Info:
Link my button!
Follow me!
Retro Tech May - Day Three - May 3rd
As I'm doing this month's little challenge and even before it (and before my first attempt) I've been thinking about moving to a dumbphone. The idea of being disconnected to the online is very appealing but what made the plunge impossible for me was the lack of smart features. As I said, Google Maps (or any GPS app) is more or less of an imperative for me whether I like it or not which means a true bonafied dumbphone is out of question. But what options are there for those like me who want to lower their phone use without isolating themselves from smart apps? Well, let's go through some options together and see what could work for you and what may work for me too! I will get into detail about my experiences with the iPhone SE which may show a clear bias and I'm sorry for that but it is the only option I can speak about from experience.
1. Android-based flip phones
You see, this was actually what I initially considered. And no, I don't mean foldable phones. Those are not flip phones. What I had in mind is japanese flip phones (if you don't know what I'm talking about, look them up, google is your friend) due to them incorporating both the design of older phones with the convenience of a farily modern version of android. And even now as we speak it's an option I definitely consider as a future purchase. Not sure how kindly I'll take to T9 since 2 of my last pre-smartphone mobile phones have both been qwerty-based but hey, who knows? Maybe it'll be fun.
Personal recommendation (though take this with a pinch of salt since I never used these): Kyocera 902KC/903KC.
You see, this was actually what I initially considered. And no, I don't mean foldable phones. Those are not flip phones. What I had in mind is japanese flip phones (if you don't know what I'm talking about, look them up, google is your friend) due to them incorporating both the design of older phones with the convenience of a farily modern version of android. And even now as we speak it's an option I definitely consider as a future purchase. Not sure how kindly I'll take to T9 since 2 of my last pre-smartphone mobile phones have both been qwerty-based but hey, who knows? Maybe it'll be fun.
Personal recommendation (though take this with a pinch of salt since I never used these): Kyocera 902KC/903KC.
2. Old android smartphone
Ever since I moved to smartphones around late 2016 (yes I was a late adopter because I was too poor to buy a phone, and even then my first phone was a hand me down Galaxy S3) I can say I do have a bit of a fondness for androids. And though I want to move away from Samsung with my next phone (whenever that will be, I want to move over to a Google Pixel) I've been using nothing but Samsung phones since my S3 and the pre S20 models will always hold a special place in my heart. I moved from S3 to S6 to S8 and then S10+ and currently running an S22 Ultra. I haven't gone back to my much older phones and the oldest one I can go back to currently is my S10+ (my S8 and S6 are left at my parents house and my dad used by S3 after I stopped using it and broke it somehow within weeks. Poor guy) but I'm sure that some lag aside the S6 and S8 would work great as light use smartphones. I do consider buying an older Galaxy phone and testing it out though it's not high up on my priority list. All the devices prior to the S22 had a headphone jack and all but the S10+ had MicroSD card support and I'd say definitely consider that as a factor especially if you plan on installing a lot of apps or storing a lot of local files.
Personal recommendations: Samsung Galaxy S6 and S8.
Ever since I moved to smartphones around late 2016 (yes I was a late adopter because I was too poor to buy a phone, and even then my first phone was a hand me down Galaxy S3) I can say I do have a bit of a fondness for androids. And though I want to move away from Samsung with my next phone (whenever that will be, I want to move over to a Google Pixel) I've been using nothing but Samsung phones since my S3 and the pre S20 models will always hold a special place in my heart. I moved from S3 to S6 to S8 and then S10+ and currently running an S22 Ultra. I haven't gone back to my much older phones and the oldest one I can go back to currently is my S10+ (my S8 and S6 are left at my parents house and my dad used by S3 after I stopped using it and broke it somehow within weeks. Poor guy) but I'm sure that some lag aside the S6 and S8 would work great as light use smartphones. I do consider buying an older Galaxy phone and testing it out though it's not high up on my priority list. All the devices prior to the S22 had a headphone jack and all but the S10+ had MicroSD card support and I'd say definitely consider that as a factor especially if you plan on installing a lot of apps or storing a lot of local files.
Personal recommendations: Samsung Galaxy S6 and S8.
3. Old iPhone
I've never been an iPhone user and for the longest time I was one of those people really disliking iPhones. I mean, I'm still baffled by how much of a tight grip it has on the US market but that's a different discussion. I've had this iPhone SE 1st gen for about a year and I've been using it as a secondary phone. I used it during my first old tech attempt back in November and I'm using it now. And honestly save for the battery I'd call it the perfect blend of smart and dumb. One thing I dreaded while using Samsung phones (and still do as my main phone is an S22 Ultra) is the amount of bloat coming with it. Meanwhile iPhones seem to come as a complete blank slate which means you can make it as dumb as you want. And this is where the 1st gen SE comes into place. It has a cute design (iPhone 4 to 8 plus all the SEs is my favorite design style personally when it comes to phones in general, not just iPhones), it's very small so it fits in any pockets (you may even forget you have a phone in your pocket due to how light it is especially compared with our gigantic phones) and one big advantage is that it still supports most modern apps so you can make your experience as smart or as dumb as possible with the caveat the phone is so small that it somehow discourages endless scrolling. The small size of the phone will likely scare you (it sure did me) but I found it extremely easy and simple to type. The keyboard might be small but unless you have huge fingers (and believe me I don't have tiny hands) you'll be fine besides maybe an occasional typo. And another advantage is that you can get one for cheap. Or even multiple (which is something I consider doing just to have some backups). However there are a few limitations to keep in mind, to some of you or even myself these may not actually be limitations but I will list them anyway:
- Bad battery life. If all you wanna do with your phone is calls, texts and the occasional google search then you'll do just fine. Sometimes the battery feels like a blink and you'll miss it deal other times it can last you a whole day. If you want a phone that lasts just for 3 hours then you won't have any problems with this bad boy. You can get replacements and maybe even get it serviced by apple still so maybe consider looking into that. I might.
- Low storage with no options of upgrading. Unlike androids of the era, iPhones don't have a card slot so you're stuck with the 16 or 32gb storage bundled with the phone. If you don't do too much with the phone you'll be fine but keep your wants and needs low for your own sanity.
- Horrible for long term scrolling. If your idea of a pasttime is scrolling on TikTok for 5 hours then you'll have a horrible time with this phone. However things like YouTube, Discord and even light social media use is perfectly fine.
And oh by the way, it still has a headphone jack too!
Personal recommendations: iPhone SE 1st gen or iPhone 6S if you want a headphone jack and want an actual older phone that still gets supported apps and even by Apple with security updates, iPhone 7, 8, 2nd and 3rd gen SE if you want the classic design style for a friendly price, seek something newer but also don't care about a lack of a headphone jack.
I've never been an iPhone user and for the longest time I was one of those people really disliking iPhones. I mean, I'm still baffled by how much of a tight grip it has on the US market but that's a different discussion. I've had this iPhone SE 1st gen for about a year and I've been using it as a secondary phone. I used it during my first old tech attempt back in November and I'm using it now. And honestly save for the battery I'd call it the perfect blend of smart and dumb. One thing I dreaded while using Samsung phones (and still do as my main phone is an S22 Ultra) is the amount of bloat coming with it. Meanwhile iPhones seem to come as a complete blank slate which means you can make it as dumb as you want. And this is where the 1st gen SE comes into place. It has a cute design (iPhone 4 to 8 plus all the SEs is my favorite design style personally when it comes to phones in general, not just iPhones), it's very small so it fits in any pockets (you may even forget you have a phone in your pocket due to how light it is especially compared with our gigantic phones) and one big advantage is that it still supports most modern apps so you can make your experience as smart or as dumb as possible with the caveat the phone is so small that it somehow discourages endless scrolling. The small size of the phone will likely scare you (it sure did me) but I found it extremely easy and simple to type. The keyboard might be small but unless you have huge fingers (and believe me I don't have tiny hands) you'll be fine besides maybe an occasional typo. And another advantage is that you can get one for cheap. Or even multiple (which is something I consider doing just to have some backups). However there are a few limitations to keep in mind, to some of you or even myself these may not actually be limitations but I will list them anyway:
- Bad battery life. If all you wanna do with your phone is calls, texts and the occasional google search then you'll do just fine. Sometimes the battery feels like a blink and you'll miss it deal other times it can last you a whole day. If you want a phone that lasts just for 3 hours then you won't have any problems with this bad boy. You can get replacements and maybe even get it serviced by apple still so maybe consider looking into that. I might.
- Low storage with no options of upgrading. Unlike androids of the era, iPhones don't have a card slot so you're stuck with the 16 or 32gb storage bundled with the phone. If you don't do too much with the phone you'll be fine but keep your wants and needs low for your own sanity.
- Horrible for long term scrolling. If your idea of a pasttime is scrolling on TikTok for 5 hours then you'll have a horrible time with this phone. However things like YouTube, Discord and even light social media use is perfectly fine.
And oh by the way, it still has a headphone jack too!
Personal recommendations: iPhone SE 1st gen or iPhone 6S if you want a headphone jack and want an actual older phone that still gets supported apps and even by Apple with security updates, iPhone 7, 8, 2nd and 3rd gen SE if you want the classic design style for a friendly price, seek something newer but also don't care about a lack of a headphone jack.
I didn't know what image to use here so here's a picture of a cat.
Ultimately you should make your choice depending on how much use you want out of it, what features and how comfortable you are with various features. If you wanna live the times of T9 texting and really want a retro form factor, maybe an android-based flip phone would work great for you. If you want to upgrade your storage, the flexibility of android and may want more useability for scrolling (and a better battery for it too) go for an older android smartphone. If you want a cute little gizmo that does just what you want it to do and your expectations aren't through the roof I'd recommend you the iPhone SE. however if you want a better battery and something more modern, definietly go for one of the newer options I offered. Making a choice ain't easy so make sure you also consider budget in mind too! Personally I'll probably stick with my SE despite my issues with the battery being fairly unreliable and either lasting me two whole days on a charge or dying within a few hours. Regardless of which one you pick I hope it will serve you well and help you achieve your goal, whether it's to slowly transition into dumbphone life, helping you transition to giving up on phones altogether or helping you gain back control over your life and give up some of the reliance on being always online.