What is a Dumb Phone?
The advancement of smartphone technology has enabled us to access information and consumer media on the go. With the rise of social media, many of us can be seen swiping for hours through endless cat memes or Instagram photos. Mental health awareness has been increasing and is heavily linked to social media and online content. Smartphones have started implementing a screen time monitoring function that monitors and informs the user of their consumption. On the other hand, many people have started using a ‘Dumb Phone’ instead.
Dumb Phones are phones that only have basic functions such as calling and texting with some having media player functions. Dumb Phones are sturdy and have long battery life due to the lack of battery-sapping functions especially as they do not connect to the internet.
Reasons to Buy a Dumb Phone
Less Upfront Cost
Every year smartphones come with new features along with a higher price. High-end smartphones such as the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts from £1,199. With the lack of high-end features, Dumb Phones such as the Nokia 880 Tough could cost £100.
More Durable
Smartphones have touchscreens which cover most of the front of the display. Manufacturers such as Apple design their phones to make it difficult for consumers to open up and fix their devices. Dumb Phones are generally small, made with fewer parts and with cheaper materials. Just remember the Nokia 3310.
Staying More Connected
Smartphones have allowed us to consume digital media on the go. Often some of us would go for a walk listening to music, playing video games on buses or just swiping through social media on car journeys. Dumb Phones with their lack of functions will force us to stay connected to the physical world and appreciate living in the moment.
Better Battery Life and Call Quality
Due to the lack of functions, basic phones can have a standby time of over 500 hours before charging. As the main function of a basic phone is to make phone calls, the call quality will be superior to smartphones which engineers would have built for its connectivity features.
Summary
Smartphone prices continue to increase and mental health related to digital media is on the rise. ‘Dumb Phone’ can be a great way to disconnect from the digital world or to decrease our time in the digital landscape without taking out another loan. The durability of basic phones can survive the bumps of a busy lifestyle and are able to outlast smartphones due to the long battery life.