Generation Z and millennials are back to using “dumb phones”, rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world
In a world obsessed with smartphones it may come as a surprise that a growing number of teenagers are choosing “dumb phones” instead.
The simple, bare-bones mobile devices we might have used a decade or two ago are making a comeback among the new generation as teenagers seek to recapture theindependence from technology.
In the United States, sales of phones with basic calling and texting increased in 2022 for HMD Global, the maker of Nokia, with tens of thousands sold every month.
“We see the flip phone market growing by 5 percent,” said Lars Silberbauer, Chief Marketing Officer of Nokia Phones and HMD Global, adding that “over the past year, we have doubled our share of the flip phone market.”
What is a “dumb phone”?
With their limited features, dumb phones offer a simpler and less immersive user experience than smartphones.
These devices prioritize essential phone functions, such as making calls and sending messages, eliminating the temptations of social media platforms that occupy, on average, more than 7 hours a day for more than 50% of teenagers, according to a survey of over 40,000 participants on Real Research, an online survey application.
90s nostalgia
Millennials, for years the younger generation, are aging and indulging in nostalgia.
At the same time, generation Z, the one who grew up in front of the screens, seems to be fascinated by a past that has not been able to live. For example, retro-inspired video games with pixelated graphics and simple gameplay have regained a cult following.
The past becomes a reminder of a time when life seemed simpler and more carefree, says Silberbauer, and this nostalgia for the past has also driven the rise of the dumb phone trend, he adds.
“People want to go back to the early 2000s or 90s, I think it’s a reminder of a happier time, a time when things were a little bit simpler.”
Dumb phone and smartphone: What’s the difference?
While smartphones offer advanced features like tons of apps, dumbphones are designed to be “basic phones,” with limited features and capabilities.
However, there is “a whole range of dumb phones,” explains Silberbauer.
Some of the contemporary improvements include 4G network coverage, upgraded cameras and updated colors, “but overall it’s pretty much the same.”
Nokia dumbphones are sold with several operating systems, including KaiOS, which enables a “lightweight version of WhatsApp, which some people need,” Silberbauer explained.
“You can choose the features you want and have a phone with a battery that lasts 31 days, so you can recharge the device 12 times a year. That’s all.”
Smartphones are not destined to disappear: they cater to a different market.
Nokia continues to sell smartphones and in January of this year introduced a unique innovation – serviceable phones.
“You can fix the phone yourself with a small screwdriver. You can change the screen, charging sockets and battery in a couple of minutes.”
The company wants to avoid its customers having to get a new phone every single year: “It’s not a business model we really want to cater to.”
Phones that are thrown away, rather than repaired, already produce 35 million tonnes of waste and 261 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year in Europe.
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2023-06-29 02:58:17
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