In 2015, A Namibian Teen Created A Chipless Phone That Made Calls Via Radio — But 10 Years Later, What Happened To Him Is Surprising

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 17/06/2025 at 12:05

Updated on 17/06/2025 at 19:34

5 people reacted to this.

Simon Petrus Became Famous for Creating a Mobile Phone That Makes Calls Without a SIM Card or Credit, But Nearly a Decade Later, He Still Seeks Support to Innovate.

In 2015, a teenager from Namibia began to build something that would change his life. His name is Simon Petrus. At just 17 years old, he started working on an ambitious project: to build a mobile phone that would work without a SIM card, without credit, and without relying on any carrier.

All of this using repurposed parts from old televisions, radios, and broken cell phones.

His Story

For two years, Petrus worked alone on the project, without technical or financial support. His parents, even unemployed, helped as much as they could.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

The Outcome of the Phone

Even with the media coverage, the project did not become a product. Petrus was unable to secure investment or support from the government or companies to move the idea forward.

He continued living with his parents and trying to develop new inventions, now with visibility but without resources.

In 2019, at 21 years old, Simon was still at home, unemployed, and looking for opportunities. In interviews, he stated that the biggest challenge was finding financial support to continue innovating. Nevertheless, he did not give up.

In 2020, he enrolled in the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre, a technical institution in the capital of Namibia. There, he studied Electronic Engineering for three years. Finally, in September 2023, he officially graduated. Another victory in his journey.

Even with the diploma, Simon Petrus continues to face obstacles. By 2025, nearly a decade after his first invention gained prominence, he remains unemployed, trying to make his projects viable independently.

Chronological Summary

September 8, 2023: Simon completed his Electronic Engineering course.
Since 2019: still looking for a job to support and develop his projects.
2025: various social media updates confirm that he continues without a fixed job.

His story has become a symbol of creativity and persistence, but also of how talent can be ignored when support is lacking.

Simon’s SIM-less phone is still a prototype, but his idea continues to inspire young Africans to believe in their own potential.

In 2015, A Namibian Teen Created A Chipless Phone That Made Calls Via Radio — But 10 Years Later, What Happened To Him Is Surprising

Simon Petrus Became Famous for Creating a Mobile Phone That Makes Calls Without a SIM Card or Credit, But Nearly a Decade Later, He Still Seeks Support to Innovate.

His Story

The Outcome of the Phone

Chronological Summary

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In 2015, A Namibian Teen Created A Chipless Phone That Made Calls Via Radio — But 10 Years Later, What Happened To Him Is Surprising

Simon Petrus Became Famous for Creating a Mobile Phone That Makes Calls Without a SIM Card or Credit, But Nearly a Decade Later, He Still Seeks Support to Innovate.

His Story

The Outcome of the Phone

Chronological Summary

While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

While a traditional school may take several days just to raise walls, in Malawi a 3D-printed school had its structure ready in 18 hours, welcomed children in June, and showed a new solution to the lack of classrooms.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Panasonic surprises housewives with the NA-G5 featuring four drums, a 13 kg washer and dryer, a 12 kg dryer, independent mini washers, a heat pump, and a 4-in-1 system awarded at the German Design Award.

While cities spend fortunes patching potholes and tons of plastic become waste, the Netherlands transforms over 218,000 recycled cups into a modular bike path that can conceal drainage, cables, and pipes.

Empty beer bottle turns into sand, and the sand turns into concrete: an American city has discovered how to recycle glass locally using a solar-powered truck that crushes five tons of bottles per day in a local circular economy project.

To overcome the headwind, the sailboat never follows a straight line and travels in a zigzag route with a minimum angle of 45 degrees in relation to the wind, with the keel under the water acting as a piece that prevents the boat from drifting sideways.

35 years ago, a Soviet took off for the Mir station without knowing that the Soviet Union would collapse during his mission. Rescued with German help, the cosmonaut spent more than a year in space and participated in the assembly of the International Space Station.

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To overcome the headwind, the sailboat never follows a straight line and travels in a zigzag route with a minimum angle of 45 degrees in relation to the wind, with the keel under the water acting as a piece that prevents the boat from drifting sideways.

35 years ago, a Soviet took off for the Mir station without knowing that the Soviet Union would collapse during his mission. Rescued with German help, the cosmonaut spent more than a year in space and participated in the assembly of the International Space Station.

TikTok’s data center in Ceará closes a deal worth R$ 10 billion, but the most strategic detail of this billion-dollar project lies in the energy that will power one of the largest digital operations in Latin America.

Porto do Piauí and Porto de Itajaí sign an agreement to study a coastal shipping route that could connect the Northeast to the South of Brazil with lower logistical costs, an initiative aligned with the federal program BR do Mar to promote coastal navigation.

More than 70% of Australia’s territory is arid or semi-arid, with heat exceeding 45°C, but the country remains a global agricultural powerhouse by exporting more than 71 billion Australian dollars per year thanks to drones, milking robots, desalinated greenhouses, and GPS-equipped harvesters.