8 ms·

Am I an idiot for wanting a dumber phone?

58 points by mikece 4y ago

i_am_proteus 4y ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headlines https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headline...
- mrwnmonm 4y ago
  xD I love that!
ArrayBoundCheck 4y ago
I want a dumber phone. A camera would be nice but I don't need one. All I need it to do is (how do I do a line break? 2 spaces at the end doesn't work) - Make standard mobile phone calls and text (with a touchscreen) - Support calls using SIP/VOIP - Maybe an app or two, specifically signal so I can look at pictures, I don't need video to work - No notifications (besides text when it's not on silent) - If possible a really shitty browser that doesn't support JS but can handle searching google+wikipedia
- frumper 4y ago
  It just feels like your want is just so niche it's unrealistic to produce the exact phone. If you stopped at wants 1 and 2, sure. When you start adding apps and a bad browser it's veering off into strange requirements because for those things to happen you essentially need to pay for a fully featured phone anyway. It sounds like you could use an iPhone and only leave the phone, message(disable iMessage in settings), install whatever app or two you want, going settings and disable notifications, or put it in focus mode, or do not disturb mode, or do all three of those things. Then you can go into settings > safari > advanced and disable javascript.
  - ArrayBoundCheck 4y ago
    Well if I stopped at want 2 the rest are fullfilled. 2 are maybes and one was a no notification if there are apps. There are plenty of devices with a not to spec web browser and back in the day people use to write java apps for phones which only used the java api. I thought that might be what the app situation might be if there are apps but I'm completely fine with text+contacts being the only app Actually I forgot one more requirement. I'd like either a headphone jack (or bluetooth) and music player for when I jog
    - frumper 4y ago
      Great, an iPhone is still a good solution! It has bluetooth and a way to physically plug in headphones.
- syrrim 4y ago
  My strategy has been to use Google's parental controls to disable all apps that I had a tendency to misuse. That being primarily web browsers. I left termux installed and can still browse the web, when necessary, through links2. This is text only and javascript free, as you suggest.
bm3719 4y ago
For those who are looking for something in-between but closer to the dumb phone side, I'd recommend the Kyocera DuraXE (also sold as the DuraXV). I'm quite happy with it. It's got exactly what I'd want: decent camera, the ability to (very slowly) type out a text message if needed, the ability to (clumsily) browse the web, and is super rugged. You can also side-load APKs if you really need some app too (e.g. maps).
- ArrayBoundCheck 4y ago
  Why is it $270?? Pinephone is $150-$200
- uhtred 4y ago
  Does the phone use Android or another operating system? I looked into the Kyocera phones but couldn't really understand this. Presumably it's Android if you can sideload APKs, but then, is it google Android or another version?
  - bm3719 4y ago
    It is Android, but some kind of stripped down and modified version of it. I've tried to find official info on it too, but what's out there is mostly power user speculation. The consensus seems to be that it's stripped down in that it boots faster and makes use of less standard features, but also modified to do things like support the pointer given that the screen is non-touch.
learning2Grow 4y ago
I think people just want phones that are just less addicting. Tech companies have made so much money getting people hooked on their products; digital addiction is real. If anyone wants a de-googled privacy focused phone and has a pixel phone you can make a degoogled phone for free by installing GrapheneOS. If want, to just buy a degoogle phone. I’ve created a company that sells refurbished pixel 5a with GrapheneOS installed https://www.ShellphoneX.com https://www.ShellphoneX.com
- selfhoster11 4y ago
  The best de-Googled phone is, sadly, an iPhone. I came to this conclusion after sticking with Android for over a decade and hating iPhones, but switching to iOS has been one of the better decisions I made in my life.
  - ideashower 4y ago
    While I agree, it isn't any less addicting than a Googled phone, sadly. I'm in agreement with the OP that I need something else, but I'm finding it both hard to get away from the iCloud infrastructure and also just part ways with a smartphone. If I could get a dumb phone that could still run Google/Apple/Any Maps for GPS purposes, I'd be first in line.
    - hammyhavoc 4y ago
      It's as addictive as what apps you run on it. Facebook and Instagram aren't going to be any less addictive just because you get them running on a Linux phone. The smartphone UX is all kinds of poor, I'm immediately repulsed and turned off by it versus a keyboard and mouse. Hamburger menus at the top of a now-very-tall screen? Yeah, fuck that.
  - mikece 4y ago
    You have zero Google apps on your phone? If not then your iPhone is every bit the Google tracking device that an Android phone is.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
FollowingTheDao 4y ago
I am currently homeless and I wish I could switch to a dumb phone. I still do not know what is stopping me. Man this tech has me by the shorts and I hate it. It is always just something that is there, needed me, either for alerts, or charging, or FOMI (That is fear of missing information, You are welcome).
nerdjon 4y ago
So I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I have found that when I got an Apple Watch (the OG) it drastically changed my relationship with my phone. Before if I got an alert I would want to open it, and then that turned into opening other apps and before I knew it I was in a spiral. But with the Apple Watch I get the alerts I want (texts largely) on my watch and everything else is stuck on my phone. The important alerts are front and center, if I need to respond I either can from my watch or I can from another Apple Device (I often get an alert for a text on my watch and then open iMessage on my Mac for example). So my phone now is much more... I purposefully open it when I need it instead of I need to respond to something and it turns into a spiral. I know it isn't quite the same as being disconnected. But it is weird how much having those alerts on my wrist has drastically changed how I view my phone.
- onemoresoop 4y ago
  But you're still getting interruptions, or micro-interruptions if you want to call it like that and that takes a tool on focus and deep work. I have a smartphone but will keep it on silent and out of view to deal with interruptions: for me everything can wait.
  - nerdjon 4y ago
    True to a point, but I would still like to be able to get alerts from my partner. Those are alerts that you would still get even with a dumber phone. I do also realize that you can kinda replicate this with focus mode. But my point is more, my watch has turned into the alerts I care about while everything else is stuck on my phone if I so choose to interact with it.
    - onemoresoop 4y ago
      Yeah, sadly dumb phones aren't the solution either. With call spamming smart phones could potentially be more useful, dumb phones have no screening call capability for spam and becomes a hassle to use them. I feel for old people with dumb phones receiving dozens of unsolicited calls. The best solution is self restraint from distractions.
pokler 4y ago
What is stopping someone from creating this experience on a modern phone?
onion2k 4y ago
Yes. Or, more accurately, you're an idiot if you blame your phone for feeling distracted all the time. It's not your phone's fault. It's your brain's fault. Without taking conscious action to stop thinking about the distractions you'll just move from one distraction to another when you choose a dumber phone. Getting a phone that can't run apps isn't going to magically make you pick up your side project. You'll watch more TV, or play more video games, or just play Snake on the dumb phone, or post more on HN or something. Being distracted by your phone is a symptom of a problem, not a cause.
- Cthulhu_ 4y ago
  I mean, everyone installing some kind of time management software is trying to offload their problems to an app, instead of dealing with their own issues of e.g. distractability or seeking low energy distractions. I think low energy distractions are fine, within reason though. As long as they don't start to affect other things, like sleep; if they do, you need to do some self-reflection and leave it alone.
- falcolas 4y ago
  I might agree with this if applications and devices were not created by people who have degrees and jobs explicitly aimed at getting and holding your attention. If there were not people who, because of mental disorders (or just being young) become addicted more easily than average. It's a war for your attention, and your phone is their primary gateway to your attention. Don't blame the victim when there's a multi-billion dollar market that hinges on victimizing people by getting - and keeping - their attention.
  - throw10920 4y ago
    I spend far more time scrolling HN than I do on social media or on my phone. I have an HN problem, and no social media problem. Yet, HN has zero "engagement engineering" put into it. And why is this? Because chose to start browsing HN, and I chose to not spend time on social media. My addiction is a product of my own choices, and nobody else's. If you can show me that the majority of people addicted to social media and/or their phones were forced to use them, then that's involuntary. Otherwise, by definition, they voluntarily decided to use whatever social media app they're captured by.
cehrlich 4y ago
If it wasn't for 1. maps/transit directions (Google Maps is the only service that is useful for this where I live) 2. video calls with family, I would probably be OK with an early 2000s Nokia. But I want both of those things, so I keep reluctantly using an iPhone.
patchorang 4y ago
It seems that a lot of people want a "dumber phone" but also don't want to give up thing like Maps/Spotify/Quality Camera/2FA app/etc. I am one of those people have found a solution that has worked well for myself. (iOS only) I use Screentime and give the password to my partner. I have blocked downloading new apps and websites I waste time on. This lets me have access to useful apps and I can look things up on the internet (but not browse reddit). If can always temporarily get the password from my partner if I need a new app or am traveling. I highly recommend trying it out if you want a dumber-phone but don't want a dumb phone.
pluc 4y ago
I went down this road in the last few months because spending 800$ on a fucking phone drives me insane. There is not a good dumb phone. I bought a few and they all had network connectivity or clarity issues. We're being slowly forced into using smartphones made by two data-hungry American corporations and I for one do not like it one bit.
- oldsecondhand 4y ago
  I bought Nokia dumphones and they didn't have connectivity issues, but I live in the EU. The bigger problem is that a lot of services assume that any phone is a smartphone, and can display images and has a browser.
jaltekruse 4y ago
I tried getting an app called BlockSite to work for the last 2 years, but it must have relied on a very unstable API for tracking webpage visits and displaying the overlay to block them, because it was always breaking. I feel pretty dumb for not thinking of this sooner, but chrome allows blocking JavaScript on specific domains. I literally just yesterday finally did this for YouTube, and I'm excited I finally found something that works. The channels will all still be there later if I want to watch some of the content, but now I can't just casually start it up all the time. Also if this sounds useful to you but you sometimes need YouTube, this doesn't block it in the little temporary browser that opens when you click on a link from Facebook messenger. So it's a roundabout way to still access in a pinch when you want to watch a video.
chasebank 4y ago
Why not have a friend / spouse / whoever put parental controls, lock all applications / websites you don't want access to?
browningstreet 4y ago
My recommendation every time this topic comes up: * Restore your phone to factory fresh, install only the minimum apps you need. Way easier than culling from the herd, app-wise.
timdellinger 4y ago
Back in the 90s, I would occasionally get a phone call on my land line from the phone company, trying to upsell me on things like call waiting that they could charge me more for. My reply was that I only want two things: the ability to make calls, and the ability to receive calls. And that on most days I wasn't so sure about the second thing, come to think of it.
jimiray 4y ago
For me, iOS 16 focus modes and a cellular Apple Watch is working for this. I've been able to pretty much just stop carrying my phone when I need to be connected but don't want the distractions. I have tried the Palm Phone in the past to reduce my use of smartphones and really liked it but did not like the lack of integration to iCloud and that you couldn't de-Googleify it.
eternityforest 4y ago
My phone is pretty much my primary connection to all of manmade material culture, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. Physical objects take up space, and time, in the form of the effort needed to keep track of them. They also cost money. A phone is one of the most powerful devices ever made to replace physical items. Plus, it's amazing to be able to go anywhere and never worry about getting lost(Or was, back when I lived somewhere with busses and actually could go to more than a small number of places). It also has a huge equalizing effect. I can remember stuff just as well as anyone! I can leave a pot of water on the stove, do something in another room for a few minutes, and come back! I can count 100 objects and not lose track! The addiction is a very real problem, but a fairly lower middle class life with modern tech is still more of a luxury than a millionaire would have had 50 years ago. I'm not exactly sure what to do about it, but getting rid of Android isn't really on my list of ideas, although if someone's life is so awesome that they're willing to give up phones to not miss a minute, and they've got enough capability that they don't just spend all their time getting lost and forgetting things, I can respect that.
macinjosh 4y ago
I don't want a dumber phone, I want a phone I can _fully_ control. Once we have that we can use software to make the phone be what we want, when we want.
FredPret 4y ago
I wanted a dumber phone and a less addictive digital experience, without giving up any of the neat features or becoming a disconnected weirdo. So I bought an Apple Watch and I now leave my phone in a different room. I get all notifications and can respond to urgent ones or be summoned to the phone if needed. But I'm no longer doomscrolling.
anegri 4y ago
The long-term solution to the never ending distractions is going to be more tech, not less. We are seeing the start of it with Apple building out the focus modes on iOS, but there's lots of ground to cover. Imagine that all the productivity apps, i.e. slack and email, leverage AI to help prioritize and schedule what you need to respond to. For example, you could imagine your inbox giving you one notification after two hours with a prioritized list of emails to respond to. At the end of the week, if you haven't responded or read emails that fit a certain pattern, it will suggest filtering these emails to another folder. This is a little more complex with social media, where the goal is to drive engagement time as much as possible. Not really sure what would fix this, other than users manually setting up their own screen time limits. Legislation might be able to accomplish something, but that feels very heavy handed and would likely have poor execution considering how out of touch politicians are. Perhaps Apple could build in some OS features that would identify social media addiction and gently nudge users to take breaks. The dumb phone idea is interesting and highlights how much of a current issue this is, but doesn't feel like a realistic solution for the broader public
- enumjorge 4y ago
  This feels like a very tech-industry answer. The solution to too much tech in our lives is more tech? AI? The latter especially I don’t buy. In my experience, apps and services that try to learn your usage patterns rarely do a good job of it. I know there’s really great uses of AI out there, but this idea that we can just sprinkle some AI dust over problems and they’ll be solved, feels like such a tired pitch by now. Often AI turns services into grey boxes that become very frustrating to use when their predictions are wrong. I don’t need to cede even more control of my life to algorithms that are opaque to me and are often trying to monetize me in ways I never consented to. As far as more tech being more realistic than people opting for dumb phones en masse, you’re probably right, but AI being an actual good solution to tech addiction I disagree.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
paulrouget 4y ago
I use Jelly 2 phone (3 inch display: https://imgur.com/a/WXG6YXg https://imgur.com/a/WXG6YXg) and OLauncher (no icon, just text). Only Spotify, Map, Mail, Calendar and Telegram. Any other app is unusable as the screen is way too small. It's so annoying to use that I really use it when I have to.
Chiron1991 4y ago
Personally I don't want a dumber phone. Smart phones have net-increased my quality of life, although that may be because I have always stood away from mainstream social media. However I want companies to loose their "we need to funnel our entire product through an app" attitude. I was recently looking for some Nanoleaf-style lighting elements for some indirect light at my workstation. I failed to find any that doesn't require an app to control basic things like brightness etc. It's just a fancy adjustable lightbulb. Just put a physical on/off switch and a dial for brightness on the panel.
permo-w 4y ago
maybe I'm just very different from the target audience, but this article seems to run through a load of viewpoints that just don't make any sense. why on earth would you feel stupid for making the conscious decision to switch to a less distracting phone? who has this fear of phone dumbness that the article is talking about? it seems like an issue invented (by the author) through the semantics of the words dumb and smart. yes, some people may have social fomo, but that's not the fear of being some kind of luddite I also completely disagree that it's a cop-out for a dumb phone to have genuinely useful features like maps, music and taxis - things you might have anyway in physical form
squarefoot 4y ago
Solved the problem with a Nokia 8110 4G, which works great as Internet tether for my thinkpad too (now writing using them in fact). Browsing is near impossible as is using every other internet service, just calls and receiving SMSs from the bank from time to time, which is exactly what I need. They're slowly pushing the use of apps for authentication, but I still keep the (paid) option to stay with SMSs. The phone works great although the UI is a bit sluggish; battery life is not great but enough for use with tethering and calls (no problems whatsoever doing both at the same time). Camera is sub par just like every dumb phone out there; I use it only to make photos of products I need to remember, I never expected I could use it to shoot beautiful sunsets. Price may change significantly, I was lucky enough to purchase it new at €49 delivered, but I've seen its price dancing up to over 200€, which is ridiculous. If you can find it at a reasonable price, it's a nice little device that does the 3 things a dumb phone should do today.
microflash 4y ago
I used to feel similar but no more. I keep only the minimal must-to-have apps on my default profile and rest on a Work profile. Work profile remains switched off most of the time until and unless I need to use the apps on the Work profile. Eventually, this cut down the number of apps on my phone. Sandbox your addictions and trim them down at your pace. That's how it worked for me.
taylodl 4y ago
Perhaps a dumber phone isn't the best answer. Here are some other things to try to help with your smartphone addiction. First - delete all your addictive social media apps from your phone. If there are some you can use without issue then you can keep those. I have LinkedIn installed on my phone, for example. Second - use a strong password generator for all your social media sites you do use. Only keep those passwords on your laptop/workstation, not your phone. This prevents you from being able to use your phone's web browser to go to the social media sites. I use FB to keep in touch with family and friends, but I have no idea what my password is and I certainly couldn't login from my phone. I visit FB in the morning while having my first coffee using my laptop and so it's easy to time box. Third - why the notifications? Your phone shouldn't be bleeping and blooping and squawking all day long. That's distracting. I disable almost all audio notifications, enable some banner notifications, and enable most badges. If I notice any of those notification methods causing me any kind of anxiety or distraction then I disable it. This works wonders for your computer too - your notifications should be for things that are actually important and require your attention, not a post where your buddy is sharing pictures of what he's having for lunch. If you've removed your ability to engage with social media on your phone then what can you do? For starters, you have a great point-and-shoot digital camera/video recorder in your pocket. You also have a GPS receiver. You have a radio (Spotify) or a music player (your music app). All in once device. You also have your ID and a means to pay - so technically you no longer need a waller. In my town you're going to need your phone in order to pay for parking. Sorry, there's an app for that and that's what you have to use to pay. Many bars and restaurants these days no longer provide menus and simply give you a QR code that takes you to the menu. Public Transportation is increasingly reliant on phones - again I don't need a wallet to carry my metro card. By the time you have a phone capable of doing all these things you're firmly back into the smartphone territory. Finally, do you have hobbies? Are there apps that support your hobby? I'm a musician. I have Garage Band on my iPhone. I can be enjoying a walk and have an inspiration and quickly capture an idea that I can work on later. I could go on and on - there's actually many music apps I use - and I don't have to drag my laptop to my buddy's house whenever we want to jam together. Your best strategy isn't to get a dumber phone, but to get smarter in how you use your smartphone. Make your smartphone work for you, don't become a slave to it!
latchkey 4y ago
This is the second tech adverse article [1] I've come across recently from Wired. The first was someone who doesn't use a password manager. I'm starting to see a pattern here. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32176748 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32176748
- falcolas 4y ago
  The exceptions to the norm are interesting to read about and discuss. Not wanting a smartphone is the exception to the rule in today's world.
falcolas 4y ago
The best thing I ever did is have a secondary device - a tablet - that has all notifications turned off. I get the benefits of a smart device, without the attention-grabbing detriments. Sure, my phone still rings and beeps at me (occasionally), but there's enough of a barrier in the act of moving devices which keeps me from swapping instinctively, that lets me keep my attention on the media (usually books) I'm consuming.
pipeline_peak 4y ago
Unfortunately, there are many cases nowadays where you actually need a smartphone. It’s less about the phone and more about the apps on it. You really don’t need Instagram or any of this crap but I’m sure you already know that. You can have a phone and just use rss for news.
res0nat0r 4y ago
I'd just like a nice Android OS based phone with a BlackBerry style real keyboard. Please.
elric 4y ago
I'd like a dumb(ish) digital wallet. One that I can use to replace my 5 NFC-enabled payment cards, which has a small screen which lets me select which payment method I want to use (CC vs Debit, company vs private, etc), and which shows me the amount that's being requested, instead of having to rely on the terminal's goodwill. Might be nice if it could also include a digital version of the other foo that's in my physical wallet: bus pass, gym membership card, ID, office access card. Like an actual wallet. Some of these things are already possible with smartphones. But smartphones are insecure garbage filled with ad-tech and bloatware and rarely receive security patches for more than a year or so.
jcrash 4y ago
Switched to a 30$ ebay flip phone earlier this month. It's been great so far
_int3_ 4y ago
> I WASTE WAY too much time on my phone and am attracted by the idea of simplifying my digital life. So I found several apps and tutorials designed to make my smartphone ‘dumb,’ but I’ve hesitated to take the plunge. Am I just trying to escape modern life? No app will make your smartphone dumb. What makes your smartphone smart is connectivity via WIFI, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE, 5g that can operate to some extent interactively and autonomously. Buy dumbphone with no WIFI, Bluetooth, NFC, Only SMS and VOICE and put your SIM card in it. Use it for SMS and VOICE. You can still have smartphone but now it doesn't have SIM, so no LTE or 5G, and turn off WIFI, NFC, Bluetooth, and put it in airplane mode forever. This will dumb it down. Take your dumbed down smartphone with you only if you need camera and GPS. Like hiking etc..
fortran77 4y ago
Unfortunately, a "smart phone" is very useful when traveling. Buying tickets to events, checking on travel, directions, translation, etc. I think the key is to have two phones -- a "dumb phone" for during the day at office and evenings at home so you won't be distracted, and a "smart phone" for travel
pkphilip 4y ago
Nope, been wanting a dumb phone myself but unable to let go of my current phone because of Whatsapp which is tied to my business
- mrwnmonm 4y ago
  Exactly, I figured out if I bought a dumb phone, I basically would be forcing myself to have two phones.

58 points by mikece 4y ago

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headlines https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headline...

mrwnmonm 4y ago
xD I love that!

ArrayBoundCheck 4y ago

I want a dumber phone. A camera would be nice but I don't need one. All I need it to do is (how do I do a line break? 2 spaces at the end doesn't work) - Make standard mobile phone calls and text (with a touchscreen) - Support calls using SIP/VOIP - Maybe an app or two, specifically signal so I can look at pictures, I don't need video to work - No notifications (besides text when it's not on silent) - If possible a really shitty browser that doesn't support JS but can handle searching google+wikipedia

frumper 4y ago
It just feels like your want is just so niche it's unrealistic to produce the exact phone. If you stopped at wants 1 and 2, sure. When you start adding apps and a bad browser it's veering off into strange requirements because for those things to happen you essentially need to pay for a fully featured phone anyway. It sounds like you could use an iPhone and only leave the phone, message(disable iMessage in settings), install whatever app or two you want, going settings and disable notifications, or put it in focus mode, or do not disturb mode, or do all three of those things. Then you can go into settings > safari > advanced and disable javascript.
- ArrayBoundCheck 4y ago
  Well if I stopped at want 2 the rest are fullfilled. 2 are maybes and one was a no notification if there are apps. There are plenty of devices with a not to spec web browser and back in the day people use to write java apps for phones which only used the java api. I thought that might be what the app situation might be if there are apps but I'm completely fine with text+contacts being the only app Actually I forgot one more requirement. I'd like either a headphone jack (or bluetooth) and music player for when I jog
  - frumper 4y ago
    Great, an iPhone is still a good solution! It has bluetooth and a way to physically plug in headphones.
syrrim 4y ago
My strategy has been to use Google's parental controls to disable all apps that I had a tendency to misuse. That being primarily web browsers. I left termux installed and can still browse the web, when necessary, through links2. This is text only and javascript free, as you suggest.

bm3719 4y ago

For those who are looking for something in-between but closer to the dumb phone side, I'd recommend the Kyocera DuraXE (also sold as the DuraXV). I'm quite happy with it. It's got exactly what I'd want: decent camera, the ability to (very slowly) type out a text message if needed, the ability to (clumsily) browse the web, and is super rugged. You can also side-load APKs if you really need some app too (e.g. maps).

ArrayBoundCheck 4y ago
Why is it $270?? Pinephone is $150-$200
uhtred 4y ago
Does the phone use Android or another operating system? I looked into the Kyocera phones but couldn't really understand this. Presumably it's Android if you can sideload APKs, but then, is it google Android or another version?
- bm3719 4y ago
  It is Android, but some kind of stripped down and modified version of it. I've tried to find official info on it too, but what's out there is mostly power user speculation. The consensus seems to be that it's stripped down in that it boots faster and makes use of less standard features, but also modified to do things like support the pointer given that the screen is non-touch.

learning2Grow 4y ago

I think people just want phones that are just less addicting. Tech companies have made so much money getting people hooked on their products; digital addiction is real. If anyone wants a de-googled privacy focused phone and has a pixel phone you can make a degoogled phone for free by installing GrapheneOS. If want, to just buy a degoogle phone. I’ve created a company that sells refurbished pixel 5a with GrapheneOS installed https://www.ShellphoneX.com https://www.ShellphoneX.com

selfhoster11 4y ago
The best de-Googled phone is, sadly, an iPhone. I came to this conclusion after sticking with Android for over a decade and hating iPhones, but switching to iOS has been one of the better decisions I made in my life.
- ideashower 4y ago
  While I agree, it isn't any less addicting than a Googled phone, sadly. I'm in agreement with the OP that I need something else, but I'm finding it both hard to get away from the iCloud infrastructure and also just part ways with a smartphone. If I could get a dumb phone that could still run Google/Apple/Any Maps for GPS purposes, I'd be first in line.
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    It's as addictive as what apps you run on it. Facebook and Instagram aren't going to be any less addictive just because you get them running on a Linux phone. The smartphone UX is all kinds of poor, I'm immediately repulsed and turned off by it versus a keyboard and mouse. Hamburger menus at the top of a now-very-tall screen? Yeah, fuck that.
- mikece 4y ago
  You have zero Google apps on your phone? If not then your iPhone is every bit the Google tracking device that an Android phone is.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

FollowingTheDao 4y ago

I am currently homeless and I wish I could switch to a dumb phone. I still do not know what is stopping me. Man this tech has me by the shorts and I hate it. It is always just something that is there, needed me, either for alerts, or charging, or FOMI (That is fear of missing information, You are welcome).

nerdjon 4y ago

So I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I have found that when I got an Apple Watch (the OG) it drastically changed my relationship with my phone. Before if I got an alert I would want to open it, and then that turned into opening other apps and before I knew it I was in a spiral. But with the Apple Watch I get the alerts I want (texts largely) on my watch and everything else is stuck on my phone. The important alerts are front and center, if I need to respond I either can from my watch or I can from another Apple Device (I often get an alert for a text on my watch and then open iMessage on my Mac for example). So my phone now is much more... I purposefully open it when I need it instead of I need to respond to something and it turns into a spiral. I know it isn't quite the same as being disconnected. But it is weird how much having those alerts on my wrist has drastically changed how I view my phone.

onemoresoop 4y ago
But you're still getting interruptions, or micro-interruptions if you want to call it like that and that takes a tool on focus and deep work. I have a smartphone but will keep it on silent and out of view to deal with interruptions: for me everything can wait.
- nerdjon 4y ago
  True to a point, but I would still like to be able to get alerts from my partner. Those are alerts that you would still get even with a dumber phone. I do also realize that you can kinda replicate this with focus mode. But my point is more, my watch has turned into the alerts I care about while everything else is stuck on my phone if I so choose to interact with it.
  - onemoresoop 4y ago
    Yeah, sadly dumb phones aren't the solution either. With call spamming smart phones could potentially be more useful, dumb phones have no screening call capability for spam and becomes a hassle to use them. I feel for old people with dumb phones receiving dozens of unsolicited calls. The best solution is self restraint from distractions.

pokler 4y ago

What is stopping someone from creating this experience on a modern phone?

onion2k 4y ago

Yes. Or, more accurately, you're an idiot if you blame your phone for feeling distracted all the time. It's not your phone's fault. It's your brain's fault. Without taking conscious action to stop thinking about the distractions you'll just move from one distraction to another when you choose a dumber phone. Getting a phone that can't run apps isn't going to magically make you pick up your side project. You'll watch more TV, or play more video games, or just play Snake on the dumb phone, or post more on HN or something. Being distracted by your phone is a symptom of a problem, not a cause.

Cthulhu_ 4y ago
I mean, everyone installing some kind of time management software is trying to offload their problems to an app, instead of dealing with their own issues of e.g. distractability or seeking low energy distractions. I think low energy distractions are fine, within reason though. As long as they don't start to affect other things, like sleep; if they do, you need to do some self-reflection and leave it alone.
falcolas 4y ago
I might agree with this if applications and devices were not created by people who have degrees and jobs explicitly aimed at getting and holding your attention. If there were not people who, because of mental disorders (or just being young) become addicted more easily than average. It's a war for your attention, and your phone is their primary gateway to your attention. Don't blame the victim when there's a multi-billion dollar market that hinges on victimizing people by getting - and keeping - their attention.
- throw10920 4y ago
  I spend far more time scrolling HN than I do on social media or on my phone. I have an HN problem, and no social media problem. Yet, HN has zero "engagement engineering" put into it. And why is this? Because chose to start browsing HN, and I chose to not spend time on social media. My addiction is a product of my own choices, and nobody else's. If you can show me that the majority of people addicted to social media and/or their phones were forced to use them, then that's involuntary. Otherwise, by definition, they voluntarily decided to use whatever social media app they're captured by.

cehrlich 4y ago

If it wasn't for 1. maps/transit directions (Google Maps is the only service that is useful for this where I live) 2. video calls with family, I would probably be OK with an early 2000s Nokia. But I want both of those things, so I keep reluctantly using an iPhone.

patchorang 4y ago

It seems that a lot of people want a "dumber phone" but also don't want to give up thing like Maps/Spotify/Quality Camera/2FA app/etc. I am one of those people have found a solution that has worked well for myself. (iOS only) I use Screentime and give the password to my partner. I have blocked downloading new apps and websites I waste time on. This lets me have access to useful apps and I can look things up on the internet (but not browse reddit). If can always temporarily get the password from my partner if I need a new app or am traveling. I highly recommend trying it out if you want a dumber-phone but don't want a dumb phone.

pluc 4y ago

I went down this road in the last few months because spending 800$ on a fucking phone drives me insane. There is not a good dumb phone. I bought a few and they all had network connectivity or clarity issues. We're being slowly forced into using smartphones made by two data-hungry American corporations and I for one do not like it one bit.

oldsecondhand 4y ago
I bought Nokia dumphones and they didn't have connectivity issues, but I live in the EU. The bigger problem is that a lot of services assume that any phone is a smartphone, and can display images and has a browser.

jaltekruse 4y ago

I tried getting an app called BlockSite to work for the last 2 years, but it must have relied on a very unstable API for tracking webpage visits and displaying the overlay to block them, because it was always breaking. I feel pretty dumb for not thinking of this sooner, but chrome allows blocking JavaScript on specific domains. I literally just yesterday finally did this for YouTube, and I'm excited I finally found something that works. The channels will all still be there later if I want to watch some of the content, but now I can't just casually start it up all the time. Also if this sounds useful to you but you sometimes need YouTube, this doesn't block it in the little temporary browser that opens when you click on a link from Facebook messenger. So it's a roundabout way to still access in a pinch when you want to watch a video.

chasebank 4y ago

Why not have a friend / spouse / whoever put parental controls, lock all applications / websites you don't want access to?

browningstreet 4y ago

My recommendation every time this topic comes up: * Restore your phone to factory fresh, install only the minimum apps you need. Way easier than culling from the herd, app-wise.

timdellinger 4y ago

Back in the 90s, I would occasionally get a phone call on my land line from the phone company, trying to upsell me on things like call waiting that they could charge me more for. My reply was that I only want two things: the ability to make calls, and the ability to receive calls. And that on most days I wasn't so sure about the second thing, come to think of it.

jimiray 4y ago

For me, iOS 16 focus modes and a cellular Apple Watch is working for this. I've been able to pretty much just stop carrying my phone when I need to be connected but don't want the distractions. I have tried the Palm Phone in the past to reduce my use of smartphones and really liked it but did not like the lack of integration to iCloud and that you couldn't de-Googleify it.

eternityforest 4y ago

My phone is pretty much my primary connection to all of manmade material culture, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. Physical objects take up space, and time, in the form of the effort needed to keep track of them. They also cost money. A phone is one of the most powerful devices ever made to replace physical items. Plus, it's amazing to be able to go anywhere and never worry about getting lost(Or was, back when I lived somewhere with busses and actually could go to more than a small number of places). It also has a huge equalizing effect. I can remember stuff just as well as anyone! I can leave a pot of water on the stove, do something in another room for a few minutes, and come back! I can count 100 objects and not lose track! The addiction is a very real problem, but a fairly lower middle class life with modern tech is still more of a luxury than a millionaire would have had 50 years ago. I'm not exactly sure what to do about it, but getting rid of Android isn't really on my list of ideas, although if someone's life is so awesome that they're willing to give up phones to not miss a minute, and they've got enough capability that they don't just spend all their time getting lost and forgetting things, I can respect that.

macinjosh 4y ago

I don't want a dumber phone, I want a phone I can _fully_ control. Once we have that we can use software to make the phone be what we want, when we want.

FredPret 4y ago

I wanted a dumber phone and a less addictive digital experience, without giving up any of the neat features or becoming a disconnected weirdo. So I bought an Apple Watch and I now leave my phone in a different room. I get all notifications and can respond to urgent ones or be summoned to the phone if needed. But I'm no longer doomscrolling.

anegri 4y ago

The long-term solution to the never ending distractions is going to be more tech, not less. We are seeing the start of it with Apple building out the focus modes on iOS, but there's lots of ground to cover. Imagine that all the productivity apps, i.e. slack and email, leverage AI to help prioritize and schedule what you need to respond to. For example, you could imagine your inbox giving you one notification after two hours with a prioritized list of emails to respond to. At the end of the week, if you haven't responded or read emails that fit a certain pattern, it will suggest filtering these emails to another folder. This is a little more complex with social media, where the goal is to drive engagement time as much as possible. Not really sure what would fix this, other than users manually setting up their own screen time limits. Legislation might be able to accomplish something, but that feels very heavy handed and would likely have poor execution considering how out of touch politicians are. Perhaps Apple could build in some OS features that would identify social media addiction and gently nudge users to take breaks. The dumb phone idea is interesting and highlights how much of a current issue this is, but doesn't feel like a realistic solution for the broader public

enumjorge 4y ago
This feels like a very tech-industry answer. The solution to too much tech in our lives is more tech? AI? The latter especially I don’t buy. In my experience, apps and services that try to learn your usage patterns rarely do a good job of it. I know there’s really great uses of AI out there, but this idea that we can just sprinkle some AI dust over problems and they’ll be solved, feels like such a tired pitch by now. Often AI turns services into grey boxes that become very frustrating to use when their predictions are wrong. I don’t need to cede even more control of my life to algorithms that are opaque to me and are often trying to monetize me in ways I never consented to. As far as more tech being more realistic than people opting for dumb phones en masse, you’re probably right, but AI being an actual good solution to tech addiction I disagree.
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paulrouget 4y ago

I use Jelly 2 phone (3 inch display: https://imgur.com/a/WXG6YXg https://imgur.com/a/WXG6YXg) and OLauncher (no icon, just text). Only Spotify, Map, Mail, Calendar and Telegram. Any other app is unusable as the screen is way too small. It's so annoying to use that I really use it when I have to.

Chiron1991 4y ago

Personally I don't want a dumber phone. Smart phones have net-increased my quality of life, although that may be because I have always stood away from mainstream social media. However I want companies to loose their "we need to funnel our entire product through an app" attitude. I was recently looking for some Nanoleaf-style lighting elements for some indirect light at my workstation. I failed to find any that doesn't require an app to control basic things like brightness etc. It's just a fancy adjustable lightbulb. Just put a physical on/off switch and a dial for brightness on the panel.

permo-w 4y ago

maybe I'm just very different from the target audience, but this article seems to run through a load of viewpoints that just don't make any sense. why on earth would you feel stupid for making the conscious decision to switch to a less distracting phone? who has this fear of phone dumbness that the article is talking about? it seems like an issue invented (by the author) through the semantics of the words dumb and smart. yes, some people may have social fomo, but that's not the fear of being some kind of luddite I also completely disagree that it's a cop-out for a dumb phone to have genuinely useful features like maps, music and taxis - things you might have anyway in physical form

squarefoot 4y ago

Solved the problem with a Nokia 8110 4G, which works great as Internet tether for my thinkpad too (now writing using them in fact). Browsing is near impossible as is using every other internet service, just calls and receiving SMSs from the bank from time to time, which is exactly what I need. They're slowly pushing the use of apps for authentication, but I still keep the (paid) option to stay with SMSs. The phone works great although the UI is a bit sluggish; battery life is not great but enough for use with tethering and calls (no problems whatsoever doing both at the same time). Camera is sub par just like every dumb phone out there; I use it only to make photos of products I need to remember, I never expected I could use it to shoot beautiful sunsets. Price may change significantly, I was lucky enough to purchase it new at €49 delivered, but I've seen its price dancing up to over 200€, which is ridiculous. If you can find it at a reasonable price, it's a nice little device that does the 3 things a dumb phone should do today.

microflash 4y ago

I used to feel similar but no more. I keep only the minimal must-to-have apps on my default profile and rest on a Work profile. Work profile remains switched off most of the time until and unless I need to use the apps on the Work profile. Eventually, this cut down the number of apps on my phone. Sandbox your addictions and trim them down at your pace. That's how it worked for me.

taylodl 4y ago

Perhaps a dumber phone isn't the best answer. Here are some other things to try to help with your smartphone addiction. First - delete all your addictive social media apps from your phone. If there are some you can use without issue then you can keep those. I have LinkedIn installed on my phone, for example. Second - use a strong password generator for all your social media sites you do use. Only keep those passwords on your laptop/workstation, not your phone. This prevents you from being able to use your phone's web browser to go to the social media sites. I use FB to keep in touch with family and friends, but I have no idea what my password is and I certainly couldn't login from my phone. I visit FB in the morning while having my first coffee using my laptop and so it's easy to time box. Third - why the notifications? Your phone shouldn't be bleeping and blooping and squawking all day long. That's distracting. I disable almost all audio notifications, enable some banner notifications, and enable most badges. If I notice any of those notification methods causing me any kind of anxiety or distraction then I disable it. This works wonders for your computer too - your notifications should be for things that are actually important and require your attention, not a post where your buddy is sharing pictures of what he's having for lunch. If you've removed your ability to engage with social media on your phone then what can you do? For starters, you have a great point-and-shoot digital camera/video recorder in your pocket. You also have a GPS receiver. You have a radio (Spotify) or a music player (your music app). All in once device. You also have your ID and a means to pay - so technically you no longer need a waller. In my town you're going to need your phone in order to pay for parking. Sorry, there's an app for that and that's what you have to use to pay. Many bars and restaurants these days no longer provide menus and simply give you a QR code that takes you to the menu. Public Transportation is increasingly reliant on phones - again I don't need a wallet to carry my metro card. By the time you have a phone capable of doing all these things you're firmly back into the smartphone territory. Finally, do you have hobbies? Are there apps that support your hobby? I'm a musician. I have Garage Band on my iPhone. I can be enjoying a walk and have an inspiration and quickly capture an idea that I can work on later. I could go on and on - there's actually many music apps I use - and I don't have to drag my laptop to my buddy's house whenever we want to jam together. Your best strategy isn't to get a dumber phone, but to get smarter in how you use your smartphone. Make your smartphone work for you, don't become a slave to it!

latchkey 4y ago

This is the second tech adverse article [1] I've come across recently from Wired. The first was someone who doesn't use a password manager. I'm starting to see a pattern here. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32176748 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32176748

falcolas 4y ago
The exceptions to the norm are interesting to read about and discuss. Not wanting a smartphone is the exception to the rule in today's world.

falcolas 4y ago

The best thing I ever did is have a secondary device - a tablet - that has all notifications turned off. I get the benefits of a smart device, without the attention-grabbing detriments. Sure, my phone still rings and beeps at me (occasionally), but there's enough of a barrier in the act of moving devices which keeps me from swapping instinctively, that lets me keep my attention on the media (usually books) I'm consuming.

pipeline_peak 4y ago

Unfortunately, there are many cases nowadays where you actually need a smartphone. It’s less about the phone and more about the apps on it. You really don’t need Instagram or any of this crap but I’m sure you already know that. You can have a phone and just use rss for news.

res0nat0r 4y ago

I'd just like a nice Android OS based phone with a BlackBerry style real keyboard. Please.

elric 4y ago

I'd like a dumb(ish) digital wallet. One that I can use to replace my 5 NFC-enabled payment cards, which has a small screen which lets me select which payment method I want to use (CC vs Debit, company vs private, etc), and which shows me the amount that's being requested, instead of having to rely on the terminal's goodwill. Might be nice if it could also include a digital version of the other foo that's in my physical wallet: bus pass, gym membership card, ID, office access card. Like an actual wallet. Some of these things are already possible with smartphones. But smartphones are insecure garbage filled with ad-tech and bloatware and rarely receive security patches for more than a year or so.

jcrash 4y ago

Switched to a 30$ ebay flip phone earlier this month. It's been great so far

_int3_ 4y ago

> I WASTE WAY too much time on my phone and am attracted by the idea of simplifying my digital life. So I found several apps and tutorials designed to make my smartphone ‘dumb,’ but I’ve hesitated to take the plunge. Am I just trying to escape modern life? No app will make your smartphone dumb. What makes your smartphone smart is connectivity via WIFI, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE, 5g that can operate to some extent interactively and autonomously. Buy dumbphone with no WIFI, Bluetooth, NFC, Only SMS and VOICE and put your SIM card in it. Use it for SMS and VOICE. You can still have smartphone but now it doesn't have SIM, so no LTE or 5G, and turn off WIFI, NFC, Bluetooth, and put it in airplane mode forever. This will dumb it down. Take your dumbed down smartphone with you only if you need camera and GPS. Like hiking etc..

fortran77 4y ago

Unfortunately, a "smart phone" is very useful when traveling. Buying tickets to events, checking on travel, directions, translation, etc. I think the key is to have two phones -- a "dumb phone" for during the day at office and evenings at home so you won't be distracted, and a "smart phone" for travel

pkphilip 4y ago

Nope, been wanting a dumb phone myself but unable to let go of my current phone because of Whatsapp which is tied to my business

mrwnmonm 4y ago
Exactly, I figured out if I bought a dumb phone, I basically would be forcing myself to have two phones.