Written by Austin Boer
Before writing this blog I sat down and physically wrote down a pros and cons list of switching to a dumbphone and how it has affected my life. I realize that this list is based on my perspective and personal experiences. We all have our own threshold for the amount of friction we can tolerate, depending on our lifestyles.
Cons:
Unusual Frictions
Switching to a minimal/dumbphone means you informally agree that your life might have some added frictions. No longer can you access everything, everywhere all at once. This can be overwhelming depending on the situation. For example, I was on BART going to San Francisco for a tech meet up. On the ride I was approached by an older lady who was asking for directions. Using the first version of the SLEKE. phone we had a map we were testing and I wondered if the information I gave her was truly the quickest way to get her where she was going. I had to confirm with another app I had downloaded that was specifically for transit and sure enough it was accurate but there was that brief hesitation where using something that was familiar would have made it much easier.
QR Code Scanning
This one changes depending on the dumbphone you are using. A majority of dumbphones don't have any QR code scanning capabilities at all. The SLEKE. phone (the phone I use) has QR code scanning, but depending on who is hosting the QR code, it may be filtered out -causing that QR code not work.
Running Out of Battery
This is a funky one and opposite to a normal smartphone. My phone does not die because I use it too much. It dies as I often forget to charge it since the battery lasts much longer. I will get to the second or third day since my most recent charge and realize that it has 2% left so I only have a couple hours of battery left depending how I am using it.
Apps Offered
This is another one that varies based on what minimal / dumbphone you use. Depending on where on the "dumbness" scale your phone falls, it may have more or less functionality. Some dumbphones might just have calling and texting, while others may have more to offer like maps or music. On the SLEKE. phone we work with the people testing our phone to add things that are essential for their lives. It's hard as there are lots of niche apps that we might not know about or might not be able to add. It also takes time to add them so in the moment you need it, you might not be able to have it right away. My co-founder and I found this out when we were in Seattle. We got on a bus but didn't have exact change and the only other solution at that time was to download the app and pay that way. We didn't have it so we had to get off walk about a half mile and find a place to get change before we could get back on.
Pros:
Enjoy the little things
Our lives are bogged down by notifications and apps grabbing our attention. When I switched to only spending a limited amount of my time on the phone, I realizd that I was able to observe the small things in my environment. The birds singing, a new store as I passed through town, and even noticing the strangeness of the urge to pick up my phone while in the grocery store checkout line. For me, this made me feel more in-tune with what's going on around me and helped me feel more present.
Forget your phone
Some people can view forgetting their phone at home as a con but I noticed I tend to leave my phone at home when going out because I am not as attached to it. I enjoy the freedom of not feeling tied down to it or the anxious feeling that I am missing something. It gives you a certain type of peace that allows you to engage more with what you are doing or leaning into the small things... like conversing with the cashier. Pro tip, if you are at Trader Joe’s ask them about their favorite non-conventional seasonal item and you might take home a new treat. Thank me later.
It Saves You Money
Now that I have moved to a dumbphone. I have a 5 gig data plan. I rarely get close to hitting this. This has dramatically cut my phone bill way down (at least in the United States). People who use an even more restrictive dumbphone can get away with spending even less. The device itself is usually cheaper as well compared to a brand new $1000+ phone.
Final Thoughts
Again this whole pros/cons list is based on perception. Even in the dumbphone space it varies quite a lot. Needless to say there are quirks to a minimal / dumbphone, but that friction - “The dumbphone tax” as mentioned by Carmella Guiol from the Scroll Sanity substack/ podcast - is a real thing. The benefits for me still outweigh these frictions.