Robin West, 17, is a rarity among his peers: he doesn’t have a smartphone.
Rather scroll For applications such as TikTok or Instagram during the day, this young woman uses the so-called “dumb phone”.
They are basic phones, with a very limited functionality compared to an iPhone, for example. They can usually only make and receive calls and send text messages.
If you’re lucky, they’re good for listening to the radio and taking very basic photos, but they definitely don’t connect to the internet or apps.
These devices are similar to some of the early phones that people bought in the late 1990s.
West’s decision to get rid of his old smartphone two years ago was a spur of the moment.
While looking for a replacement phone at a thrift store, she was attracted by the low price of a “brick phone”.
His current mobile, from the French firm MobiWire, cost him almost US$9. Since it does not have the functionality of a smartphoneyou don’t have to worry about an expensive monthly data bill.
“I didn’t realize how much the smartphone was taking over my life until I bought a brick,” he says.
“Had many applications social media and I didn’t work as much because I was always on the phone.”
The young Londoner does not think she will ever buy another smartphone. “I am happy with my brickI don’t think it limits me. I’m definitely more proactive.”
a new impulse
Dumb phones are experiencing a renaissance. The Google searches on these devices increased 89% between 2018 and 2021, according to a report by the software firm SEMrush.
Although sales figures are hard to come by, one report says that global purchases of “dumb phones” must have reached billion units last year, up from 400 million in 2019.
This compares with global smartphone sales of 1.4 billion last year, after a 12.5% decline in 2020.
Meanwhile, a 2021 study by accounting group Deloitte indicates that 1 out of 10 users of mobile phones in the United Kingdom had one of these devices.
“It seems that fashion, nostalgia and its appearance in TikTok videos have a role to play in the resurgence of dumb phones,” says Ernest Doku, mobile expert at price comparison portal Uswitch.com.
“Many of us had a ‘dumb phone’ as our first cell phone, so it’s only natural that we’d be nostalgic for those classics.”
Doku says it was the 2017 relaunch of the Nokia 3310 phone, first released in 2000 and one of the best-selling phones, that really brought about the renaissance.
“Nokia pushed the 3310 as an affordable alternative in a world full of high-spec phones.”
He adds that while it is true that these phones cannot compete with the latest premium models from Apple and Samsung when it comes to performance or functionality“may outshine them in equally important areas, like battery life and durability.”
Five years ago, psychologist Przemek Olejniczak exchanged his smartphone for a Nokia 3310, initially due to the a higher battery time. However, she soon realized that there were other benefits.
“Before I was always glued to the phone, checking anything, browsing Facebook or the news or other facts that I didn’t need to know,” he says.
“Now I have more time for my family and myself. A great benefit is that I’m not addicted to like, share, comment or describe my life to other people. Now I have more privacy.”
Olejniczak, who lives in the Polish city of Lodz, admits that initially change was a challenge.
“Before, when I was traveling, I checked everything on my smartphone, like buses and restaurants. Now that’s impossible, so I learned how to do all those things beforehand at home. I got used to it,” she explains.
not so dumb
One manufacturer of “dumb phones” is the New York-based company Light Phone. Slightly smarter than the norm for such products, its phones allow users to listen to music and podcasts, and connect via Bluetooth to headphones.
However, the firm promises that its phones “they will never have social networksclickbait, email, an internet browser, or any other endless source of anxiety.”
The company says it registered its best year of financial performance in 2021with sales up 150% compared to 2020, even though its phones are pricey in the “dumb phone” range – prices start at $99.
Light Phone co-founder Kaiwei Tang explains that the device was initially created as a Secondary Phone for people who wanted to take a break from their smartphone for a weekend, say, but now half of the company’s customers use it as their primary device.
“If aliens came to Earth, they would think that mobile phones are the higher species that controls human beings,” he says.
“And this situation will not stop, it will only get worse. Consumers are realizing that something is wrong and we want to offer an alternative.”
Surprisingly, the company’s main customers are between the ages of 25 and 35, Tang adds. He expected them to buyers they were much older.
Professor Sandra Wachter, a technology expert and senior research fellow in artificial intelligence at the University of Oxford, says it’s understandable that some of us are looking simplest mobile phones.
“One can reasonably say that nowadays the capacity of a smartphone to connect calls and send short messages is almost a secondary feature”, he explains.
“Your smartphone is your entertainment center, your news generator, your navigation system, your diary, your dictionary, and your wallet.”
He adds that smartphones always “seek attention” with notifications, updates and breaking news that constantly interrupt your day.
“This can keep you nervous. It can be overwhelming.”
“It makes sense that some of us are looking for simpler technologies and think that ‘dumb phones’ could offer a back to simpler times”, adds Wachter.
“You could free up more time to fully focus on a single task and pursue it with more purpose. It might even calm people down. Studies have shown that too many choices can create unhappiness and turmoil.”
Back in London, Robin West says that many people are puzzled by your choice.
“Everyone thinks it’s just a temporary thing. They say, ‘So when are you going to have a smartphone? Will you buy one this week?’” (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
