With the constant distractions imposed by smartphones, which can sometimes feel like an additional limb, it might sound tempting to ditch yours and opt for a low-tech flip phone instead. A small yet mighty group of people have actually done it: Thousands gather on internet forums dedicated to “digital minimalism” and “dumb phones.”
Smartphone-free lives don't usually result from a quest for mindfulness, though. They’re more likely a necessity due to limited technical knowledge or constrained budgets: People older than 65, low-income individuals and those with a high school education or less are among the least likely to own a smartphone, according to 2021 data from Pew Research Group.
Still, some have converted primarily for their own wellbeing. Dumb phones allow users to “restore agency” and can “be used to complement life and not to capture our attention,” some advocates claim. And in recent years, companies may have caught on to the uncommon yet fervent desire for simpler mobile gadgets. For instance, Nokia has released a flurry of early-aughts flip phone redesigns, like the redesigned 2720 model that arrived in U.S. stores this May. In 2018, the company announced the “return of the icon” — a ramped-up version of the sliding, banana-like phone from 1996 made famous by The Matrix.
