Hop-On Mobile releases $10 HOP1800, the "anti-iPhone"

Don't worry if you've never heard of 'em, but Hop-On's got a new $10 disposable cellphone that goes by the name of HOP1800. Dual-band on 850/1900 or 900/1800, featuring totally rad vibrating or polyphonic MIDI ringing, Hop-On's billing this one as the "anti-iPhone"; we're not exactly sure what makes this the anti-iPhone other than the fact that it, um, doesn't actually do anything (except make calls), but hey, sounds like an easy way to sell some throwaway handsets.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Bunson @ May 25th 2008 2:03PM]

This is better than the iPhone. I'm getting one.
[/sarcasm]

The name is so stupid. It's nowhere near an anti-iPhone.

[Big John @ May 25th 2008 2:09PM]

Oh relax, it's just a marketing gimmick.

[Bunson @ May 25th 2008 2:13PM]

Thats some greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat marketing team.

[Khris @ May 25th 2008 2:15PM]

The marketing team should be fired.

[BeniRose @ May 25th 2008 2:25PM]

Yeah, I think that's the point. The iPhone is obsessed over for it's massive usefulness as "more than a phone" and this is just some phone that no one should ever care about, therefore it IS an anti-iPhone.

[Deed @ May 25th 2008 2:55PM]

Well no, if you're somebody who actually wants a phone to phone people and actually have decent reception, for the equivalent of £5 this is to today's mass of overblown "phones" as the EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE is to every modern notebook--does what you want well, and you're not paying for everything else under the sun.

[derX @ May 25th 2008 3:07PM]

You put an iPhone and this, the anti-iPhone, together and we have annihilation.

[JJV @ May 25th 2008 3:33PM]

Out of curiosity, what is a disposable cell phone? like you can only call 36 times and then you get it developed?? 0.o

[IndiaTech @ May 25th 2008 3:56PM]

I think the Marketing Team did a great job here. Otherwise, do you think engadget would have even bothered to publish an article about a $10 cheep disposable phone....

Oh wait, on the second thought, engadget DOES cover each and everything that has even a remote relation to the word iPhone...

[ethan @ May 25th 2008 4:27PM]

Actually, I think Ryan would post a story about a $10 dollar cell phone. Whether or not the marketing team decided to slip iPhone into the story.

Please.

[RikF @ May 25th 2008 7:15PM]

This 'hop-on' what, Twaddle? Please tell me that your inner three year old decided that 'homo' was to be used as an insult. You just rendered a perfectly good post childish and insulting.

[RikF @ May 26th 2008 1:11PM]

lol - for those who are voting me down - you do realise that the insulting post I was replying to has been removed, don't you?

[X-BLADE @ May 25th 2008 2:08PM]

No, i'm waiting for the 3G HOP1800 ..

[chickenator @ May 25th 2008 2:10PM]

HOPing for it...

[sinjinn @ May 25th 2008 2:11PM]

awesome.

[David W. @ May 25th 2008 2:11PM]

Am I the only one who actually really likes the design of the phone?...lol

[Pochi @ May 25th 2008 2:24PM]

It appears to have no screen at all.

In other words, yes.

[David W. @ May 25th 2008 2:25PM]

Well I mean if it HAD a screen

[JJV @ May 25th 2008 3:33PM]

Still yes.

[DarkLight @ May 25th 2008 2:13PM]

iPhone haters rejoice, now you have a phone that is exactly the opposite to the iPhone :-D

[Imran @ May 25th 2008 2:13PM]

eeePhone that was discussed earlier?

[Deed @ May 26th 2008 2:31PM]

Yes, exactly.

[takamaru @ May 25th 2008 2:18PM]

Wow! I want one just to say I have one!

[TheGeektoriousBIG @ May 25th 2008 2:20PM]

Drug Dealers & Kidnappers Rejoice! No more measly 200 SMSes a month or crime whichever comes first.

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 25th 2008 2:24PM]

That's not the anti-iPhone, that's the pro-miser phone. Built for cheapsters, fixed income or poverty-level users. It's a useful concept. I know someone elderly that pays $25 a month for a T-Mobile contract on a cellphone she never uses. She keeps it as a backup in case her landline goes dead. It would be perfect for her.

[Zed @ May 25th 2008 7:11PM]

pay as you go? handy sometimes..

[DarkLight @ May 25th 2008 6:05PM]

Why the fsck is he low ranked?

Low-rank me all you want, but he's right, you rich a$$es

I also know people like that.... In other countries cell phones *are more expensive* than in the US, and people is less rich than in the US... Stop taking it everyone can pay for, or even wants expensive phones with forced X years contracts....

Heck, I think even I would find it useful, for travels... I don't have a cell phone. I just don't have any use for them when I am on the city, a non-phone PDA performs better for all the other things phones do.. (I know saying this on an almost mobile site is pure suicide)

[dale_nx26 @ May 25th 2008 10:38PM]

I could've agreed with you except...the article never mentioned about the company offering service, just the phone. So even if poor people did get the phone they still need to find a way to pay for service.

I'm all for cheap solutions. The first comment for this article and its follow-up comments make ppl so ignorant about others without money. This phone would be good for those who only needs to make calls outside the house and nothing else. You ppl might as make fun of the jitterbug while you're at it.

P.S. Don't point out my usage of using "ppl" because expecting people to be perfect in online communication is just stupid. It's an informal setting, so being perfect is useless.

[mykie @ May 25th 2008 2:24PM]

This isn't an anti-iPhone.

This is like an iPhone Shuffle.

[w00fy @ May 25th 2008 2:36PM]

Nah, the iPhone Shuffle would have one button, no screen, and will only call random people in your contacts.

[jon @ May 25th 2008 3:36PM]

drunk dial isn't just for when you're drunk any more!

[Poodles @ May 25th 2008 4:09PM]

lol :)

[ldrn @ May 25th 2008 2:25PM]

Engadget must be sad someone finally made a phone they can't stretch to accuse of being an iPhone ripoff. :)

[John M @ May 25th 2008 2:26PM]

Or for $5 more you can get a Motorola phone with a color screen, SMS, phonebook and WAP.

Who is buying these?

[deyanimay @ May 25th 2008 2:39PM]

I think you forgot to mention 2 year contract.

[John M @ May 25th 2008 3:48PM]

No two year contract, go down to Target or Walmart or the like and you can buy one for that without a contract. It's locked to TracPhone or AT&T but its a full featured and dirt cheap phone none the less.

Actually, didn't AT&T announce that you can bring your own phone and sign up for a plan with no contract? Just buy the $15 go phone and pop a regular service AT&T Sim in it.

[JJV @ May 25th 2008 3:57PM]

How does its lock to blah blah but not on a contract = to this NOT LOCKED into a carrier phone???

[ianzhere @ May 26th 2008 12:17AM]

you mean this motorola f3? $30 http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Motofone-F3-Unlocked-Phone-International/dp/B0013A7KMW

[eurobloke @ May 25th 2008 2:47PM]

I think this mobile will be ideal for tourists, just pick one up for 10€ (7€ + 3€ credit) in a vending machine at the airport or train station. Then, voila, you have instant communication.

No need to fuddle with coins with a payphone, or worry about using your own phone to call a taxi will cost more then the taxi journey itself.

[Striker @ May 25th 2008 3:24PM]

I think that this mobile would be great for Jason Bourne.

[Sukhminder @ May 25th 2008 2:47PM]

Who needs a disposable phone? Anyone? The only people who need this are people who buy SIM cards and throw them away: drug dealers and criminals.

[derX @ May 25th 2008 2:55PM]

I love how you separated drug dealers from criminals as if there are non-criminal drug dealers. LOL

[Patriks7 @ May 25th 2008 3:04PM]

there are.. those selling medicine..

[JJV @ May 25th 2008 3:34PM]

Pharmacists lol.

[derX @ May 25th 2008 3:37PM]

"The only people who need this are people who buy SIM cards and throw them away: drug dealers and criminals. "

Oh, it all makes sense, because legal pharmacists buy SIM cards and throw them away.

In the future, phamacists, aren't called drug dealers, they're called pharmacists.

[JJV @ May 25th 2008 3:58PM]

Just Epic Fail Sukhminder, Epic

[Sukhminder @ May 25th 2008 6:54PM]

hahaha... touche

[Charlotte @ May 27th 2008 9:57PM]

How about people in development or public health (I work in Haiti) who would like a cheap way to stay in contact with people? I could give a phone and phone card to a community health worker. Some people in developing countries "sell" their minutes, allowing villagers some level of contact with people outside of their regions--and it allows someone to create a microenterprise. Healthworkers in Kenya use cell phones to set up rendevous to exchange vital nutritional supplements for undernourished children. Any positive thing someone can do with a cell phone (limited of course to the call feature) can be done with this cell phone--but for much cheaper. I am very excited about the possibilities. Drug dealers, indeed...

[Brian @ May 25th 2008 2:52PM]

i'm glad these will be available. Now those wankers who think that adding more features to a phone somehow make it less of a phone can have something to buy instead of bitching and moaning.

[Anthony @ May 25th 2008 2:58PM]

The problem w/ Hop On is that they "release" lots of phones. Someone tell me, however, if they've actually seen one of their phones. I know I haven't (& I actually looked for one a while back).