I’m making my first post here on Leminal Space because I hear it’s a better alternative to Reddit. One that’s more privacy-oriented, less rage-baity, and less pro-corporate.
About 9 months ago, I made the switch from a smartphone to a flip phone, and boy did it make my life so much better. I’ve become less dependent on technology, and I’ve become more self-sufficent. Printing maps with MapQuest and MyOSMmatic have been quite a lot of fun. And I also feel smarter because “Googling things” have become much more inconvenient.
Carrying a notebook with me has also allowed me to draw more, and I also feel less distracted. Anyone else switched to a flip phone? If so, what are your ways to manage life without a smart phone?
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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.
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.)
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!
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!
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.
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.
there are some eink ‘smartphones’ that are wifi only, bigme hibreak is one. obviously nothing will beat a pixel with graphene on it tho
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.
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 would NOT reccomend ridesharing apps, and would instead opt for things like your local taxi, walking/biking, or taking public transportation if you’re lucky enough to have it. If you absolutely HAVE to use ridesharing apps, I would use a laptop or something and go to a ridesharing website instead.
As for maps, you will want to get a paper map from your local library or distribution center, or print a paper map from your local government website. Asking for directions can also be fun. If you can’t find a paper map of your area, you can make one instead with MyOSMatic.
If all else fails, you can print directions with MapQuest. Never rely on location tracking or battery life ever again!
Respectfully, I am incapable of driving and need to get to doctors appointments and no longer live in an urban environment where cabs and public transportation is highly accessible.
It is what it is.
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.
Tell that blatant oversimplification to anyone who has ever switched to a dumbphone.
- A: You do NOT have to buy a dumbphone for a high price, or even an average one. There are MULTIPLE options ranging from the hyper-marketed “mental health” phones, the classic and rugged flip phones, or even the previously-popular smartphones like the iPhone 6s that are “dumb” by today’s standards and are SAGNIFICANTLY cheaper than what they used to be. It takes SERIOUS RESEARCH to pick out the ideal dumbphone for you, and if you know where to look and what phone to buy, switching will be cheap, easy, and seamless. Also, rugged flip phones and older smartphones are built to last. Imagine not having to buy a new phone every year. Imagine not dealing with planned obsolecence.
- B: Blame the addicts all you want. But smartphones are literally DESIGNED to be addicting, and society in general is too centralized around the smartphone. Many cities and workplaces REQUIRE you to download a stupid app meant to steal your data and keep you dependent on your phone. It’s possible to get around these restrictions without a smartphone, but that takes serious brainpower (Something you think dumphone users don’t have, but the very existence of dumphone users in today’s smartphone-dependent/anti-dumphone society prove you wrong).
- C: Your comment is speaking from ignorance, and it reeks of it. Wether you can admit it or not, switching to dumbphones doesn’t JUST change your mindset. It LITERALLY changes your life. You are FORCED to think and change your strategy when living your day-to-day life.
Get this, if an addict GETS RID OF THE THING THAT THEY’RE ADDICTED TO in order to stop being addicted, then maybe the sollution is more effective than you think! Who could’ve seen that coming?!
Less rage baity. Hahaha good one!. Engaged and enraged, that’s the Lemmy way, just like reddit.
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.
I wonder if a smartphone with e-ink display would be a good solution.
Good enough for secure messaging & calling apps, usable with their existing touch-UIs, yet devoid of the addictive potential enabled by vibrant colour, smooth-scroll, and video.
Can even still use the camera – just need to wait until you ‘develop’ them by transferring to another device/medium with full colour or a video-capable display.
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.
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 can’t use a Nokia, RIP. The old Nokias are incompatible with 4G VoLTE, and the new Nokias aren’t very good, at least not as good as the old Nokias.
Buy a (refurbished) Pixel, install GrapheneOS without Google Play. Use only libre software.
printing maps? i cannot tell if this post is a caricature or not
What’s wrong with printing maps?
I suppose the only thing wrong with printing maps is that it wastes paper and ink, but at the very least you don’t have to worry about location tracking, and you become less dependent on technology. You don’t have to worry about battery, internet, or “recalculating” whenever you take a wrong turn.
Once I was driving at 100 km/h and Google suddenly told me to turn right in 100 or 200 metres (rural road). I almost soiled myself. True story.
Well, paper is renewable and black ink is mostly carbon. There’s an environmental impact, no doubt, but the data center running Waze is got an impact too
Inconvenient but studies shows that offline navigation is better for our brains
That brings me back to the 1990s.
If you wait long enough every smartphone becomes a dumb phone 😒
