HMD's Nokia 2360 Flip Is a 2G Flip Phone Families Can Set Up From Their Own Phones

The clamshell for seniors and schoolchildren pairs two screens with an SOS button that alerts up to five contacts and an app that manages it remotely by text message.

ESPOO, Finland - HMD has introduced the Nokia 2360 Flip, a clamshell feature phone for older adults and schoolchildren that a relative can set up and manage from a smartphone. HMD’s product page says the phone is configured remotely by a family member “so it arrives ready to use.”

That work happens in Family Assist, a free app for Android and iOS. From it, a family member can add contacts, set reminders, adjust the volume and configure the emergency settings. The app talks to the flip phone over SMS, so the phone itself needs no data plan, though standard text rates may apply on the managing phone, HMD says.

The 2360 Flip has a 2.8-inch main screen and a 1.77-inch outer display. Image: HMD

The phone has a dedicated SOS button. Holding it for three seconds calls a preset number and texts up to five emergency contacts at the same time, and the recipients and the message are chosen in Family Assist. HMD notes that the button dials personal contacts and is not a substitute for public emergency services.

For children, HMD built in parental controls protected by a Family PIN. A School Mode cuts the phone down to the clock and emergency calls. Calls and texts can be limited to an approved list, and individual apps such as the camera and games can be blocked.

Family Assist lets a relative manage contacts, reminders and SOS settings from a smartphone. Image: HMD

The hardware is deliberately plain. The main screen measures 2.8 inches and uses large icons and clear text, and the 1.77-inch outer display shows caller ID before the phone is opened. Flipping it open answers a call and closing it hangs up. HMD lists a loudspeaker, a removable 1,450mAh battery and an IP54 rating against splashes and dust, in Charcoal, Burgundy Red or Teal. GSMArena reported a QVGA camera, FM radio, 4MB of internal storage and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The catch is the network. The 2360 Flip supports only 2G, which GSMArena noted will limit its usefulness where carriers have shut down their 2G networks. HMD has not published global pricing or a list of markets. In the Philippines it sells for 2,790 pesos, WalasTech reported.