Japan still really likes flip phones, for some reason

Forget your iPhones and your M8s – flip phones are where its at in Japan, apparently.

According to Reuters sales of flip phones rose in 2014 for the first time in seven years – suggesting something of a resurgence for devices.

Market researcher MM Research apparently reported a 5.7% increase in shipments of the phones – up to 10.58 million. Smartphone sales meanwhile fell 5.3% to 27.7m.

The reason for the shift appears to be a combination of economic factors making Japanese people cheapskates: Japan’s economy – which famously had a “lost decade” – has in recent memory experienced sluggish growth and even deflation – so instead of splashing out, Japanese consumers have instead been going for something cheap and reliable.