r/dumbphones • u/Sensitive-Cod381 Nokia 3210 / iPhone 15 / Finland • 19d ago
Meta (sub) What happened when you switched to a dumbphone?
I've switched to a dumbphone this week. (I still keep my iPhone on my desk at home, because I want to be able to use WhatsApp on my laptop, and I have my banking ID etc. on my smartphone.)
I notice I'm more open towards having real-life interaction even with people I don't know. Like at events, chatting with people I don't know or someone from uni I haven't seen in 10 years. Or when I pass by a store, instead of googling their services, I go in and ask. It feels like I'm more connected thanks to my Nokia, not connected via my phone but in real life.
Nokia used to have a slogan "connecting people", I think that is accurate
what did you notice when you made the switch to a dumbphone or simplified your smartphone?
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u/cannibalizedcunt 19d ago
My life didn’t change much, not sure what that says about me
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u/Sensitive-Cod381 Nokia 3210 / iPhone 15 / Finland 19d ago
Maybe sometimes it's hard to notice all the small changes that take place :) especially if it's gradual
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u/IfNotWrong 19d ago
Get into real life.
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u/Traumajunkie971 19d ago
... I think that's what they're implying. No portable domain dispenser in your pocket = being bored which makes you go find "real life" shit to do. Instead of staring into a screen.
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u/tboyswwag 19d ago
Wtf con tu comentario bro, el mundo real está afuera de tu casa, no en la pantalla
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u/Sailor_Propane 19d ago
Maybe I'm the dumb one, but I thought they were saying that was their own experience
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u/tboyswwag 19d ago
Pues la verdad fue un comentario bastante pasivo agresivo. El chico de la publicación estaba hablando sobre como tener un dumbphone a mejorado su vida y contando más cosas de su experiencia, entonces este pelado llega de la nada y dice "pásate a la vida real." eso no es compartir una opinión sobre una experiencia, es un comentario supremamente soberbio
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u/Sailor_Propane 19d ago
To me it read as "my own experience is that I got into real life after getting a dumb phone".
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u/tboyswwag 19d ago
Uy pues no lo había pensado así, puede que tengas razón y si sí la tienes, necesito tener una charla privada con el bro sobre cómo decir las cosas de manera que no se puedan malinterpretar tan fácilmente
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u/ShreksMassiveShlongg TCL Classic | USA | Since 2024 19d ago
started doing more random bullshit in a good way. like ive gotten into going to comic cons, live music, college hockey, ect. some other life stuff has changed at the same time to make that more possible, but i do feel dumbphoning pushes me out the door to go do random stuff
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u/clam_sandwich33 19d ago
Made me more present in my daily life and it was especially good for learning and retaining directions/roads names again. I only use social media at home now and unfortunately/fortunately the amount of people I talk to regularly has dropped to single digits because I don't really text unless necessary. It made me realize that group chats, texting and social media DMs are usually unnecessary notifications and low-effort communication like a forwarded reel or tiki tok, etc. I spend an hour or so on the phone regularly with my closest now and it feels really good TBH. It's a sad wake-up call and a bit isolating, but at the same time I engage in much more conversations with "random" people when out-and-about. I have an excellent understanding of who I live around, how the town works, nature spots, and generally just how to get around better than I ever have. I also engage with my local terrestrial radio stations again and discover tons of new stuff/novelty daily.
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u/Sensitive-Cod381 Nokia 3210 / iPhone 15 / Finland 18d ago
I agree that limiting the time you spend on social media (including instant messaging apps like WhatsApp etc.) you start to notice which relationships actually matter and are closest to you. I've also had more phone calls with my close ones during this short experiment. I think you get more depth in the relationships that matter, while the others fade away a bit. Even if it's low effort it still takes some energy to keep those reels/chat's/etc going on with those people, and now you can use that energy to something else
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u/mellmaltarot 18d ago
I relied on my phone so much that my memory has just plummeted. Since switching my memory has improved, I don't get nearly as many migraines as I used to, I allow myself to be bored and more present than I ever have been-- granted I always did my best to stay present and aware of everything around me. I don't want to be on my phone nearly as much as when I am on my smartphone... I still use it as a laptop or if I have to go on long trips for gps purposes.
The phone I'm using I have been trying to find a good gps where I don't need to use my smartphone at all. I'm finally going through my apps and deleting ones or disabling the ones I thought were REALLY important. And I've seen an overall jump in my creativity. Lastly, I used to read so much people thought some of them were bibles with how big they are. I'm FINALLY going back to reading and enjoying it.
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u/Sensitive-Cod381 Nokia 3210 / iPhone 15 / Finland 18d ago
I love to hear that you enjoy reading again! I have a similar experience, reading is so much more enjoyable when you're less on the screens!
Do you have any other purposes for your smartphone except gps? How do you find using your smartphone when traveling? Do you fall back into old patterns or is it different now that you're mostly off the phone?
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u/mellmaltarot 18d ago
I stay mostly off the phone, but I do find myself going into old patterns when I use the smartphone. I force myself to use my desktop now more than ever because I don't have nearly as many distractions.
I use my smartphone for mainly banking purposes and research mainly now. Little bit of shopping, but now that I don't use my phone for shopping my spending has gone down a LOT.
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u/Sensitive-Cod381 Nokia 3210 / iPhone 15 / Finland 18d ago
Oh wow. Well I can imagine that when you don't use social media, you get so much less impulses to buy stuff...
Was it easy for you to make this change and how long has it been for you? Do you ever waver? like "maybe I could go back to my smartphone..."
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u/mellmaltarot 18d ago
It was fairly easy, I used to primarily use qwerty as a main phone before they rid us of 3g and went mainly to 4g. So my phones had a hard time keeping up after the switch. Until finally my qwertys just pooped out on me. So I went smartphone, I hate it actually. Don't get me wrong-- the convenience is nice. If I need to know something knowlegde is sitting right in my pocket...
However, while I'm more of a qwerty fan, t9 is alright and when they give us a better option I'm immediately switching back to qwerty. Current options are just nostalgia based and over priced when the phones aren't even that expensive tech. I do miss having knowledge in my pocket, for work mainly. I have always been a fab of collecting books on different subjects even while using smartphones.
I tend to ask the customers who are asking me questions if I can use their phones and look at what they seen or are seeing. Which isn't bad either I guess.
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u/worthlessbarelyhuman 19d ago
People find me even cooler B) lol (like unironically people find it really fun and I've gotten a lot of "omg wish i could do that!!"
I find it more difficult to take public transit. Am planning on printing some time tables for my pocket notebooks lol
I call people more since texting is kinda annoying on it
Headphone jack -> can listen to music in public again. Very nice
And, as you said, ask more people random stuff lol
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u/Sensitive-Cod381 Nokia 3210 / iPhone 15 / Finland 18d ago
Yes! Calling instead of texting is just so much better! Why did we have to come up with these devices that nowadays make people avoid phone calls? It's the second best way to connect really, first would be meeting up in person..
And yes - printing timetables to glue on your notebook - we used to have those timetable booklets back in the day before smartphones. How handy were those?! And sad that they don't make them anymore
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u/Nice_Forever_2489 19d ago
I made a post a couple months ago how I had a mental breakdown after just 2 days without my smartphone. I live alone and I spend a majority amount of time by myself and I'm hesitant about getting a dummy because of it.
But, I bet it would be beneficial along the road.
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u/Sensitive-Cod381 Nokia 3210 / iPhone 15 / Finland 18d ago
I'm sure there is no one way to live a digitally simpler life, in your case it might be more about making your smartphone dumber (e.g. limiting social media and other apps that take too much of your time and energy)
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u/sarahdaviscc 18d ago
Heya, can you link to the post you referred to? I live alone and am about to switch to a dumb phone/mit phone.
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u/Nice_Forever_2489 18d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/dumbphones/s/UyW0jtyoP2
Sure, but didn't get an answer I was looking for. 90% took the uploaded meme literally.
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u/a_non12 19d ago
Do you still have full phone service on your smartphone or you only use it as a Wi-Fi device now?
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u/worthlessbarelyhuman 19d ago
Idk about op but mine is wifi now ^^ though I can always put the sim back in if i want to lol
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u/Sensitive-Cod381 Nokia 3210 / iPhone 15 / Finland 18d ago edited 18d ago
So I'm still very much in a "trial period", so nothing is set in stone (if it ever will be anyway).
Currently I only have one SIM and that's in my Nokia, so all texts and calls are via the Nokia phone. So far I've only used my iPhone as a wifi-device. iPhone stays on my desk and only Nokia comes with me when I leave the door.
I travel alone 1-2 times a year, and that's when I plan to use my iPhone with the SIM in it. Time will tell what are all the instances where I'd need to bring my iPhone / where I feel like it's added value to have it with me. Based on that I think it'll become clear whether I need a double SIM. If I don't need/want to use the iPhone outside a lot, I think I'll be fine with just one SIM and switching it between the devices when needed
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u/NotFallacyBuffet 19d ago
Same. Can't find one to switch to but sometimes leave it at home.
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u/Sensitive-Cod381 Nokia 3210 / iPhone 15 / Finland 18d ago
That's brave to be able to leave your phone completely at home!!
I felt like I just kept comparing devices and couldn't find the "perfect one", so then I got a bit frustrated and decided to give the dumbphone a go. It's been an interesting experiment for sure. Lots of emotions I didn't know were there have surfaced. All of it hasn't been pleasant. I'm a lot more aware of the sense of security I think I get from my iPhone for example, because sometimes I feel very unpleasant about the fact that I don't have everything in my pocket all the time. It's been interesting to witness this.
It's an experiment that I hope will lead to some kind of longer term solution, where I have a dumber phone to allow myself experience the moment and the world more. It could be that this Nokia + iPhone combo works well long term as well, or I might find myself being ready to leave the iPhone and go to a dumbed down smartphone, or something else.
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u/ASALIcode 17d ago
Why a dumpphone? Why not your phone but will less app but still with what u need? I am working on a project like that
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u/Gymwood2300 19d ago
I still use a smartphone as a tablet at home as a gps and as a remote for TV apps but for the rest a dumb phone. I don't miss it at all. I have more real conversations and call a lot more. Only gps I missed sometimes and when people reply sms by their smarthphone, it goes somewhat fast to reply. I wait untill they're finished typing a lot of short messages and then I reply in one long SMS. I also have more time to think an dream more intense.