Pensioners headache with the 3g switch off

[Dally]

Hello, I'm new on here.
please help, I can no longer make calls or texts on my old nokia
3510i, I think 02 have switched the network off.

It's been off since 28 may 2025, though I still had credit. I did get
a message months ago saying they would be switching off 3G so I
enquired in the 02 shop as to what to do.

I was told I needed a new phone and a new sim. A bit of a headache for
a none tech savvy 70 year old. I have spent the last 2 weeks
frantically searching for a dumb phone (on my computer) and have not
managed to find a
phone that has a predictive text with memory as brilliant and easy as
my old nokia 3510i. Due to all the resaerch I have done I think maybe
I dont even need a new phone as 2G has not been switched off. I learned this from this great community forum, Thanks

I have been to the 02 shop twice in the last week but it was shut due
to short staff and the manager leaving so I have clocked up 60 miles
for nothing. In desperation I went into the vodaphone shop where
they tried to get a pac code off my sim but as there is no network
coverage this was impossibe and advised me to go to the 02 shop !
They did say they will not be switching off 2G for a long time and I
could go on their PAYG and my old nokia 3510i will still work, so it
is tempting to jump ship even though I have been with o2 for the last
23 years.
Update... I have been to the o2 shop again, this time it was open and
the assistant was very helpful.
I explained my plight to find a feature phone with a decent workable
predictive text
and tried on one of the available phones in the shop with her. When it
took a ridiculous effort to spell the name of my village and no way to
remember that name in the phone we gave up and both agreed it would be
a complete waste of time for an old age pensioner.
She did give me a new sim which has now powered up my trusty old nokia
3510i which I am over the moon about but she also told me it might
only work till the end of july.
I find this all very confusing. I need a new phone or I dont need a
new phone ? 2G is going to be switched off very soon, or 2G isn't
going to be switched off in the near future ?
I wouldn't mind buying a new phone if I could text easily as this is
my preferred method of communication. I do not want a smart phone I
have no need for one, I love being phone free when I'm out and about,
it really is great, I hope to keep it that way. And anyway I would
have smashed a smart phone within 3 weeks ! My old nokia just bounces
when its dropped on concrete. I'm only just realising how lucky I am
to have been using the best phone ever for the last 20 years ! Thank
you nokia.
So does anyone know of a modern feature/dumb phone that has predictive
text as good as a nokia 3510i ? It just seems crazy that technology
from 2002 that works, especially for pensioners, isn't available in
2025. What is the point of a 4G phone if I cant text easily ? This
surely is not progress.
PS I used my old nokia 3510i predictive text to spell check the word
"preffered" while writing this message.

Thanks in anticipation of some advice

[Dally]

@MI5

Thanks for the 3210 info. On first impression it looks great but when you start dlving into the reviews some of them say sms messaging is really not user friendly at all.

All I want from a dumb phone is to be able to make calls AND text
easily. Like I can on my old nokia 3510i but after a two week search I
have not been able to find one. It seems like all the modern dumb
phones have rubbish memory for sms on predictive text. How is it that
my old nokia from 2002 has a superior memory compared with anything
available in 2025 ? It can't be that difficult to add a bit of 23 year
old technology to a modern dumb phone surely ? So why is it the specs
dont mention memory and the reviewers of dumb phones on you tube dont mention memory either ?

My old phone remembers the name of my village for example so I don't have to
re spell it every time I make a new message. Is this tech not
available in 2025 or what ?

[MI5]

@Dally 

I have a 105 in a draw somewhere.

I'll charge it up tomorrow and see if it does what you need.

Modern smartphones save typed words to memory so I'd be surprised if it didn't.

[Enlli]

@Dally Quite frankly I would stick to your present phone for now. Nothing is going to happen to 2G in the next 12 months and you will get warning before anything happens.

Time to move or buy a new phone then.

[MI5]

Absolutely true as we've already said, but the issue of which phone to replace it with will still exist and it's only 18 months away at best and could be as soon as the end of the year.

[Dally]

It woild be really great if you would check our your 105.

If it's an old one it might be able to remember words, but if it's a newer 4G version what then ?

I'm very interested in the results.

thanks for helping

[MI5]

@Dally 

I've found it and is currently on charge.

It is actually a 215 4G which can take a 32gb SD card for additional storage.

https://www.hmd.com/en_int/nokia-215-4g?sku=16QENE21A06

Will report back later.

[MI5]

@Dally 

Confirmed. You can type in words and add them to your dictionary.

I deliberately chose a word that usually fails when using predictive text, to test it. Also tried with some other misspelt words.