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Not smart but clever? The return of 'dumbphones' - Guest - 03-25-2022
These are basic handsets, or feature phones, with very limited functionality compared to say an iPhone. You can typically only make and receive calls and SMS text messages. And, if you are lucky - listen to radio and take very basic photos, but definitely not connect to the internet or apps.
These devices are similar to some of the first handsets that people bought back in the late 1990s.
"It appears fashion, nostalgia, and them appearing in #TikTok videos, have a part to play in the dumbphone revival," says Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at price comparison site Uswitch.com. "Many of us had a #dumbphone as our first mobile phone, so it's natural that we feel a sense of nostalgia towards these classic handsets."
Mr Doku says it was the 2017 relaunch of Nokia's 3310 handset - first released in 2000, and one of the biggest-selling mobiles of all time - that really sparked the revival. "Nokia pushed the 3310 as an affordable alternative in a world full of high-spec mobiles."
He adds that while it's true that dumbphones can't compete with the latest premium #Apple and #Samsung models when it comes to performance or functionality, "they can outshine them in equally important areas such as battery life and durability".
Five years ago, Przemek Olejniczak, a psychologist, swapped his smartphone for a Nokia 3310, initially because of the longer-lasting battery. However, he soon realised that there were other benefits.
Przemek Olejniczak
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60763168