‘Dumbphones’ Are Back, and Here’s Why Gen Z Should Get Around It

Bring back the Nokia.

We’re not gonna pretend like most of us would trade in our smartphones for a Nokia. You already told us that.

But among some teens (and more often, millennials and boomers), there’s been an uptake in the number of ‘dumbphones’ being used around the world. And it’s not hard to see why.

‘Dumbphones’ refer to basic handsets with very limited functionality compared to, say, that iPhone 13 Pro X you’ve got with three cameras and augmented reality features.

Remember calling people? Or flinging them a text? Dumbphones exist to do pretty much just that. You’d be lucky to listen to music on ‘em or take a photo with better quality than a microwave.

According to software firm SEMrush, Google searches for dumbphones jumped by 89% between 2018 and 2021. And global purchases of dumbphones were due to hit one billion units last year, up from 400 million in 2019. So, it seems something’s in the wires…

Here’s our list of reasons why switching to a dumbphone (even for the weekend) isn’t an awfully dumb idea.

Affordability.

The most affordable iPhone—the second-generation SE—is $679. Meanwhile, you can grab a Nokia 3310 3G for $89.95.

Smartphones can cost almost as much as a laptop, and as school and uni students, sometimes that just ain’t a viable option!

The Nokia 3310 handset is one of the biggest-selling mobiles of all time. Why not go for a cheap and iconic alternative?

Impressive battery life and durability.

Anyone notice how phones from the 2000’s can literally be dropped from three-storey buildings, fall into toilet bowls, or get stepped on… and survive?

Dumbphones are made for durability. And on top of that, because they don’t require as much power or CPU, the battery can last days. Unless you’re making a call on one, they’re not doing much in the background.

In 2018, Apple and Samsung were fined for deliberately slowing down phones with software updates. On a dumbphone, there’s no need for any of those updates when all you’ve got is Snake.

Less time on social media and news.

Imagine for a second that it’s 1996 and you have to wait until the news is broadcast on TV to find out what’s happening during the day. People managed it then, so why can’t we manage that now?

Instead, we’re compelled to be constantly updated, notified and pinged. On top of that, we feel the need to broadcast our own lives and compare them to others.

The less likes you get, the more insecure you feel. The less group chats you’re a part of, the lonelier you tell yourself you are. What if all of that could disappear?

Stripping it back to the essentials will take the whole world off your mind and enable you to live more in the moment.

Forces you to forge real connections.

As a result of being less ‘switched on’ all the time on a dumbphone, you’re probably only going to be in frequent communication with close family and friends.

It can feel great to react to the Insta stories of strangers and comment on meme pages to feel included. But that’s a completely different feeling to knowing your best friend is just a call away. It’s about quality over quantity when it comes to human connection.

They’re nostalgic and aesthetic (did someone say Y2K?)

Yes, we’ve all seen the Y2K trend taking over TikTok, and it’s a whole vibe.

Combine the sweet aesthetic with all the other benefits, and the dumbphone is suddenly a hot commodity.

Alright, back to your endless scrolling—we’re gonna go play Tetris.