Iris Easy Flip Review, a Hands-On Test

Iris Easy Flip Video Review

Want to see the Iris Easy Flip in action? Then watch our full video review.

Purchasing the Iris Easy Flip

The Iris Easy Flip is available from various brick-and-mortar locations, including Target and Walmart. However, I purchased the phone from Consumer Cellular’s website. The phone cost me $59, plus $12 for shipping.

I should also point out that Consumer Cellular did not charge any hidden “activation” fees. The phone and shipping were all I had to pay for. Compare this to Lively, who, when I purchased their Jitterbug Smart4, charged me an additional $25 to activate the phone — despite the fact that I activated the phone online.

Iris Easy Flip Plans

With Consumer Cellular, I purchased a plan for $20 per month that included unlimited talk, text, and 1GB of data. While Consumer Cellular does offer plans with greater data amounts, I figured that most Iris Easy Flip users wouldn’t be doing too many data-heavy tasks like streaming video. Additionally, the Iris Easy Flip supports Wi-Fi, so when I used the internet at home, I didn’t use up any of my data allowance.

One thing to note with Consumer Cellular, though, is that their monthly prices, as stated on their website, include the discount for enrolling in the auto-pay option. With auto-pay enabled, your payment method will automatically be charged each month.

If you opt out of the auto-pay option, your monthly bill will be $5 higher, regardless of which plan you choose.

Iris Easy Flip Activation

Once I received my Iris Easy Flip, I unboxed the phone and found the following:

• 1 Iris Easy Flip phone
• 1 USB-C charging cable
• 1 wall adapter

To activate my phone, I simply had to charge it and call Consumer Cellular’s customer service line. The phone already contained a SIM card; I did not have to go through the annoying process of popping out a SIM tray and placing the card in myself.A

Iris Easy Flip Design

The Iris Easy Flip has a standard flip-phone design. On the front, you’ll find its 2.8-inch external screen that displays the date, time, and notifications. On the side of the phone, you’ll find the 3.5mm headphone jack and the volume rocker, which can be used while the phone is closed. On the other side, you’ll find the USB-C port, as well as a dedicated camera button. The camera can also be opened while the phone is closed, if you want to take a quick selfie.

When you open the phone, you’ll find another 2.8-inch screen. Beneath it, you’ll find the phone’s backlit keypad. These soft keys will open notifications and messages, respectively. You’ve also got your call and end call buttons, as well as dedicated buttons for your favorite contacts, speaker, and clear. The latter can be used to return to the previous screen.

Overall, I’d say the design is pretty good. While plastic, the device feels substantial in your hand. Flicking it open feels sturdy, and each key has a satisfying tactile sensation. My only gripe is the external screen. While I appreciate that it’s large, making it easier to view notifications or incoming calls, I can’t help but wish that there was some touch functionality here. This could potentially make it easier to answer calls or texts without having to flip open the device.

>> Read more: The Best Phones With Big Buttons

Using the Iris Easy Flip

The Iris Easy Flip's interface is pretty limited, and I imagine that that’s part of the appeal for most users. The home screen displays the date, time, Wi-Fi and cellular signals, and battery life. To make a call, you can dial a number or jump to your contacts and choose a recipient. Additionally, you can press the favorites button to open your most-contacted contacts.

In all of my test calls, the audio came in clearly on both ends. This phone is also rated M4/T4 in terms of hearing aid compatibility. When I used this phone with hearing aids, I noticed no audio interference.

The only issue I found was that during a call, the speaker button didn’t actually do anything; instead, I had to press the OK button to turn the speakerphone on and off. While this isn’t the most serious issue, I thought it defeated the whole purpose of having a dedicated speaker button.

Texting

In recent years, many flip phones have incorporated voice-to-text capabilities. When typing out messages, this feature can streamline the process of sending messages on a numeric keypad. Unfortunately, the Iris Easy Flip does not have this feature.

With this phone, texting was a particularly painful experience. While the messaging interface was sleek and visually appealing, there was no option for voice-to-text capabilities. Instead, you’ll have to manually type out every message on the 12-digit keypad.

On the plus side, I found KT9 predictive text to be pretty useful, but it was still much more cumbersome than voice-to-text.

Apps

In terms of apps, the Iris Easy Flip is a bit more limited than similar devices. You’ll find no support for any type of app store — you’re pretty much stuck with what’s already on the phone. This includes a voice recorder, basic music app, clock, calculator, and FM radio.

There is also an internet browser app. However, I found it also incredibly cumbersome to use.

First, there’s the KT9 predictive typing, with which I’ve already aired my frustrations. Then, to navigate around a website, you’ll need to slowly move your cursor with the directional pad. On top of this, you’ll also have to consider that most websites are not optimized for a screen of this size. So, apart from the occasional Google search, I don’t see the internet browser being all that useful.

I would say the same thing about this phone’s calendar app. While I appreciate that the app is here, the clunky way you have to input text makes it not worth your while. But, then again, if someone is purchasing this phone, I assume they’re not going to rely on it to keep track of appointments. They probably have a physical calendar for that.

Prior to the Iris Easy Flip, there was the Iris Flip. While the two phones are nearly identical in terms of size, design, and camera quality, I'd like to highlight a couple of key differences.

The first is voice-to-text. As I mentioned, with the Easy Flip, you have to painstakingly type out each character. But, with the Iris Flip, you can use your voice. For those who are heavy texters, this would be super useful. You can also use voice-to-text when conducting Google searches on the Iris Flip.

The Iris Flip also has native apps for YouTube and Google Maps. While these are both a bit more clunky to use than they would be on a smartphone, I appreciate that they’re here; they could come in handy in a pinch.

Both devices are pretty similar in terms of battery life, camera quality, and all the other specs. So, if voice-to-text and YouTube accessibility are important to you, I think the Iris Flip is a much better option. Consumer Cellular is no longer selling the device, but some other retailers are. Currently, it’s on sale for $50 at Target.

To learn more about my hands-on experience with the Iris Flip, read my full Consumer Cellular review.