Some people are ditching the smartphone. They are going back to use the basic phones that we used to have before. They are often called dumbphones or feature phones nowadays. Using a smartphone can make your life easier. It’s small and you can use it wherever you want. You can pay bills with it, search information, take a photo, use social media, browse the web, edit documents, watch funny videos and more. But, with the growing trend of smartphone addiction, many find out that using a smartphone lowers their productivity and wastes their lives by endless scrolling. This article is about the way that a dumbphone can improve your life.

What is a dumbphone?

First, let’s explain what a dumbphone is. Some would say that dumbphones are similar to the phones of the late 90s/early 2000s. Also, the phones that are really from that era, are also called dumbphones today. Dumbphones have basic functionalities like calling and texting. Some also have advanced features like WhatsApp or Facebook. The point is that those phones don’t offer as many apps like smartphones do. Having a smartphone is like having a mini computer in your pocket, while a dumbphone is mostly a portable phone with few functionalities.

Dumbphone vs smartphone. What can dumbphones do better?

People who own a smartphone will ask themselves – how do dumbphones improve our lives? Here are some reasons why a dumbphone is better than a smartphone:

1. No more endless scrolling. You’ve probably spent many hours scrolling through social media, Youtube or TikTok. You know how useless but tempting it is. Well, on dumbphones there are no advanced apps for social media, and sometimes only apps with limited functionality. It’s also hard to browse the web. These are the ways to avoid endless scrolling in your life. Yet, by using a dumbphone you can still communicate with other people.
2. You are more productive. On a smartphone, you can browse endlessly. They are a fun instant gratification. On dumbphones, you only have access to essential apps and browsing the Internet (if it even has one) is difficult without a big touchscreen. This increases productivity because you have more time to focus on doing your favourite hobby or learning a new skill.
3. You don’t have to worry about charging the battery. Most smartphones need to be charged every day. As for dumbphones, most of them are only used for essential things. Therefore, the battery lasts very long. Imagine that you only have to charge your phone every few days.
4. You can decrease your usage of social media. You can’t interact on social media with other people in an easy way as with a smartphone. For example, it’s not easy to like their Facebook post or comment on their Instagram photo. If the dumbphone still has a social media app, it’s very basic.To create a bond with other people, you have to call them or text them. You also have more time to hang out in person. Lack of social media decreases the amount of superficial interactions.
5. It’s easier to avoid negative news. Social media, news sites and the entire Internet is bombarded with useless news to rile you up. Not all news is useless of course, but many are. Dumbphones have limited access to the web and therefore, less news.
6. No urge to use a phone during social interaction. Some people are still on their phone all the time in mid-conversation with others. If you have a dumbphone, you probably won’t be that person.

Cons of using a dumbphone

Here are some disadvantages of using a dumbphone:

1. Can’t use it for navigation easily.. On smartphones, you have apps like Google Maps that navigate you through unfamiliar spaces. Apps are also often more advanced. Interacting with a navigation app on a smartphone is easier. Lots of dumbphones also lack navigation apps completely.. 
2. Can’t using it for e-banking and cashless payment easily. On smartphones, you have instant access to your bank account through the bank app. You can also use your smartphone to conveniently pay online. On dumbphones, it’s even hard to properly browse the Internet.
3. Dumbphones take some time to get used to. Smartphone is a small computer in your pocket. It provides lots of instant fun and many useful functionalities. Getting used to a lifestyle of having a dumbphone will be full of trials and errors.
4. Dumbphones don’t have good cameras. Dumbphones often have worse cameras than smartphones.This can be  a negative when you have to snap a good photo, but don’t have a smartphone.
5. Some people will find it weird. Owning a smartphone is a trendy and normal thing nowadays. Everyone has one. Therefore, some may find it strange. Also, having a dumbphone means not using texting apps and social media for communication. That’s because typing is harder on dumbphones. Smartphone users may also consider your communication style to be incompatible with theirs.
6. Modern lifestyles often require smartphone usage. There are many occasions where you need a smartphone. First example is at work. They may require you to use a phone for multi-factor authentication, but have not provided a company phone. On smartphones, you can also do many work-related things, like responding to emails, reading documents or communicating with coworkers via Teams or Zoom. This means that employees are very easy to reach outside working hours. They can also be expected to catch up on the work outside of working hours. Another example of needing a smartphone is events. On some events, you can only enter if you have a mobile ticket.
7. It’s hard to find a suitable dumbphone. You may want to have a dumbphone with some apps like WhatsApp or Facebook. Others may want a dumbphone with Spotify. It’s difficult to find a dumbphone with all desired functionalities.
8. You have to use a computer for things you do on a smartphone. You may want to pay bills online, do online shopping and read the news. On a smartphone, you can do it instantly. Without a smartphone, you will have to postpone those things until reaching a computer.