People don’t want dumb phones. They’re already available and no one buys them.
Some still buy, like me
Yup.
In the 2000s (very young at the time) I sometimes thought about how awesome it would be if we had devices where we could go on the Internet from everywhere.
I do not want the world back where people could only look things up on the Internet from home or work or where there is a desktop computer.
For one soon HMD/Nokia will come out with a new Nokia 3310 as the first dumbphone with 5G
What do you need 5G for on a dumb phone, anyway?
Two words: future proofing. In many places, 2G and 3G networks are either turned off already, or will shutdown in a year or two. Especially with the dumb phone target audience, a phone that will become a brick in a couple of years, is most definitely not something they’re looking for.
Uh, they DO still make dumb phones. And people still buy them.
Yep, 79 year old father in law has a brand new dumb phone with a t-9 keypad, made by TCL. Works perfectly fine.
TCL
not even once
Yeah but this type of story doesn’t generate click bait headline.
Yeah, for around 20-30 euros you can get a cheap Nokia branded phone as far as I’m aware (105 and 106 series for example).
Yep. They even made a new 3310.
proprietary Chinese processor (Unisoc) AND operating system (Mocor), nothx
I wouldn’t mind a dumb phone, but I’d need it to have whatsapp at the very least, otherwise I’ll be “that incommunicable weirdo”
I would miss Google maps too.
I’d love a cool gimmicky phone that flips open or whatever, and has a small screen or a really bad frame rate. Just to discourage me using YouTube and social media.
I just don’t know what I would use to navigate around
This is why I want a Raspberry PI based PDA and a Tablet. Nothing fancy, even if its somewhat thick and not water proof, etc… It should be modular and repairable. Put a flavour of Linux on it and configure it to be secure. Then have a dumb phone which I can use as a modem if I want but otherwise call and text and turn off when I don’t want it.
A Raspberry Pi wouldn’t be great for a phone. The pinephone looked interesting.
If you want to eliminate distractions try installing one of the linux phone distros: Sailfish Mobian,Ubuntu Touch,PostmarketOs,Plasma Mobile.
Or just Lineage OS
I used to recommend AOSP but all the apps have been abandoned
I would love to, but it seems they only work in very specific phones. And even then with questionable functionality. It kinda feels like trying to use Linux as a daily driver twenty years ago.
Guys just pay for a good app-blocking app. You don’t have to get an entirely new phone to do this. They work great.
It’s fun that you need an app to keep all your apps in check.
🤷🏻♂️ true but, I do like having access to social media as addictive as they are designed to be. it keeps me in touch with people, local activism, pop culture
Kind of not the point my friend.
Some people want to disconnect from all the digital distractions and just use their phone as a phone.
They intentionally want to disconnect. I get it, that’s not you. You still want the social media connection, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Other people, mainly, those who want “dumb” phones, don’t.
You can completely block the social media apps from your phone then. Anything that encourages someone with a fully functional phone to go out and buy another one is a waste of resources.
I do like to disconnect, which is why I have the app blockers lol
And planned obsolescence isn’t a waste of resources? We are basically forced to toss away fully working phones after 3-4 years because the batteries can’t be swapped. You have to take it to some shop you’ve never been to, and have them take it apart in a specific way, in order to get a new battery. Usually the cost isn’t worth it and for a little more you can get a brand new device… The sales people always push you that way regardless.
So having the option of a feature phone when the forced upgrade inevitably happens, wouldn’t that be better than forcing people to buy an over powered phone with more capabilities than they want?
I’m not saying someone should take their perfectly working iPhone 12 and toss it in the trash for a feature phone just because.
This argument is invalid.
lmao calm down.
if you’re worried about planned obsolescence… buy a fair phone? or a Samsung with a replaceable battery? (they sell those) … and put an app blocker on it? tons of people hold on to their phone for more than three years. iPhone 6s kinda have a cult following at this point. the problems of screen addiction and planned obsolescence do not require a shiny new dumbphone.
it costs less than $100 to replace the battery on your phone, that is way less than a new phone. it’s way less than a used phone. take care of it, clean out the storage … you’re good.
buy a new phone if you want, if you replace your working phone with this it’s pretty shitty though, and the people I have seen with these phones usually just like … have two phones. the market for only having a dumb phone is extremely small so any company that makes these is going to inevitably end up pushing extraneous devices on people in order to turn a profit. seems like this ticks people’s boxes for “buying a new gadget” as well as “being less online”, it’s a total gimmick. I don’t think you need a whole new phone to do something an app on your existing phone can do.
Definitely wouldn’t want a dumbphone. Rather the opposite, like a super-smartphone, something like Raspberry Pi inside my pocket (PinePhone may be getting there).
This post got me to try installing Jellyfin server in Termux under proot, only to realize it’s fairly useless for random videos and then wipe it 5 minutes later, but anyway that’s the kind of things I do/want to do with my phone.
And hell, I’d definitely want a keyboard attachment like the PinePhone has.The pinephone is very low end
What are the chances we get custom built/open source phones?
Nearly zero
https://learn.adafruit.com/piphone-a-raspberry-pi-based-cellphone/overview
This thing comes to mind. It’s not exactly an attractive phone.
Closes one I can think of is, The Fair Phone https://www.fairphone.com
Repairable, not free
People are probably like 3%
I thought I wanted a dumber phone. Not a flip phone necessarily, but not a pocket supercomputer. I looked at the majority of options out there and concluded that (ignoring the ones that are basically just running Android) they’re all missing a feature or two I really like, like the Light Phone looks great but I listen to audiobooks on Libby all the time. So then I just decided to delete a bunch of stuff from my iPhone, and then I didn’t get around to that so I still just have the same phone. 🤦♀️
Person: has problem
Person: attempts to fix
Person: fails
Person: attempts band-aid fix.
Person realizes they have no motivation, and just lives with the problem.
This is where we’re at America.
Why? Just download a copy of android without gapps
No
Dumbphone maybe not. But a Linux phone that is fully functional and eschews the corporate app eco system? Yes please
I admit I would miss tap to pay tho
Stick your credit card under the phone cover and you have tap to pay.
true. Though I don’t know how you’d lock it behind biometrics.
Above 25 or 30 USD (don’t remember exactly) my bank requires me to enter the pin, that’s just as good.
Oh well, that works then.
Jokes aside, but in Russia, when NFC stopped working on Apple phones, some banks made payment stickers like this.
I thought I would miss pay to tap, but then I realized there’s another device that supports pay to tap. So instead of taking out my phone to pay, I take out my credit card
I don’t want it to be “dumb” but I’m fine if it’s more “basic”
I think less technology would be pleasant.
