Wisephone II (Wisephone 2) Review: WiseOS, Apps, Fees

The Wisephone II is a Samsung Galaxy A17 5G running WiseOS, Techless’s locked-down version of Android. It keeps WhatsApp, maps, and a camera but removes the browser, email, and open app store. That suits someone who cannot drop WhatsApp, but the phone gives up Android Auto and needs a WiseOS plan every month.

WiseOS removes the browser instead of hiding it, which a launcher cannot do. If fewer apps on your current phone would be enough, start with the best minimalist launchers for Android.

Who the Wisephone II is for

The Wisephone II suits a parent or partner in a family chat on WhatsApp, or anyone whose customers message them there. It also fits someone who wants a trusted person to switch features on and off through the Wisephone Portal.

Skip it if a monthly software fee bothers you. Skip it too if you want a boundary that does not depend on a company’s servers, because the phone checks in with Techless to confirm your plan.

Price and availability

Techless sells the Wisephone II on wisephone.com. Every phone needs a WiseOS plan, which costs $14.99 a month with your own carrier or $24.99 to $69.99 with Techless’s carrier service. A one-time $39 activation fee applies, and yearly billing lowers each monthly rate.

What matters

What WiseOS is and what it does

WiseOS is the software layer that turns a Samsung into a Wisephone. Underneath, it is locked-down Android with the WiseOS experience on top. The built-in tools are music, calculator, maps, phone, messages, camera, flashlight, photos, clock, notes, two-factor codes, and calendar.

What WiseOS removes matters more. There is no web browser, no email app, and no social media. WiseOS also uses system-level controls to block most images and video inside some apps, without changing the apps themselves.

WiseOS is a subscription, so it is not a one-time purchase. The Wisephone Portal lets you, or a trusted person, choose which features the phone can reach.

The Tool Drawer and its apps list

The Tool Drawer is an optional set of vetted third-party apps that comes with every WiseOS plan. Techless claims more than 1,100 apps, and these are among them:

• Messaging: WhatsApp and Signal.
• Getting around: Waze, Uber, Delta, and Airbnb.
• Money and work: Bank of America, Venmo, 1Password, and QuickBooks.
• Everyday: Spotify, Google Calendar, and Weather.

There is no open app store behind the drawer. Techless reserves the right to add or remove third-party apps at any time, so a favorite app can disappear.

WhatsApp and messaging

WhatsApp and Signal both sit in the Tool Drawer, so the phone runs the apps your contacts already use. But Techless may limit icons, thumbnails, and images inside Tool Drawer apps, so they can differ from the standard version.

Texts go through Google Messages, and Techless recommends turning on RCS if you message people on iPhones. You can skip the Google sign-in.

Maps and music

Google Maps is the default maps app, and Waze is in the Tool Drawer. Maps still searches places, gives directions, and navigates, but WiseOS blocks most photos and promotional panels.

Spotify comes from the Tool Drawer. Album art generally does not appear, and video podcasts are blocked. You switch Google Maps, Google Photos, and the Tool Drawer on in the Wisephone Portal.

Camera quality and lenses

The camera is the Galaxy A17 5G’s, so it is a smartphone camera rather than a dumbphone one. It has a 50 MP main camera, two smaller rear cameras at 5 MP and 2 MP, and a 13 MP front camera.

The two small lenses are ultra-wide and macro, and the rear camera has optical image stabilization. Camera and Photos are built-in WiseOS tools, so they work without the Tool Drawer.

The WiseOS plan and what happens if it lapses

The plan pays for updates, the Portal, support, and the Tool Drawer. If it lapses, the phone drops into a restricted Setup mode, and most functions stop. Emergency calling and texting stay available where supported, and your data stays on the phone.

After 90 days without a plan, Techless may factory reset the phone and remove WiseOS, which erases the data and leaves standard Android. Then a $40 reprovisioning fee applies only if the phone must be shipped back to restore WiseOS.

Carrier activation and your number

Techless’s own carrier service runs on AT&T’s network. With your own carrier, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon postpaid are compatible, but Verizon prepaid is not. A Galaxy A16 or newer also supports eSIM.

Techless rates Mint, Cricket, and Metro by T-Mobile as likely to work, and US Cellular as not compatible. If you port your number, keep the old plan until the transfer finishes.

Samsung hardware, storage, and battery

The phone is a Samsung Galaxy A17 5G, model SM-A176U, though Techless also sells A15 and A16 versions. The A17 model has 128 GB of storage, 4 GB of RAM, and a microSD slot that takes cards up to 1.5 TB.

The screen is Super AMOLED at 1080 by 2340 pixels. The phone measures 164.4 by 77.9 by 7.5 mm, the same size as a standard Galaxy A17 5G.

The battery is advertised as multi-day, with fast charging, and the only port is USB-C.

Updates, support, and returns

Samsung’s One UI updates arrive as part of WiseOS. Support runs by text and email on weekdays, and Techless promises a real person answers.

New phones carry a one-year limited warranty, and Techless accepts returns for 14 days. An opened box means a $55 restocking fee plus any applicable fees, and the warranty excludes liquid and accidental damage.

Limitations

The plan is the first limit, and it never ends. Stop paying and the phone drops into Setup mode, and Techless controls the app list, the plan terms, and the lock itself.

The Wisephone II is still a large touchscreen with a camera, so it leaves more room to drift than a keypad flip.

Android Auto is not available and there is no email, so a work inbox is out. Water resistance is unclear: the FAQ says the phone is not water resistant, but the spec sheet gives an IP54 rating. Skip it if you need work email, Android Auto, or a phone with no recurring fee.

Alternatives

Pick the Light Phone III if you can live without WhatsApp. The Phone III is unlocked and works on any compatible plan.

Choose the Mudita Kompakt if you want an E Ink screen and can live without WhatsApp, which Mudita does not ship. Our Mudita Kompakt review covers it.

The Balance Phone is the closest rival, and the difference is the approach. It pairs a Samsung Galaxy A37 with Balance OS, keeps the full Google Play Store and a browser, and blocks categories such as social media, games, and streaming.

Balance OS comes preinstalled for the life of the device, so there is no monthly fee. The catch is reach: Balance sells it from Spain in euros, with a waitlist for the US.

On the phone you already own, a minimalist launcher hides everything except the apps you choose. For a stronger step, see the whole field in best dumbphones.

Common questions

Does the Wisephone II have WhatsApp?

Yes, both WhatsApp and Signal sit in the optional Tool Drawer, which needs the WiseOS plan. Techless can add or remove Tool Drawer apps at any time. Our list of dumbphones with WhatsApp compares it with other phones that run WhatsApp.

What phone is the Wisephone 2 based on?

It is a Samsung Galaxy A17 5G, model SM-A176U. Techless also sells versions built on the Galaxy A15 and A16. WiseOS runs on top with its own tools and no browser, so it does not work like a standard Galaxy.

Does the Wisephone II have Bluetooth?

Yes. It has Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi, the same Bluetooth version as a standard Galaxy A17 5G. There is no headphone jack, so wired headphones need USB-C or a USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter.

Can you buy the Wisephone II in the UK?

Not as a supported product. Under its terms of service, Techless limits its devices and management service to the United States, and all fees are in US dollars. In Europe, the Balance Phone is the closest match, and Balance offers a UK charger for it.

How much does the Wisephone II cost per month?

With your own carrier, the WiseOS plan is $14.99 a month, or $13.74 a month billed yearly. Techless’s carrier service runs $24.99 to $69.99 a month depending on data. The phone and a one-time $39 activation fee come on top.

What happens if I stop paying for WiseOS?

The phone enters a restricted Setup mode, and most functions stop. After 90 days without a plan, Techless may factory reset it and remove WiseOS. Back up your photos and contacts before then.

If WhatsApp is the deciding app

The Wisephone II is the pragmatic dumbphone: it keeps WhatsApp, maps, and a camera, and removes the browser, email, and open store. The price is a monthly plan and a lock that Techless controls.

If WhatsApp is the deciding app, buy it. If it is not, the Light Phone III is sold unlocked, and the Dumbphone Finder filters by WhatsApp support, apps level, and network.