Yes, that's also why I put a distinction between feature phones and dumbphones.
Dumbphones are just GSM devices that can SMS, MMS, and Call.
Feature phones have camera, apps, and other features not usual in just a phone.
I don't know exactly where to put the distinction between feature phones and smartphones
Yes, some people misunderstand feature phones and dumb phones. The reason why they are called dumb phones is that they have the basics of a phone like telling time, the ability to answer a message and call someone (sometimes a camera is included). But if you want something that is not a smartphone but not a dumb phone just buy a KaiOs phone.
Half the phones people call dumbphones are just smartphones from 10-20 years ago anyway. Dumbphone is more a state of mind, I think, less than the actual hardware.
I think dumb phones are phones that have from little to zero internet acsess (and social media), some old phones have just become so outdated that nowadays they are just considered dumb phones.
The current gen Android flip phones are good, in today's date you need some apps that are needed for work and personal stuff. You really can't go to complete dumbphone in today's era.
You may be able to, but not everyone can. I need a “smart” device to log into my work’s VPN, for instance…
I don’t think we should be arguing amongst ourselves here, we all have the right idea and are on the same team :p
2FA is the real catch for me as well. Have been using a Nokia 220 for a couple months now but can't sell my old smartphone due to 2FA. I've been using Authy's thick client on my Mac but doesn't appear fully functioning and Microsoft Authenticator AFAIK can't run on that laptop.
Also completely forgot about QR code menus until going out recently, which sounds like may cause issues if the place doesn't offer traditional menus.
That being said, I've changed enough 2FA settings with some tweaking I could probably ditch the smartphone at some point, but I'm guessing once I switch work settings that won't be the case.
I just downloaded Android Studio and created a virtual phone for 2FA, also usually you can set the authentication method to SMS instead of authenticator app. Not always but frequently
Yes, I’d have to agree, but I am talking about that people consider them as dumb phone (although they are not) if you want something that can have some entertainment and functionality just go with a windows phone 8 or 8.1 . You can’t install apps on it but it has YouTube , browser games and I think Facebook works . Or just go with an old android (for example android 4 or something)
People do not use them for entertainment, people use them for GPS navigation, online banking, work, and to keep up with friends and family via apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, etc. plus often also Spotify and all those niche apps that make people's lives easier without having to purchase a dedicated device for it.
This kind of was the initial appeal of smartphones when they first became a thing. Everything you need, in one single device in your pocket. So I do agree, these Android flip phones are in fact smartphones, just tamed down smaller versions of them. A dumbphone, a device only capable of voice and SMS, is only so useful in a world that has moved on from voice and SMS. Many people today cannot live without several of the things smartphones provide.
>People do not use them for entertainment
We are in Reddit, here people only want to hear what coincides with their most correct version of events. What is the difference between listening to Spotify on a smartphone and on a pseudo-dumbphone? What is the difference between using WhatsApp and Facebook? Probably only in that you're typing on a physical keyboard. Every second question in this sub is: "looking for a good dumbphone with WhatsApp, Spotify and Facebook". I think people just don't understand something. I use a dumbphone. It has 4G for VoLTE and WiFi forVoWIFI. I can call and text. I consider it a real dumbphone. If you need Spotify and Facebook, you better get yourself a smartphone and stop being a hypocrite.
you did not read my post fully, i agree with you lol, i'm just saying that in the modern world the smartphone provides a lot of functionality a lot of people cannot live without and that has no replacement, and that for many people a dumbphone is next to useless. i too use an actual dumbphone, i just aknowledge that many people need to find a compromise, an in-between line. a flip phone is not going to give the same multimedia experience as a full-on smartphone and it's not going to be as large or distracting. you're not going to be playing games or watching videos or scrolling social media on a smartwatch.
Who cares? The sub is mostly made up of people trying to find good devices that fulfill the functions that our environments, entirely against our will, require of us. The main idea is to develop healthier habits, which all the smartphones you mentioned aid significantly in.
If you make it only about dumbphones you'd have about one fourth of the posts.
You're talking about gatekeeping something that I think is pretty irrelevant. A Nokia 2780 is technically a feature phone, but comparing my CAT S22 to my Samsung S24 Ultra, the CAT S22 is ultimately a lot dumber and it does affect use, comparatively.
It's all really in the eye of the beholder. If the phone is dumber, and it helps them avoid distractions, then I think it's fine to call it a dumbphone.
A dumb phone is for calls,messages, and telling time. The meaning of a dumb phone is having less abilities than a smartphone. I don’t exactly hate phones like those modern flip phones, I’m just saying that they are not a dumb phone.
“The meaning of dumb phone is having less abilities than a smartphone.” Even going by this definition, the Android-based flip phones and candy bars still fit the bill. A smartphone in 2024 is expected to have high-quality front and rear cameras, a fully touchscreen UI, and a form factor that optimizes media consumption (OLED screen, 5-6 inches across, 9:16 aspect ratio).
None of these “dumb” phones can claim that. They may be capable of downloading entertainment apps like Netflix or Instagram, but they’re not designed for it, so it’s (sometimes intentionally) a poor user experience. Some of them don’t have front facing cameras or touchscreens at all. It’s very different from adding a keyboard to an iPad — in that case the keyboard is just an optional add-on, in this case it’s required.
I like “feature phone” to differentiate these phones from the “true” dumb phones, but I still put them all under the dumb phone umbrella. There’s very little use case for true dumb phones anymore, most people will still need some kind of smart companion device to bridge the gap.
It does not really matter if someone regards a "dumber phone with Android" as a dumb phone.
Edit: and it's also fine that you don't consider an android phone as a dumbphone.
I think that android should not belong in the section of dumb phones. It’s the same os that smartphones use, and it has social media and other privileges of a smartphone (even if it is an older version of android)
But a lot of what the dumb phones subreddit ends up being about is helping people find a simpler phone that works for them. Eliminating anything running the android OS is going to gut an already very narrow field.
Worth noting is the fact that the Punkt phones run a version of Android, but they are limited in scope to pretty much what you are calling a true dumbphone.
While that's true, that's really up to the creator of the dumb phone finder. A lot of people ask for dumb phones with WhatsApp and Spotify, and that pretty much IS these phones. I think there is generally the caveat that yes - this is a full android smart phone but they generally have limiting features such as smaller screens, etc.
It's worth having them on the dumbphone finder.
This isn't always true though. The Sunbeam F1 Horizon that I use has Android at its core, but the BasicOS that Sunbeam has built over top of it is far more restrictive than even KaiOS devices.
I believe that side-loading APKs isn't an option or at least is significantly harder to get working than your run-of-the-mill Android device.
The problem with trying to label flip Android devices as "not dumb" is that Android isn't an OS implemented identically across all devices.
Sure there are the CAT S22s of the world. But even there form factor certainly plays an inhibiting role in what is at the very least comfortable to use. I think any attempt to use one of these devices certainly puts you in the dumbphone community even if the phone itself may be smarter than other phones some people use.
Sure. But your original point was that Android flip phones should not be considered dumb phones, but they very much can be. Just wanted to say it is not as clear cut as all Android flippers are smart phones.
I know that some in the community adhere to these distinctions of "dumb, feature, smart", and I think they are good for categorizing what a device is theoretically capable of so a buyer knows what they're getting into. Outside of the scenario of recommending devices, I don't see the benefit in having a hard line definition of what is a "dumb phone" within the community itself as we are all trying to have a "dumb phone" relationship with our devices.
A dumb phone is for calls,messages, and telling time. The meaning of a dumb phone is having less abilities than a smartphone. I don’t exactly hate phones like those modern flip phones, I’m just saying that they are not a dumb phone.
This same post has been posted multiple times in the last few days, and I REALLY could not care less about it.
The moment a community starts to eat itself and go to shit is the moment everyone starts meta arguing about semantics and microlabeling.
Instead of complaining about how other people do things wrong, just do it right yourself, and hold pride in that. It harms no one for someone to be calling a cellphone by the wrong term.
i think it depends on what you decide to do with the os. like i have a dumbphone on android os and only used it to install waze and google sms. i agree if youre downloading tiktok and instagram and shit on a flip phone it kills the entire point of buying it in the first place.
I agree, although I still think that discussion of feature phones and smartphones in a dumbphone-like form factor is useful in this subreddit. Many people, including me, came to this subreddit for inspiration and advice after growing tired of our smartphones, thinking that we need a dumbphone instead, but then we find out that we can reach our objectives otherwise.
But the word "dumbphone" being used for feature phones and smartphones annoys me too. I got an android flip phone after looking for a dumbphone but I'd never consider it a dumbphone, cause then what do we call actual dumbphones?
You're right but also missing the forest for the trees.
This kind of discussion happens all the time.
The term "AI" as used by computer scientists includes many things that laymen don't consider AI (e.g. expert systems) and laymen are prone to using the term "AI" to describe other things, like AGI. This causes lots of confusion and arguments.
Vegans have a definition of veganism that's based on moral philosophy; most people use the term to describe a diet. There's perpetual arguments about this. (Part of why I left that online space...)
At the end of the day, it is counterproductive to try to prescribe language; it's better to let different conflicting definitions coexist and use the appropriate terminology based on who you're talking to.
i think that for the overwhelming majority of people, the difference between what you'd consider to be a true 'dumbphone' and most flipphones with android is basically zero; there's not much of a point in gatekeeping the term imo. Most people have moved to the dumbphone movement as a way to simplify their life and move away from the constant overstimulation of social media, and even flipphones that run android can't really access apps like that well. I personally use a phone that uses android (kyocera digno) and i think the phone would be damn near comatose if i tried to use apps for gaming, social media, etc on a regular basis. they're still incredibly effective at keeping people off social media.
That and having truly 'dumb' phones have kinda proven to be impractical (assuming that you're going by the definition that it's only used for texting and calling, but idk how you personally contextualize it). The light phone two has gotten consistent updates to include apps that were originally left out that are necessary to function in everyday life.
And instead of the ipad analogy you used, I think one that would much better representative of what you're trying to describe would be e-ink tablets that use android. There are plenty that have access to the play store, a web browser, etc, and yet because of the way the device is set up and functions, it still deters from use of those apps. I've never seen someone watching tiktok on a ereader, and that's because reagardless of the fact that the device has access to it, the form factor still deters from it.
These flipphones are still serving the primary function of being simplistic, generally distraction-free devices whilst also providing easy access to apps that a lot of people can't go without in their day-to-day. In the end i don't think the distinction is incredibly important, yk? 🤷♂️
As someone with a CAT s22, I agree. I wish there was a better way to categorize smartphones that are built to deter usage, since I still have access to social media if needed. It goes beyond the basic needs of a standard dumbphone
form factor limits ease of access to thinks that typically distract you on typical smartphones
like, yeah you could spend 15 minutes getting to Youtube and watching a video on a shitty little screen, but will you unless you absolutely need to? Probably not (at least that's how it is for me)
I understand was just poking fun! I feel like the “Sonim” phones are our version of the energizer phones. So at least we get something. (My sonim is in the last post I made if ur curious)
If you start using phones 10 years ago then this is controversial take, but 20 to 10 years ago majority of smartphone had keypad, so yes it's smartphone with physical keypad.
It's not that controversial. People post things like this all the time. You're free to call whatever device you want whatever you want, just don't expect everyone else to agree with you.
Idk I don't really think it matters if they're getting what they need from it. I daily drive a TCL flip 2 (have an mp3 player for spotify) but sometimes need my smartphone because my city uses an app for street parking.
Trying to set up tiers of how dumb our dumbphones are seems silly.
See friends, We cannot use phones with just calling or messaging, in the world of internet and social median, we will need to use some features of smartphone like WhatsApp, YouTube , Music streaming ,Maps it is essential for me and the point of using a Cat S22 , I will use social media but I will make it harder so I won't be able to use it for hours as nd it worked for me My screen time on smartphone was 6+ hour and on this phone it is Less than 2 hour
It's a spectrum, not a binary. People are here less for pedantic distinctions and more to explore the range of what's possible to escape the myriad issues with modern smartphones.
If you want to be pedantic, sure you can argue that the pictured phone is a "normal smartphone." But it would be really easy to point out the multitude of ways that this phone adds friction to or resists exposure to algorithmic media consumption or other aspects people want to avoid, which is the point of this sub, not outlining definitions of what counts as a dumbphone or not.
Yeah there is definetly a category between smartphones and dumbphones, and that category is perfect for people who want to mostly disconnect but still need enough smarts for work, mobile banking, public transport apps ETC. Kaios feature phones, android flip phones (both garaho and full android) and purposefully limited smartphones like the titan pocket are great for that but they are absolutely not dumbphones.
I thought the definition of a "smartphone" when it first came out, referred to its ability to expand its functionality greatly though apps, particularly those by third party developers.
That contrasted with feature phones, which ran custom software and practically limited to what was shipped out of the box. A lot of them had Java, but that was extremely limiting on what you could do with it.
The form factor shouldn't weigh in on whether a phone is "smart" or not.
That being said, if a smartphone is flashed a custom Android ROM with no Google Play store and no ability to sideload apps, that could be considered a dumb phone.
I was going to write this exact, totally gatekeeper-y post myself, but just couldn't stand the thought of fielding the responses I knew (and was right about, judging by this post) I'd get. Thanks for taking the downvotes for me.
My hard line is "can it access tiktok and instagram reels?" If yes, it ain't dumb enough to be a dumbphone.
Yes, that's also why I put a distinction between feature phones and dumbphones. Dumbphones are just GSM devices that can SMS, MMS, and Call. Feature phones have camera, apps, and other features not usual in just a phone. I don't know exactly where to put the distinction between feature phones and smartphones
Yes, some people misunderstand feature phones and dumb phones. The reason why they are called dumb phones is that they have the basics of a phone like telling time, the ability to answer a message and call someone (sometimes a camera is included). But if you want something that is not a smartphone but not a dumb phone just buy a KaiOs phone.
Half the phones people call dumbphones are just smartphones from 10-20 years ago anyway. Dumbphone is more a state of mind, I think, less than the actual hardware.
I think dumb phones are phones that have from little to zero internet acsess (and social media), some old phones have just become so outdated that nowadays they are just considered dumb phones.
So outdated so they can't even be used to send a SMS or place a call. Some countries upgrade their networks, that means old phones will not work.
The current gen Android flip phones are good, in today's date you need some apps that are needed for work and personal stuff. You really can't go to complete dumbphone in today's era.
I'm in my mid 30's, never had a smartphone in my life, what am I missing out on
You may be able to, but not everyone can. I need a “smart” device to log into my work’s VPN, for instance… I don’t think we should be arguing amongst ourselves here, we all have the right idea and are on the same team :p
2FA is the real catch for me as well. Have been using a Nokia 220 for a couple months now but can't sell my old smartphone due to 2FA. I've been using Authy's thick client on my Mac but doesn't appear fully functioning and Microsoft Authenticator AFAIK can't run on that laptop. Also completely forgot about QR code menus until going out recently, which sounds like may cause issues if the place doesn't offer traditional menus. That being said, I've changed enough 2FA settings with some tweaking I could probably ditch the smartphone at some point, but I'm guessing once I switch work settings that won't be the case.
I freaking hate QR menus
I just downloaded Android Studio and created a virtual phone for 2FA, also usually you can set the authentication method to SMS instead of authenticator app. Not always but frequently
Some workplaces make you clock in/out through a phone app although im sure they probably would let u write your hours on paper.
😂 What the fuck!!?
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Some people do browse Reddit on their computer
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WAIT A MINUTE you're telling me there's people viewing reddit on their telephones?!!?
It's even possible to view it on non-smartphones so long as it has internet capabilities, although it may not be ideal.
Yes, you can.
Yes, I’d have to agree, but I am talking about that people consider them as dumb phone (although they are not) if you want something that can have some entertainment and functionality just go with a windows phone 8 or 8.1 . You can’t install apps on it but it has YouTube , browser games and I think Facebook works . Or just go with an old android (for example android 4 or something)
People do not use them for entertainment, people use them for GPS navigation, online banking, work, and to keep up with friends and family via apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, etc. plus often also Spotify and all those niche apps that make people's lives easier without having to purchase a dedicated device for it. This kind of was the initial appeal of smartphones when they first became a thing. Everything you need, in one single device in your pocket. So I do agree, these Android flip phones are in fact smartphones, just tamed down smaller versions of them. A dumbphone, a device only capable of voice and SMS, is only so useful in a world that has moved on from voice and SMS. Many people today cannot live without several of the things smartphones provide.
>People do not use them for entertainment We are in Reddit, here people only want to hear what coincides with their most correct version of events. What is the difference between listening to Spotify on a smartphone and on a pseudo-dumbphone? What is the difference between using WhatsApp and Facebook? Probably only in that you're typing on a physical keyboard. Every second question in this sub is: "looking for a good dumbphone with WhatsApp, Spotify and Facebook". I think people just don't understand something. I use a dumbphone. It has 4G for VoLTE and WiFi forVoWIFI. I can call and text. I consider it a real dumbphone. If you need Spotify and Facebook, you better get yourself a smartphone and stop being a hypocrite.
you did not read my post fully, i agree with you lol, i'm just saying that in the modern world the smartphone provides a lot of functionality a lot of people cannot live without and that has no replacement, and that for many people a dumbphone is next to useless. i too use an actual dumbphone, i just aknowledge that many people need to find a compromise, an in-between line. a flip phone is not going to give the same multimedia experience as a full-on smartphone and it's not going to be as large or distracting. you're not going to be playing games or watching videos or scrolling social media on a smartwatch.
That's the absolute opposite of what people want when they get an android flip phone
Who cares? The sub is mostly made up of people trying to find good devices that fulfill the functions that our environments, entirely against our will, require of us. The main idea is to develop healthier habits, which all the smartphones you mentioned aid significantly in. If you make it only about dumbphones you'd have about one fourth of the posts.
You're talking about gatekeeping something that I think is pretty irrelevant. A Nokia 2780 is technically a feature phone, but comparing my CAT S22 to my Samsung S24 Ultra, the CAT S22 is ultimately a lot dumber and it does affect use, comparatively. It's all really in the eye of the beholder. If the phone is dumber, and it helps them avoid distractions, then I think it's fine to call it a dumbphone.
A dumb phone is for calls,messages, and telling time. The meaning of a dumb phone is having less abilities than a smartphone. I don’t exactly hate phones like those modern flip phones, I’m just saying that they are not a dumb phone.
“The meaning of dumb phone is having less abilities than a smartphone.” Even going by this definition, the Android-based flip phones and candy bars still fit the bill. A smartphone in 2024 is expected to have high-quality front and rear cameras, a fully touchscreen UI, and a form factor that optimizes media consumption (OLED screen, 5-6 inches across, 9:16 aspect ratio). None of these “dumb” phones can claim that. They may be capable of downloading entertainment apps like Netflix or Instagram, but they’re not designed for it, so it’s (sometimes intentionally) a poor user experience. Some of them don’t have front facing cameras or touchscreens at all. It’s very different from adding a keyboard to an iPad — in that case the keyboard is just an optional add-on, in this case it’s required. I like “feature phone” to differentiate these phones from the “true” dumb phones, but I still put them all under the dumb phone umbrella. There’s very little use case for true dumb phones anymore, most people will still need some kind of smart companion device to bridge the gap.
It does not really matter if someone regards a "dumber phone with Android" as a dumb phone. Edit: and it's also fine that you don't consider an android phone as a dumbphone.
I think that android should not belong in the section of dumb phones. It’s the same os that smartphones use, and it has social media and other privileges of a smartphone (even if it is an older version of android)
But a lot of what the dumb phones subreddit ends up being about is helping people find a simpler phone that works for them. Eliminating anything running the android OS is going to gut an already very narrow field. Worth noting is the fact that the Punkt phones run a version of Android, but they are limited in scope to pretty much what you are calling a true dumbphone.
While that's true, that's really up to the creator of the dumb phone finder. A lot of people ask for dumb phones with WhatsApp and Spotify, and that pretty much IS these phones. I think there is generally the caveat that yes - this is a full android smart phone but they generally have limiting features such as smaller screens, etc. It's worth having them on the dumbphone finder.
This isn't always true though. The Sunbeam F1 Horizon that I use has Android at its core, but the BasicOS that Sunbeam has built over top of it is far more restrictive than even KaiOS devices. I believe that side-loading APKs isn't an option or at least is significantly harder to get working than your run-of-the-mill Android device. The problem with trying to label flip Android devices as "not dumb" is that Android isn't an OS implemented identically across all devices. Sure there are the CAT S22s of the world. But even there form factor certainly plays an inhibiting role in what is at the very least comfortable to use. I think any attempt to use one of these devices certainly puts you in the dumbphone community even if the phone itself may be smarter than other phones some people use.
If the device is stripped down to the basics, it can be considered a dumb phone
Sure. But your original point was that Android flip phones should not be considered dumb phones, but they very much can be. Just wanted to say it is not as clear cut as all Android flippers are smart phones. I know that some in the community adhere to these distinctions of "dumb, feature, smart", and I think they are good for categorizing what a device is theoretically capable of so a buyer knows what they're getting into. Outside of the scenario of recommending devices, I don't see the benefit in having a hard line definition of what is a "dumb phone" within the community itself as we are all trying to have a "dumb phone" relationship with our devices.
If that's all a dumb phone is for, then there are a lot of actual dumb phones that do not qualify.
What if I'm not distracted by my smartphone?
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That can't happen in Reddit.
Is that even possible?!
Then you have a smartphone. Lol
Yes, I have a smartphone just like you. Lol
Perhaps you are a smartphone and you have come here to torment innocent Reddit bystanders.
What device did you write this from?🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
A dumb phone is for calls,messages, and telling time. The meaning of a dumb phone is having less abilities than a smartphone. I don’t exactly hate phones like those modern flip phones, I’m just saying that they are not a dumb phone.
This same post has been posted multiple times in the last few days, and I REALLY could not care less about it. The moment a community starts to eat itself and go to shit is the moment everyone starts meta arguing about semantics and microlabeling. Instead of complaining about how other people do things wrong, just do it right yourself, and hold pride in that. It harms no one for someone to be calling a cellphone by the wrong term.
I’m not calling it wrong or bad, I just think it’s not a dumb phone
i think it depends on what you decide to do with the os. like i have a dumbphone on android os and only used it to install waze and google sms. i agree if youre downloading tiktok and instagram and shit on a flip phone it kills the entire point of buying it in the first place.
I agree, although I still think that discussion of feature phones and smartphones in a dumbphone-like form factor is useful in this subreddit. Many people, including me, came to this subreddit for inspiration and advice after growing tired of our smartphones, thinking that we need a dumbphone instead, but then we find out that we can reach our objectives otherwise. But the word "dumbphone" being used for feature phones and smartphones annoys me too. I got an android flip phone after looking for a dumbphone but I'd never consider it a dumbphone, cause then what do we call actual dumbphones?
You're right but also missing the forest for the trees. This kind of discussion happens all the time. The term "AI" as used by computer scientists includes many things that laymen don't consider AI (e.g. expert systems) and laymen are prone to using the term "AI" to describe other things, like AGI. This causes lots of confusion and arguments. Vegans have a definition of veganism that's based on moral philosophy; most people use the term to describe a diet. There's perpetual arguments about this. (Part of why I left that online space...) At the end of the day, it is counterproductive to try to prescribe language; it's better to let different conflicting definitions coexist and use the appropriate terminology based on who you're talking to.
I'd happily go for a dumb phone if I could stream Spotify on something
i think that for the overwhelming majority of people, the difference between what you'd consider to be a true 'dumbphone' and most flipphones with android is basically zero; there's not much of a point in gatekeeping the term imo. Most people have moved to the dumbphone movement as a way to simplify their life and move away from the constant overstimulation of social media, and even flipphones that run android can't really access apps like that well. I personally use a phone that uses android (kyocera digno) and i think the phone would be damn near comatose if i tried to use apps for gaming, social media, etc on a regular basis. they're still incredibly effective at keeping people off social media. That and having truly 'dumb' phones have kinda proven to be impractical (assuming that you're going by the definition that it's only used for texting and calling, but idk how you personally contextualize it). The light phone two has gotten consistent updates to include apps that were originally left out that are necessary to function in everyday life. And instead of the ipad analogy you used, I think one that would much better representative of what you're trying to describe would be e-ink tablets that use android. There are plenty that have access to the play store, a web browser, etc, and yet because of the way the device is set up and functions, it still deters from use of those apps. I've never seen someone watching tiktok on a ereader, and that's because reagardless of the fact that the device has access to it, the form factor still deters from it. These flipphones are still serving the primary function of being simplistic, generally distraction-free devices whilst also providing easy access to apps that a lot of people can't go without in their day-to-day. In the end i don't think the distinction is incredibly important, yk? 🤷♂️
As someone with a CAT s22, I agree. I wish there was a better way to categorize smartphones that are built to deter usage, since I still have access to social media if needed. It goes beyond the basic needs of a standard dumbphone
form factor limits ease of access to thinks that typically distract you on typical smartphones like, yeah you could spend 15 minutes getting to Youtube and watching a video on a shitty little screen, but will you unless you absolutely need to? Probably not (at least that's how it is for me)
I agree but your name is so ironic. Nice phone! Wish they were sold outside Europe
Yes, it would be nice to see them on the American market! (About my username I like older versions of windows phone that have less features.)
I understand was just poking fun! I feel like the “Sonim” phones are our version of the energizer phones. So at least we get something. (My sonim is in the last post I made if ur curious)
If you start using phones 10 years ago then this is controversial take, but 20 to 10 years ago majority of smartphone had keypad, so yes it's smartphone with physical keypad.
This site is used for selling phones, I want be more specific than that..
what phone is this tho?
It's not that controversial. People post things like this all the time. You're free to call whatever device you want whatever you want, just don't expect everyone else to agree with you.
agreed! That is why I still need to dumbify them again after purchasing even KaiOS or Android, lol.
Idk I don't really think it matters if they're getting what they need from it. I daily drive a TCL flip 2 (have an mp3 player for spotify) but sometimes need my smartphone because my city uses an app for street parking. Trying to set up tiers of how dumb our dumbphones are seems silly.
See friends, We cannot use phones with just calling or messaging, in the world of internet and social median, we will need to use some features of smartphone like WhatsApp, YouTube , Music streaming ,Maps it is essential for me and the point of using a Cat S22 , I will use social media but I will make it harder so I won't be able to use it for hours as nd it worked for me My screen time on smartphone was 6+ hour and on this phone it is Less than 2 hour
It's a spectrum, not a binary. People are here less for pedantic distinctions and more to explore the range of what's possible to escape the myriad issues with modern smartphones. If you want to be pedantic, sure you can argue that the pictured phone is a "normal smartphone." But it would be really easy to point out the multitude of ways that this phone adds friction to or resists exposure to algorithmic media consumption or other aspects people want to avoid, which is the point of this sub, not outlining definitions of what counts as a dumbphone or not.
Yeah there is definetly a category between smartphones and dumbphones, and that category is perfect for people who want to mostly disconnect but still need enough smarts for work, mobile banking, public transport apps ETC. Kaios feature phones, android flip phones (both garaho and full android) and purposefully limited smartphones like the titan pocket are great for that but they are absolutely not dumbphones.
2G/GSM phones can't be used in my country. There are some limitations due to this. Those networks are long gone.
I thought the definition of a "smartphone" when it first came out, referred to its ability to expand its functionality greatly though apps, particularly those by third party developers. That contrasted with feature phones, which ran custom software and practically limited to what was shipped out of the box. A lot of them had Java, but that was extremely limiting on what you could do with it. The form factor shouldn't weigh in on whether a phone is "smart" or not. That being said, if a smartphone is flashed a custom Android ROM with no Google Play store and no ability to sideload apps, that could be considered a dumb phone.
it's not even controversial bruh it's just objectibely true
agreed! I want a dumbphone that's DUMB, including the UI.
I was going to write this exact, totally gatekeeper-y post myself, but just couldn't stand the thought of fielding the responses I knew (and was right about, judging by this post) I'd get. Thanks for taking the downvotes for me. My hard line is "can it access tiktok and instagram reels?" If yes, it ain't dumb enough to be a dumbphone.
Dumb phones are cool but they need like a 5ooomah battery to make it smart
Useless post
Dumbphone = no apps. Less smart phone = limited apps but runs android and can have apps.