"Dumbphone"/flip phone users? (+EDC)

[FinleyIsHere]

i really, really wanna get a dumbphone for myself but its hard finding one here in australia and finding one with a headphone jack that could play mp3s is a struggle 

but i'll be honest, im still on the fence about getting one for sure, since i worry that it'll be on my drawer collecting dust while i still use my smartphone for most things which would well, obviously suck ass,

and i cant really let go of my smartphone tbh, it has my banking app and social media that i use [...twitter, IM GUILTY OK I KNOW THAT ] its a toxic relationship, i cant let it go cause its so fucking funny but i wanna let go so bad since its so goddamn toxic its harms both my mental and physical health, literally

so that's why im looking to get a feature phone at least, all i want it to have is hotspot and ability to play music with my wired earphones thats it

if anyone got any suggestions please help me out man!!!

[TheFrugalGamer]

@FinleyIsHere One thing you might try to do is have a "trial run" with your existing phone. Simply treat it like a dumbphone, without having to shell out the money for one.

That would mean, firstly, that you can keep your music on it. In fact, I think that's one of the best things about smartphones! I LOVE having my music on hand, whether it's stored locally or I'm using a streaming service, whatever. We can talk about toxic phone use all day, but it really comes down to how you use it, not the capabilities of the thing itself.

Next you'd uninstall all the apps that enable the doom scrolling behavior. There are also apps that put limits on your screen usage and force you off after a certain amount of time has passed--definitely look into those. Sometimes just putting a few screens in between yourself and the bad behavior can push you away from it.

Thirdly, turn off all the notifications you can. Obviously you'll want the important ones, especially if you're caring for family or friends who need to reach out to you. But social media apps that are throwing up notifications about who posted what just now? Ugh, NO THANK YOU. Turn that stuff OFF.

And lastly, I like having something on hand to turn to when I'm bored or need to fidget. Usually that's my e-reader, but a paperback book also works. A notebook that I can journal in, a small fidget toy, a gameboy, you don't have to buy anything new, just something you have on hand that you can turn to during those few moments you'd spend on your phone. It does take a conscious effort to not pick up the phone, but it'll get to be second nature after a while. It's just re-training yourself.

You might also consider turning off wi-fi/turning on airplane mode for a bit. You'll still be able to get calls, but your social media apps will have a harder time phoning home (depending on your service plan and the like).

[rnottelovesowls]

and i cant really let go of my smartphone tbh, it has my banking app and social media that i use [...twitter, IM GUILTY OK I KNOW THAT ] its a toxic relationship, i cant let it go cause its so fucking funny but i wanna let go so bad since its so goddamn toxic its harms both my mental and physical health, literally

i'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but... that's always the excuse. remember, it's not OUR fault that everything in our lives requires a smartphone app to function. if you go dumbphone, you have to boycott things that require apps or QR code scanners. that's what i do in protest of the "smartphone economy". might mean you'll miss out on certain things, but you'll be better for it. we didn't need twitter then, and we certainly don't need it now

i don't have a dumbphone, but just a years-old iPhone SE whose app library i've restricted heavily; all social media, internet browsing, and even downloading new apps, is blocked. but as far as feature phones go, the one i've always had my eyes on is the light phone. it's definitely not cheap, but it has pretty much everything you could want a phone for, plus it's built to last' no modern iPhone can claim that. the difference between the light phone 2 and light phone 3 is that the former has an e-ink screen, is smaller, and connects with micro-USB and AUX; and the latter has a camera, is bigger (and more comfortable, i've heard), and connects with USB-C. take your pick

[solsgarage]

I use a Kyocera 902KC!! I'd only recommend it if you're willing to do a bit of work to sideload stuff (and if you're in the USA like me you're limited to a few providers), but I love it. It has expandable storage so I have a bunch of music on it. I can scan qr codes, use a web browser, etc. I think OrganicMaps works on it, but I prefer using an sms-based service for navigation/weather/location info! more info on that here

I do also have a need for my bank apps, but you can usually call your bank for balances/transfers or use an atm! also re: social media, I've found that not having a convenient way to access it has made it WAY easier for me to disconnect. I haven't used any of them for years, but just deleting the apps/blocking access was a great starting point. I do still have my smartphone, but I mostly use it for navigation (when it's a long trip) and mobile games.

if anyone wants better specific recommendations, definitely check out /r/dumbphones! there's a ton of resources and people are generally happy to help you find a device that works for you.

[Horsey Chobunso]

I've looked into feature phones many times, and eventually I will make that shift, but I have too many things in my life right now that require my phone, or at the very least, the ability to scan a QR code and open a web page. I understand the sentiment stated earlier that avoiding all of those things is a way to protest them, but the reality for me is that it would mean just functioning in my current world and not being able to do things with my friends. The Light Phone in particular is a project I'm very interested in, but I have a bunch of groundwork I need to do before I can really commit.

I've since settled on a middle ground by greatly reducing my smartphone usage. Everything on my phone that functioned around content algorithms has been deleted (or hidden in the case of YouTube) and I switched to Olauncher as my homescreen, which allows me to hide all icons and only keep a short list of essentials on my home page. I was doing really well and keeping my phone screen time around 60mins a day, but I've gotten worse at it lately.

[FinleyIsHere]

@FinleyIsHere One thing you might try to do is have a "trial run" with your existing phone. Simply treat it like a dumbphone, without having to shell out the money for one.

mmm alrighty, i'll treat it like that for as long as i can and for the music ive been thinking about investing in an mp3 player, so that i can
1) not rely on my phone so much and
2) so i can save up on storage :D
but if i were to get a feature phone, its more of a smart phone but i found one that piqued my interest, the unihertz jelly star its small, compact, and has nfc
but right now im looking to save my money so i'll use my smartphone like that, again tysm!

[haumeaGeth]

Popping into this thread with an update!

After using my F1 Horizon Bluebird for eight months, I am unfortunately going to go back to a smartphone. I do absolutely adore this little flip phone -- it is such a delight to carry around, the buttons have a perfect tactile clickiness, the call quality is shockingly good, and the battery life is pretty impressive. However, it just doesn't provide the same accessibility that I need to function in my day to day life.

Being disabled, I need easy access to Uber more than anything, and sideloading isn't possible with this phone. My city has also blocked off all parking meter coin slots, forcing you to either pay with credit card -- which I don't have -- or via an app. I'm also looking to get a smartwatch to help me monitor my heart rate. As much as I hate giving more of my data to ~Big Tech~, it's either that or a cardiac alert dog, which just isn't feasible for me at this point in my life (not to mention that the dog would probably rip my arm off trying to get me to actually sit for a sec). There are also a number of apps that just made my quality of life a little better, namely the large text app, since most of my friends don't know Sign Language.

Besides that, the rest of my EDC is going to stay the same! I got a bunch of CDs from my husband for my birthday, I'm looking to get a discman so I can use said CDs on walks, and I just got a fresh notebook that's half the size of my previous, already-tiny notebook!

I would just say that, if you're disabled, I would closely monitor how you use your smartphone for a month or two before deciding to try out a dumbphone. I don't regret the experience at all, but it has been a tricky eight months.

[SugrPawz]

I am personally a full time user of mine. over 6 months in and I try my best to not bring a smart device to supplement when I go out.

Personally I am using a cheaper feature flip phone. TCL Flip 2. Its simple. Its something that knowledge of how it works benefits my job. And it was cheap so I got it for Christmas. I would love one of the Horizon F1 series but justifying the costs with the rise in price for EVERYTHING is... not really something I can do.

[Sabertooth Pigeon]

I use a smartphone but I do have an old phone lying around that I'm sometimes genuinely tempted to switch to... It's a Samsung J700 that used to belong to my late grandfather. It's not quite a fliphone, it has a sliding mechanism instead. I'm quite fond of it, though I'm kind of worried about its battery. It's an old phone and I'm not sure it would hold long. But I suppose I could always get a replacement battery for it or buy a different one entirely. The real concern is convenience and access to certain apps like the maps or the bank app. Perhaps swapping phones depending on the situation could be a good compromise?

[sphinx]

It's not a flip phone, but I've been using the LightPhone II. In about a week it will be about a year since I started using it.

I did hang onto my old smartphone but I keep it at home and use it only when I need to use a certain app. Usually for Facebook Marketplace since I try to buy things secondhand as much as possible. The LightPhone itself I bought secondhand on ebay and it was a little pricey but you can get a great deal if you bookmark the search and you have more patience than me. The great thing about technology trends is that early adopters get bored with it and resell on ebay or FB marketplace at a fraction of the cost, so if you wait for the trend to die down you can get some pretty neat tech for a good price. But I digress.

Daily use of this phone quickly felt very natural and comfortable. The phone is e-ink and so it's only in black & white, but uses very little battery. It does calls obviously, but also does texts with use of a digital qwerty keyboard that pops up when you flip it horizontal to start texting. In that way, it felt like texting with a mid-00's sidekick or LGenV3, which is what I used to have. Having a keyboard like that was a huge factor in my decision to get this phone. Look T9 texting is a cute novelty and slightly nostalgic, but for me it's best left in the past. Just because I lived through it doesn't mean I wanna go back.

If someone happens to text you an image or video, the text is sent to your email and you can check it later. I don't really mind this. The whole point of the phone is to not get sucked into it, so it serves its functions of relaying quick messages so you can be on your way without lingering too long. It's fine.

It also has toolbox options you can add - a simple calculator, a calendar, podcasts, and music. I like the podcasts feature. You can tell it which ones to give you from the dashboard on the LightPhone website and whenever new shows come out boom they're there on the phone waiting for you. The music feature is...barely functional. You're better off using a dedicated mp3 player like I do.

It also has a hotspot feature that's pretty powerful. For most of last year I didn't have home internet and just lived off the hotspot. (I use Visable for phone service which is a flat rate of $25/month with true unlimited data. Great deal.)

Okay so... companion tech. I use a mp3 player for music, a digital camera for pictures, and a Garmin GPS for road trips. I also carry a little notebook in lieu of a notes app, and either a book, a sketchbook, or a pack of playing cards should boredom arise. It rarely does though.

I will say since switching my anxiety seems to have gone down quite a bit. There's an adjustment period but it's amazing how quickly my mind became content with the silence and stopped craving that constant dopamine hit. I was a late adopter of the smartphone to begin with. I had my LG EnV3 until about 2016. The peer pressure to join the PokeGO craze was too much to ignore, lol.

Anyway, if you're considering dumbphones but need a qwerty keyboard and would still like some podcasts, I feel like the Light Phone II is a great compromise.