls or sendings txts, er, m8.

I have an old old Nokia which will find a signal better than smart phones. Bought recon off eBay.

Also use a manx Tel sim payg. On the mainland it roams all the networks – if there is any mobile signal where you are that set up will find it.

Old Nokia here too, with ancient Vodafone payg, that I’ve never accepted a new deal on, so the credit is permanent. I put £10 on it in 2013….

I’ve got my daughter’s old HTC One, the charger socket was broken so I fitted a new one and now it works great. It pairs with my Garmin Edge 820 and gives me audio alerts as I’m riding. 🙄

I had one of those small phones, can’t remember which make, it worked OK as a phone and would fit in the saddle pouch on my road bike but tbh I never actually used it, thus causing the payg to run out. Once I started mountain biking more than road it became pointless as I could chuck a normal phone in my back pack and take arty farty photos too

You can take arty farty pics with one of these Sony Ericsson c905

Not seen those micro ones. I read the title and though “If that isn’t what it sounds like I am inventing one”. Sadly it is, but very cool nonetheless.

I usually just carry my normal phone.
Hadn’t thought about a ‘robust back-up’.
I’ve got a Nokia 6300 sitting in a drawer at home – might just get a PAYG sim and stick it in for emergency use.

I’ve got a Nokia 107 that is about twice as thick as those credit card phones but half as wide, so about the same volume overall. Weighs hardly anything and the signal is good.

The only problem with these “emergency” phones is that in most of the places you’d need them, you’d struggle to get a signal.

Yep – i do a lot of long runs and phones are mandatory. I got a cheap Samsung at Tesco Sim only for £10 that included £10 of calls. Keep it in a double seal sandwich bag. Tiny, battery lasts over a week on standby.