Phone of choice for drug dealers in UK: Nokia 8210

Smartphones may have once been a sought-out status symbol, but the advent of cheap Android devices have made them a common sight. With a decent data connection or access to a wifi hotspot, smartphones allow people to always be connected while on the go.

 

For some people — drug lords in the United Kingdom, in particular — this may be a problem.

 

According to a feature on Vice UK, drug dealers have there have turned to the old Nokia 8210 in an effort to evade the law. 

 

The Nokia 8210 was released back in 1999 and is currently a discontinued model. Its small size and impressive battery life made it a great phone when it first came out, and it seems like these same features make it the "dumbphone" of choice for criminals.

 

One of Vice UK’s informants said that since the authorities can now use wifi and Bluetooth to get information from smartphones, all the dealers he knows now use the Nokia 8210, adding that it was the best phone when it first came out.

 

An addict who was interviewed explained that he makes money by selling any Nokia 8210s he can get his hands on.

 

“Now I'm going to second hand shops and eBay to get Nokia 8210s. They're wicked phones, and after all, everyone likes a game of Snake. These dealers are the same as everyone—they want to have the best, even it is the best of the shit old phones.”

 

Technology blog Gizmodo pointed out, however, that using dumbphones isn’t a guarantee that criminals would go scot-free. Geolocation and cell tapping are still possible even if your phone isn’t as hi-tech as the rest. — Bea Montenegro/JST, GMA News