Is Emporia TouchSmart 2 Worth It? A Short Review

In today's video, we dive into the Emporia TouchSmart 2 and its main drawbacks. Find out why I personally recommend the TTFon 970 over this device.
- Physical build quality and feel of the device
- Camera functionality and quality
- Messaging and chat apps included
- Customization options and APK installation
- Comparison with the TTFon 970 and CAT S22 for specific markets
Filter Tool: dumbphonefinder.com
Database: airtable.com/shrLQZhajJAT596t4
Join this channel to get access to perks:
kzbin.info/door/FtVwG0NFd6gT3TXfMCU7oAjoin
Chapters⏲⏲:
[00:00:00] Intro
[00:00:28] Physical aspects of the phone
[00:01:08] Build quality feels cheap.
[00:01:48] Camera
[00:03:18] Installing chat apps and other apps. Ability to uninstall via ADB.
[00:04:29] Summary and final thoughts
[00:04:59] Conclusion. Invite comments and questions.
Android and iOS Apps 📱📱
Blloc Ratio: www.blloc.com/
Before Launcher: www.beforelabs.com/
ClearSpace: getclearspace.com/
Unpluq: unpluq.com
Forest App: www.forestapp.cc/
Brick App: getbrick.app/
Resources ✏️✏️
Free Habit Tracker Template: static1.squarespace.com/static/516cbd34e4b0bb1f91d354ed/t/586bcfbe197aeaa9093edb3e/1483460544073/Habit+Tracker.pdf
Habit Calendar: amzn.to/2Lj0eR5
Habit Journal: amzn.to/2STn0CY
Learning a new language 10 Weeks: bit.ly/35QM8zz
Books 📚📚
Low Tech Life: amzn.to/3IFBzE8.
Atomic Habits: amzn.to/2SVHnQ8
The Power of Habit: amzn.to/2yPe3Ut
Essentialism: amzn.to/3bFGZvK
The Shallows: amzn.to/3cJrQuC
Indistractable: amzn.to/3cHFpup
7 Habits of Highly Effective People: amzn.to/35PJIkR
Tech Apps for Habits 📱 📱
Habits with a Game Twist: habitica.com/static/home
Habits with Friends: habitshareapp.com/
IOS Streaks App: streaksapp.com/
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this channel are affiliate links, meaning, at NO additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase and/or subscribe. However, this does not impact my opinion about the products talked about.
Jose Briones is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

[@stinky_lizard]

maaaan i wish there was just a flip phone like the galaxy folder 2 that's sleek & stylish, has a solid metal build, a nice camera/screen and american carrier 5G compatibility

[@JoseBriones]

You and plenty of people would buy it in a heartbeat. Sadly companies are not listening

[@grominwithrob1339]

I wish Motorola would bring back the Moto Razr flip phone. They could crush the basic phone market.

[@zgee64]

Thanks Jose for the nice review, I agree with what you have said about the build quality, I just have two things i recognized on mine. First the Usb-C port is solderd wrong, so it only charges with a Usb-A to C cable. The next thing is that on my device when im not connected through wifi, the battery life is crap and i need to charge two times a day. Excuse my bad spelling

[@JoseBriones]

Appreciate your insights. Thanks for confirming my initial thoughts :)

[@jeminacek]

Hi. Thank you for the review! Have you tried connecting the phone via ADB? I saw some review saying it's not possible. Also I saw on Emporia website that is has Android 11 Go but all the sellers claim it has Android 8 Go... 🤔BTW, I'm interested in feature phones as hackable devices to play with more than devices to replace smartphone with and would really like if you showed more of that on your channel. I know your viewers have mostly opposite interests so no pressure 😅

[@JoseBriones]

No access to ADB sadly.

[@benhaotang]

The first several firmware versions allow you to sideload apps if you copy to the SD card, so I used the shortcut app from f-droid to open the dev option. But sideloading was removed after I think an update last year around December, it will refuse to install any app with the wrong package name, either from a 3rd party app store or its own file browser, and the march update this year also do some checksum check, so even if you modify an apk to match one of the chat-app to cheat the install-manager is also not possible now. I still have access to ADB because I opened it last year before the firmware that breaks everything, but I think they made some change to the install manager so stream install will just return an error now. Don't really know why they do that, I just want an email app and a better T9 keyboard!

[@alid8646]

i have the original Emporia Touchsmart, had it for over 2 years now, and although it does feel a a lil flimsy, Ive had no problems with it, and im in the agriculture sector so my phone doesnt get the kindest of environments. You forgot to mention, the stupid positioning of the camera, they couldn't have put it in a worst place. Cheers Jose

[@JoseBriones]

Glad to hear! Yes. The camera placement is horrendous

[@almog3875]

Hello Jose, thank you so much for everything you do here for us on YT, much appreciated! I live in Israel… other than Nokia, and some other basic flip phones, I can’t find anything smart. Can you please recommend some that’d work? unlocked ones. I’d appreciate any suggestions. I’m going back for your TT970 review!

[@JoseBriones]

CAT S22 unlocked should work out there. I know someone who uses it in Israel. Also, the Xiaomi F21 Pro should work.

[@almog3875]

@@JoseBriones Thank you 🙏🏼. Is the Kyocera 902kc worth a look as well, you reckon?

[@dbmgc101]

I can confirm that the cat s22 unlocked and both qin f21 and f22 work in Israel

[@almog3875]

@@dbmgc101 Thank you. The only problem with the S22 is the shipping on eBay from the US, it’s hard to justify the price.

[@Chris-p5k1p]

I bought the Emporia Prime, loved the size, the layout & the software, but it felt so cheap. Ringtones were very tinny. I had to return it. Think I’m gonna wait for my Lightphone 3.

[@GwendolynHyslop]

Hi Jose, great reviews! Thank you. Do you happen to know if this phone will work in Australia?

[@ataboyboyboy8895]

Although it has a sd slot, I can never see the extra storage. No file manager. No indicator at all. The external screen only shows signal and battery but it does not show if you have a message (just sound). It is ok, I have the tt950 and kinda like it better. I may upgrade to tt970.

[@Svin-0921]

Hey. Thanks for the review! Finding that the ttfone 970 looks probbaly a lot better, but do you think the Emporia is a solid choice for the following needs? Whatsapp, 1.5 day battery life and 4G/Wifi/blluetooth reliable connectivity? I am able to find the emporia for half the price where I live...

[@JoseBriones]

For 1/2 the price, Emporia should be fine. Just be aware of the build quality.

[@Svin-0921]

@@JoseBriones Thank you! I appreciate it. Am stuck between this, and the Doro 7010 :)

[@romansaumure6614]

Hey Jose, thank you for all of your content! I live in Canada and I’ve been hunting for a flip phone for awhile. I’m looking for something that will be able to use signal app, close to the cat s22 but not as bulky. Any recommendations? Thank you again for all of the great content!

[@JoseBriones]

Try to see if you can get a Q5 or a TTFone 970. They have the bands for Canada and it should work.

[@romansaumure6614]

Perfect thank you!

[@jadesded]

Whats ram/storage looking like on this? Id assume pretty weak? Because based off the design/name/flimsyness it literally reminds me of the LG WineSmart 2 which also was quite cheap feeling but that was expected because that was before the dumbphone movement really became a thing also was using trac back in the day so had also experienced the tcl cymbal flip t, which although was short on shortage/ram was actually a pretty good dumbphone in the early to mid-2010s.

[@JoseBriones]

1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Quite weak sadly.

[@drew0035]

Hey I'm still using my cymbal t lol, I'm looking at replacing it with the Nokia 2720 v flip sometime soon.. I'll have to check out his review because I don't remember if the nokia has expandable storage or not..

[@jadesded]

@@drew0035 yooo glad people are still using it, don't get me wrong one of my favorite phones Ive had like the heft & cluckyness of the buttons, and the little outer screen, was a good phone I think I had two of them and maybe it's cause I was a teenager and pretty rough on the thing but both failed at the charger port at some point. Idk about the Nokia but if you want a modern take on the Cymbal T I'd go with a Cat S22 or at least that's what Im rocking now.

[@drew0035]

@@jadesded I already tried the s22.. sadly it doesn't work with Verizon.. which is the only reliable carrier in my area..

[@ianminzy]

Try reviewing the LG Smart Folder

[@vicky-sj8sj]

How can i download spotify? Or just music in general

[@burkle4508]

Thanks for introducing me to this device! What carrier(s) does it support? There’s sort of a roundabout way to get the s22 flip working with AT&T right? If I’m not opposed to the bulkiness of the s22 would that just be generally the better option because they’re basically in the same price range? Thanks!

[@JoseBriones]

Only T-Mobile in the states and super limited. You could use the S22 on an AT&T Mvno like Red Pocket and it should work.

[@burkle4508]

@@JoseBriones Ok thank you so much for the info! I’ll look into that 👍

[@Nerdieo]

Any plans on a review for the duoqin f22 pro??

[@JoseBriones]

I already have a review for that phone :)

[@Nerdieo]

@@JoseBriones WHOA! Must've missed it! I'll be watching that now! :D

[@bill4123]

Is the clickiness better or worse than schok classic. I've been using the Schok for a year now and the key response during triple clock is just way too slow.

[@JoseBriones]

It’s better but more plasticky if that makes sense.

[@ahaica]

Does Spotify work on it ?

[@JoseBriones]

Yes

[@federicolappa]

Hi! I couldn't download the free habit tracker template. The link might be broken. Could you please check? Thank you so much in advance.

[@JoseBriones]

Thanks. I’ll check and if it’s down replace it!

[@marshallblr]

Hey there! Actually I have one of these. Yet I wish to figure how can I download gmail go on this device. Please do let me know if you found the proper source which/where its possible to download and instal the APK file from please. ta

[@JoseBriones]

Try downloading the Gmail Go edition from apkpure.

[@MrRockstar1968]

Shame you didn't do a full comparison.

[@田中太郎-s5h9x]

Is it that you actually can't use both Whatsapp and Telegram (and Signal), you have choose one of them? Also does TTFon 970 work in Europe? Could you do a review of Blackview N1000 at some point?

[@JoseBriones]

TTFone works in Europe. It’s an European brand. You can use both Signal and WhatsApp on both. On the Emporia, you just have to adjust the launcher so both show up.

[@richardepstein3494]

Who sells it and for how much?

[@JoseBriones]

Amazon. $80-100

[@landyslife]

Does whatapp work easily on this phone? Anyone know?

[@JoseBriones]

Yes. It works easily.

[@jerusalem_149]

good stuff

[@thomasholmegaard6431]

I disagree I like this phone a lot So okey this is no a high end phone but i needed a dumbish phone for my digital detox but I still needed access to the internet for some things and no this is not a phone for doom scrolling. but if you only need a phone for the basics and light browsing this is great . and if you are tech savvy you can side load apps if you want to.

[@EdouardTavinor]

are there any dumb phones which aren't made in china? for human rights reasons i try to avoid sending money to china

[@JoseBriones]

Very hard these days. I believe the Mudita line of devices would be one of the only candidates that comes to mind.