Self-labelled neo-Luddites and the tech-stressed are searching for phones with fewer features. Industry experts cite precarious profit margins and a wobbly market around this need.
The problem with dumb phones is that the entire world pushes people towards smartphones. For a lot of adults, it’s really hard to move to a dumb phone.
Have a security system for your house? Need an app.
Router? App.
Bank? App.
Payments? App.
Doctor appointment check in? App.
Texting? WhatsApp.
Fucking menus? App.
Refrigerator? Believe it or not, also App.
My bank is so shitty that sometimes the website doesn’t work, but their mobile app does.
You can’t always opt out of using an app. I tried setting up my new ISP’s router last week and it required an app. No other way to do it.
Currently, I’m thinking something like the Jelly Star might be the best compromise. Has maps and other tools, but the tiny screen prevents them from trapping you.
Some of those apps are optional but advertised as if they aren’t. For instance, I’ve yet to encounter a router that actually needs the app to set it up, but most will tell you to do that rather than trying to give you the “old school” instructions.
Out of all those I only use WhatsApp, Lemmy and an Internet Browser. I guess a real dumb phone is out of the question for me. Though I could do with something smaller (not too small) and cheaper.
The problem with dumb phones is that the entire world pushes people towards smartphones. For a lot of adults, it’s really hard to move to a dumb phone.
Have a security system for your house? Need an app. Router? App. Bank? App. Payments? App. Doctor appointment check in? App. Texting? WhatsApp. Fucking menus? App. Refrigerator? Believe it or not, also App.
My bank is so shitty that sometimes the website doesn’t work, but their mobile app does.
You can’t always opt out of using an app. I tried setting up my new ISP’s router last week and it required an app. No other way to do it.
Currently, I’m thinking something like the Jelly Star might be the best compromise. Has maps and other tools, but the tiny screen prevents them from trapping you.
Some of those apps are optional but advertised as if they aren’t. For instance, I’ve yet to encounter a router that actually needs the app to set it up, but most will tell you to do that rather than trying to give you the “old school” instructions.
Out of all those I only use WhatsApp, Lemmy and an Internet Browser. I guess a real dumb phone is out of the question for me. Though I could do with something smaller (not too small) and cheaper.