I’m making my first post here on Leminal Space because I hear it’s a better alternative to Reddit. One that’s more privacy-oriented, less rage-baity, and less pro-corporate.
About 9 months ago, I made the switch from a smartphone to a flip phone, and boy did it make my life so much better. I’ve become less dependent on technology, and I’ve become more self-sufficent. Printing maps with MapQuest and MyOSMmatic have been quite a lot of fun. And I also feel smarter because “Googling things” have become much more inconvenient.
Carrying a notebook with me has also allowed me to draw more, and I also feel less distracted. Anyone else switched to a flip phone? If so, what are your ways to manage life without a smart phone?
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Preface this by saying it has been a few years. I used to have a windows phone and when the platform died I used a “dumb” phone for a year until my wife told me to get an Android device.
I was using a Nokia ngage qd. It’s a small phone that has a peculiar form factor, shaped like a controller. It was made as a gaming handheld, so it has a bunch of gaming apps and over the year a lot of Homebrew stuff. It definitely came from a different era. You need to explicitly lock the phone otherwise it would only lock the keys to prevent pocket dialing. Locking the keys does not require a code to unlock, only the manual locking does iirc.
Because it has games, it was still a great time killer in situations. It’s has a small proprietary jack, but I have the original earphones so could listen to music (no mp3, but ogg).
Biggest pet peeve was not being able to sync my calendar. It uses a protocol I couldn’t find a setup for. Device also utilized a WAP browser, which is useless now.
Calling and texting: great. Games: great, sometimes crashy or won’t load. Homebrew: hit and miss, depending.
No, because you can no longer send private encrypted messages and everything will have to go over government owned telecom like SMS or cell towers, which are not encrypted.
I wonder if a smartphone with e-ink display would be a good solution.
Good enough for secure messaging & calling apps, usable with their existing touch-UIs, yet devoid of the addictive potential enabled by vibrant colour, smooth-scroll, and video.
Can even still use the camera – just need to wait until you ‘develop’ them by transferring to another device/medium with full colour or a video-capable display.
Janky phones like the pinephone exist for those who want to fully go over internet. Also currently GrapheneOS looks like the best option for both privacy and security.
How are you handling random 2-Factor challenges to email? (CGP Grey has a story of the DMVs sending codes to his email while physically at the location.)
How many people have a story of needing email while out in the physical world? (Email adoption is still not 100% in the USA, 92.4% in Nov 2023.)
My workplace requires me to login with an authenticator app, but they also “required” me to use the Microsoft Authenticator App (jokes on them, I use Aegis Authenticator).
How I manage to get around this is by carrying not one, but TWO dumbphones on me. (Depending on your dumbphone, only one would be required.) My main dumphone (Sonim XP3 Plus) is perfectly compatible with my carrier (T-Mobile), but it can’t install apps/APKs. My secondary dumbphone (Kyocera Digno 902kc) isn’t compatible with my carrier, but it ABSOLUTELY CAN install APKs.
Depending on your dumbphone, you might not need two like me. You probably only need one. You might not even need a Japanese Flip Phone as your secondary. As long as it connects to WiFi and can install APKs, you’re good.
I wouldn’t call a phone that can install APKs a dumb phone.
Then by that logic, dumbphones in America practically don’t exist. If you live in the US, you NEED a 4G VoLTE phone if you intend to call and text people. If you have anything lower, you CAN use a third party calling and messaging app, but you will need WiFi at ALL TIMES.
That being said, just because it installs APKs doesn’t make it a smartphone. Not all APKs are compatible with dumbphones. Even if they are, a lot of them are inconvenient if not impossible to use. Good luck being able to use Facebook on a dumbphone.
The whole idea of the “ideal dumbphone” is to have a phone that has everything you need and ONLY that, but you’re not going to be using it a lot or feel dependent on it.
Idk how general it is, but for my uni acc 2fa you can simply get a USB stick with tokens on it. Friend does the same for their e-id to avoid linking it to their phone number.
I used a flip phone and eink device (Sunbeam F1 Pro Maple paired with Boox Palma) for 1.5 years after realizing I was addicted to my smartphone. Last month I switched back to just a smartphone (Pixel 9a w/ graphene OS). I loved using the flip phone, and I attribute that period of my life to big changes in how I see technology in general. However, I realized I didn’t really need that setup anymore, plus I never liked having to carry two devices with me. During that time I found what I need/want in a phone and can comfortably determine what is helpful and unhelpful for my life. Essentially I broke my addiction and these days barely use my phone.
I have been thinking about it for quite a long time, my dream is a linux e ink minimal smartphone, i think it would be the right mix between convenience, freedom and minimalism
I would have to surrender too much privacy and pay far more per month to use a dumbphone. No E2EE messaging and tracked by cell towers all the time (I use VoIP over wifi). When I’m out the phone is in my pocket 90% of the time. I take it out to check my shopping list or look at the store flyer.
A few weeks ago I pre-ordered the new Jolla phone, which is not a dumbphone by any means. But I am still curious, whether some of the benefits you described still apply, when there are no android or ios apps present.
Thanks for your writeup!
I tried an Alcatel candy bar phone but I don’t recommend it. The parts are cheap. The keypad can feel inconsistent. Eventually the static on the line got so bad that I had to abandon it after about 1 year. Not worth it!
How unfortunate. Just trial and error, I suppose. What dumbphone do you use, now?
I gave up. There are only two options in my country. Maybe it’s possible to order Nokia 2780 from Amazon but right now it’s summer and I want to use an e-scooter app.
If you wait long enough every smartphone becomes a dumb phone 😒
My daughter switched to a flip phone around the same time. She was mostly inspired my my wife and I, though we went different directions. I am on GrapheneOS with no connected external accounts of social media, while my wife got a Minimal Phone with an e-ink screen which curtailed a lot of social media and doom scrolling and increased ebook reading.
My daughter’s flip phone (Nokia) actually has turn by turn directions, though it is clunky. It can technically play music from an sdcard, but it is also very clunky so she doesn’t bother.
I spend way too much on my smart phone. That’s correctable, but I depend on Uber/Lyft. I think I would need to get a cheap android and just have the discipline to put only essential apps like ride share, maps, encrypted messenging and like nothing else. Not even email, Lemmy, bill pay, grocery delivery, etc
I would NOT reccomend ridesharing apps, and would instead opt for things like your local taxi, walking/biking, or taking public transportation if you’re lucky enough to have it. If you absolutely HAVE to use ridesharing apps, I would use a laptop or something and go to a ridesharing website instead.
As for maps, you will want to get a paper map from your local library or distribution center, or print a paper map from your local government website. Asking for directions can also be fun. If you can’t find a paper map of your area, you can make one instead with MyOSMatic.
If all else fails, you can print directions with MapQuest. Never rely on location tracking or battery life ever again!
Respectfully, I am incapable of driving and need to get to doctors appointments and no longer live in an urban environment where cabs and public transportation is highly accessible.
It is what it is.
Good luck with not logging into your email account. Mine is web mail so it’s always there.
Less rage baity. Hahaha good one!. Engaged and enraged, that’s the Lemmy way, just like reddit.
For quite some time I used an indestructible, iconic Nokia just for telephony, and a tablet with MiFi router for everything else.
Now I’m using GrapheneOS on the phone and tablet, which is tethered. The tablet is Google-free.
I can’t use a Nokia, RIP. The old Nokias are incompatible with 4G VoLTE, and the new Nokias aren’t very good, at least not as good as the old Nokias.
Buy a (refurbished) Pixel, install GrapheneOS without Google Play. Use only libre software.
My thing is, a dumb phone has the features I would like to do without on my smart phone. Telephone and SMS ARE THE GODDAMN PROBLEM. If people who were not explicitly whitelisted by me out of band had no method of contacting me, that’d be great.
Unfortunately spam texts and calls are the bane of having any kind of phone. :( “Do not disturb” settings that allow contacts only can help but don’t fully solve the problem.
there are some eink ‘smartphones’ that are wifi only, bigme hibreak is one. obviously nothing will beat a pixel with graphene on it tho
I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Back when I started getting more serious about internet privacy I had the idea of switching to a de-Googled phone but when I found out that’d be expensive as hell I had a second idea to get a flip phone and spread out what I use it for across devices. My laptop for services like YouTube and streaming, MP3 player for music, a digital camera for my camera, etc. Also expensive but the individual devices are cheaper so I can more easily slowly chip away at it, first thing I’m getting is an MP3 player because I got my Dad to buy me one for Christmas.
Many flip phones also work as MP3 players (some better than others) so those 2 could be combined in one device, depending on the features you want.
An mp3 player is good but I don’t recommend flip phones. The build quality is pretty bad from my experience with alcatel and I think mobiwire may have the same issue.
Well there’s a lot more companies that produce flip phones than two and I’ve heard good things about a couple brands
