That’s what I call my work phone. The “dumb phone”

Find me one with an unlimited hotspot plan, and I’ll switch tomorrow. Literally, that is what my smartphone offers. Not the hotspot, but unlimitted data plan and the means to use it to the fullest on the phone itself?

Close enough that this is my bar to meet, even though I would rather switch to a separate e-Ink tablet, dumb-phone-with-hotspot, and steam-deck-or-similar, for EDC-or-close-to; I would probably carry just the tablet and phone most days, maybe just the phone and deck on others.

I did. I have an s22 flip. Not fully “dumb”, it runs android mobile. But so lacking on resources it is basically a dumb phone, with Spotify and maps. Fits my use case fine and much less distractions and constant gamifiyijng. I Miss NFC payments the most and my banking app won’t even run on it, but it does the job of being a communications device just fine.

Friend of mine blogged about it:
- https://www.greghilston.com/post/switching-to-a-flip-phone/
- https://www.greghilston.com/post/cat-s22-flip-phone-tips/

When I was in grad school, I had a Light Phone II as my primary device. It was more than sufficient for texting and calling, and I could even listen to podcasts. It had a GPS, but it was pretty bad. After graduation I moved to a new area and ended up getting an iPhone. I average around 3-5 hours of screen time per day, but that doesn’t include my computer (8 hours a day at work as a computer engineer) or TV. Eventually I would like to return to my Light Phone, or even upgrade to the new third-generation model.

you may want to croos-post this in the degoogle community.

Flip phones from my understanding typically use a Google based OS as well as plain SMS and calls are not encrypted. If I were you I’d use the Punkt MP02 phone because it’s very basic but uses Signal still for communication encryption. Otherwise I’m happy for you that you went through with it and are enjoying it

I actually use a tablet for map and other things but I only use if for specific things and don’t have it on me all the time. I do have a smartphone because of previous work needs but I don’t use it for personal things.

I didn’t have to switch because I’ve never used a smartphone to begin with. My current dumbphone has a great UI, touchscreen for easy input even though it’s a very small screen, headphone jack, SD card slot, etc. It can act as a hotspot and has maps/voice navigation and current weather + daily forecast. The Tello service plan I have (uses T-Mobile network) is about $9.40/month. That’s with 1 GB data, but you can get unlimited data if for some reason you want that.

There is also a subscription available ($3.50/mo) which gives you live updated maps, voice dictation, and hourly weather+radar but I haven’t needed those things (edit: though I’d like to have the radar). I just use the offline maps (more private anyway–you periodically download the latest map data), and I don’t need the other stuff. (edit: I have a Sunbeam Wireless phone and live in the US).

There are some inconveniences of course, like all the businesses you interact with want you to install their tracking apps, but I wouldn’t put that kind of crap on it even if I did have a smartphone. The main one that causes me issues is the grocery store that has special discounts (“digital coupons”) on some items if you use their app. I already have their damn store card which gives me the sale price on most stuff but now they also have this digital deal crap. I can work around that by going to their website ahead of time and look at what all digital coupons they have that week, and click on the ones I want so they will be on my card, which gives me the discount at checkout without needing their app–but I strongly resent having to do that. If they want to put something on sale, put it on sale for everyone! But no–it’s all about tracking you. Pigs. But I digress. Point is I get by fine without a smartphone, ymmv.

<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/54b94e31-829f-47a8-8f9f-2535c0b61a5f.png">

If you wait long enough every smartphone becomes a dumb phone 😒

i was thinking of using a steamdeck+ gsm router as an everything device

Well. I don’t have a dumb phone but I installed e/os on my fairphone and didn’t install all those tracker apps. I like things like signal and writing with my friends, but I don’t like google shoving me ADS for their crap services down my throat

printing maps? i cannot tell if this post is a caricature or not

For quite some time I used an indestructible, iconic Nokia just for telephony, and a tablet with MiFi router for everything else.

Now I’m using GrapheneOS on the phone and tablet, which is tethered. The tablet is Google-free.

I would have to surrender too much privacy and pay far more per month to use a dumbphone. No E2EE messaging and tracked by cell towers all the time (I use VoIP over wifi). When I’m out the phone is in my pocket 90% of the time. I take it out to check my shopping list or look at the store flyer.

No, because you can no longer send private encrypted messages and everything will have to go over government owned telecom like SMS or cell towers, which are not encrypted.

Less rage baity. Hahaha good one!. Engaged and enraged, that’s the Lemmy way, just like reddit.

I tried the 2017 Nokia 3310 and a Samsung dumbphone but I think that my Google Pixel is waay better than those two.

I bought a ZTE last year as my first “cell phone”. I hardly ever use a phone and when I do use a phone I don’t like it. For what I use it for the monthly fee is way too high. I’d probably spend less than 10 dollars a month if it was like an old timey public “payphone”. I no longer want to do ph’d level research just to discover what to purchase or find the cheapest alternative. The world has become too complicated or maybe I have become too stupid/lazy in my elder years.

No I use to much self hosted services. My phone is mostly an audiobook/podcast playing device. And audiobook shelf is to good to give up.

I think the idea of a dumbphone is precisely for dumb people… or perhaps for addicts with no self-control. If you can’t control your phone use and have to resort to buying another phone, which I’m sure they’ll sell you at an exorbitant price, it’s because there’s something broken in your psyche. Buying another device isn’t going to change your mindset.

I spend way too much on my smart phone. That’s correctable, but I depend on Uber/Lyft. I think I would need to get a cheap android and just have the discipline to put only essential apps like ride share, maps, encrypted messenging and like nothing else. Not even email, Lemmy, bill pay, grocery delivery, etc

I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Back when I started getting more serious about internet privacy I had the idea of switching to a de-Googled phone but when I found out that’d be expensive as hell I had a second idea to get a flip phone and spread out what I use it for across devices. My laptop for services like YouTube and streaming, MP3 player for music, a digital camera for my camera, etc. Also expensive but the individual devices are cheaper so I can more easily slowly chip away at it, first thing I’m getting is an MP3 player because I got my Dad to buy me one for Christmas.

My thing is, a dumb phone has the features I would like to do without on my smart phone. Telephone and SMS ARE THE GODDAMN PROBLEM. If people who were not explicitly whitelisted by me out of band had no method of contacting me, that’d be great.

I used a flip phone and eink device (Sunbeam F1 Pro Maple paired with Boox Palma) for 1.5 years after realizing I was addicted to my smartphone. Last month I switched back to just a smartphone (Pixel 9a w/ graphene OS). I loved using the flip phone, and I attribute that period of my life to big changes in how I see technology in general. However, I realized I didn’t really need that setup anymore, plus I never liked having to carry two devices with me. During that time I found what I need/want in a phone and can comfortably determine what is helpful and unhelpful for my life. Essentially I broke my addiction and these days barely use my phone.

I tried an Alcatel candy bar phone but I don’t recommend it. The parts are cheap. The keypad can feel inconsistent. Eventually the static on the line got so bad that I had to abandon it after about 1 year. Not worth it!

A few weeks ago I pre-ordered the new Jolla phone, which is not a dumbphone by any means. But I am still curious, whether some of the benefits you described still apply, when there are no android or ios apps present.

Thanks for your writeup!

How are you handling random 2-Factor challenges to email? (CGP Grey has a story of the DMVs sending codes to his email while physically at the location.)

How many people have a story of needing email while out in the physical world? (Email adoption is still not 100% in the USA, 92.4% in Nov 2023.)

My daughter switched to a flip phone around the same time. She was mostly inspired my my wife and I, though we went different directions. I am on GrapheneOS with no connected external accounts of social media, while my wife got a Minimal Phone with an e-ink screen which curtailed a lot of social media and doom scrolling and increased ebook reading.

My daughter’s flip phone (Nokia) actually has turn by turn directions, though it is clunky. It can technically play music from an sdcard, but it is also very clunky so she doesn’t bother.