#dumbphones — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/style/trends-predictions-2026.html

Justin ⏚ @[email protected] · 2025-12-31 · 18:21 UTC

"Dumb Phones as Status Symbols" is on the @newyorktimes predictions for 2026. Asking "Who can afford to be less reachable?"

These things are less than 15 years old, it's funny how fast "convenience" becomes a trap. Tech that makes work faster can only ever be convenient in a world where few people own such a device.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/style/trends-predictions-2026.html

Justin ⏚ @[email protected] · 2025-12-31 · 18:21 UTC

"Dumb Phones as Status Symbols" is on the @newyorktimes predictions for 2026. Asking "Who can afford to be less reachable?"

These things are less than 15 years old, it's funny how fast "convenience" becomes a trap. Tech that makes work faster can only ever be convenient in a world where few people own such a device.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/style/trends-predictions-2026.html

Justin ⏚ @[email protected] · 2025-12-31 · 18:21 UTC

"Dumb Phones as Status Symbols" is on the @newyorktimes predictions for 2026. Asking "Who can afford to be less reachable?"

These things are less than 15 years old, it's funny how fast "convenience" becomes a trap. Tech that makes work faster can only ever be convenient in a world where few people own such a device.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/style/trends-predictions-2026.html

#newyorktimes #lightphone #dumbphones

Justin ⏚ @[email protected] · 2025-12-31 · 18:21 UTC

"Dumb Phones as Status Symbols" is on the @newyorktimes predictions for 2026. Asking "Who can afford to be less reachable?"

These things are less than 15 years old, it's funny how fast "convenience" becomes a trap. Tech that makes work faster can only ever be convenient in a world where few people own such a device.

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/26/the-register-old-school-rotary-phone-dials-into-online-meetings-hangs-up-when-you-slam-it-down/

ResearchBuzz: Firehose @[email protected] · 2025-11-26 · 13:47 UTC

The Register: Old-school rotary phone dials into online meetings, hangs up when you slam it down. “We’ve all been there: A meeting goes sideways and you really wish you could physically slam the phone down and walk away. Maker Stavros Korokithakis knows that feeling well, so he took an old rotary phone and turned it into a device that can dial into – and hang up on – video calls in a decidedly […]

#dumbphones #onlinemeetings #phones #vintagehardware

Doc Edward Morbius ⭕ @[email protected] · 2025-10-02 · 15:50 UTC

@neil No, but this is something I've been actively researching for ... an embarrassingly long time (months) ... with low satisfaction. But as this is on my current to-do list, this toot doesn't count as procrastination 😺

I have a perfectly serviceable early-2000s flip phone which I'd love to reactivate ... but it won't talk to any current-generation mobile cellular networks.

I've looked at current low-feature phones, with interest in the Light Phone and Punkt MP02. Both ... have drawbacks, though I'll likely end up with one or the other.

The MP02 lacks comprehensive protocol coverage, and hence is limited to a subset of local mobile providers, unfortunately the ones I'd most prefer not giving my business. (I'd prefer not giving any of them my business, but that seems unlikely).

The MP02 does offer integrated Signal messaging, which is a strong plus.

The Light Phone is spendy but is also compatible with more carriers, which ... will probably win me. There are a couple of revs on the initial design, though I'd favour e-ink (original) over OLED (LPIII).

What both the MP02 and LP offer is tethering, which means your phone becomes your no-WiFi backup for Internet access, enabling you to use a more-featured, non-telco device for comms.

Which suggests another path:

Dumbphone for critical on-the-road comms, as needed.
Dumphone as cellular modem.
Small-form-factor PC/laptop as primary comms device.

Palmtop PCs (e.g., the Psion 3) are no longer of this world, which is a shame. But smaller laptops, e.g., Framework's 12" (8.45 x 287.00 x 213.88mm, 1.3 kg), are effectively a far-more-capable larger tablet (I've been carrying a 13.3" Onyx BOOX for the past four years), without all the handicapping and crappification of Android. With a Bluetooth earpiece that becomes its own vox comms device, and you have full access to any other comms protocol through your Linux distro of choice, with a full keyboard. The Framework 12 is convertible (360° hinge) with stylus support. It doesn't have an e-ink screen module (yet?), but ... I can live with that. For anything other than on-the-run use, it's likely superior to any smartphone or tablet.

The other issue is vox comms management. I'd prefer not being directly on the PSTN network, so what I'd really like is that my "phone" accepts (and mostly makes) calls to only one other point: a VOIP relay which intercepts all incoming calls and redirects outgoing. Incoming traffic is then limited to only those numbers I allow, or which pass some screening mechanism. And my mobile telco provider gets a Very Boring profile of whom it is I'm in contact with. Whether or not this ideal VOIP service / capability exists I'm not sure, but that's what I'm looking into.

And yes, it would be possible to ditch the phone entirely for a pure-play modem, though the ability to make calls directly in an emergency has its arguments.

#dumbphones #featurephones #deathoftelephony

Doc Edward Morbius ⭕ @[email protected] · 2025-10-02 · 15:50 UTC

@neil No, but this is something I've been actively researching for ... an embarrassingly long time (months) ... with low satisfaction. But as this is on my current to-do list, this toot doesn't count as procrastination 😺

I have a perfectly serviceable early-2000s flip phone which I'd love to reactivate ... but it won't talk to any current-generation mobile cellular networks.

I've looked at current low-feature phones, with interest in the Light Phone and Punkt MP02. Both ... have drawbacks, though I'll likely end up with one or the other.

The MP02 lacks comprehensive protocol coverage, and hence is limited to a subset of local mobile providers, unfortunately the ones I'd most prefer not giving my business. (I'd prefer not giving any of them my business, but that seems unlikely).

The MP02 does offer integrated Signal messaging, which is a strong plus.

The Light Phone is spendy but is also compatible with more carriers, which ... will probably win me. There are a couple of revs on the initial design, though I'd favour e-ink (original) over OLED (LPIII).

What both the MP02 and LP offer is tethering, which means your phone becomes your no-WiFi backup for Internet access, enabling you to use a more-featured, non-telco device for comms.

Which suggests another path:

Dumbphone for critical on-the-road comms, as needed.
Dumphone as cellular modem.
Small-form-factor PC/laptop as primary comms device.

Palmtop PCs (e.g., the Psion 3) are no longer of this world, which is a shame. But smaller laptops, e.g., Framework's 12" (8.45 x 287.00 x 213.88mm, 1.3 kg), are effectively a far-more-capable larger tablet (I've been carrying a 13.3" Onyx BOOX for the past four years), without all the handicapping and crappification of Android. With a Bluetooth earpiece that becomes its own vox comms device, and you have full access to any other comms protocol through your Linux distro of choice, with a full keyboard. The Framework 12 is convertible (360° hinge) with stylus support. It doesn't have an e-ink screen module (yet?), but ... I can live with that. For anything other than on-the-run use, it's likely superior to any smartphone or tablet.

The other issue is vox comms management. I'd prefer not being directly on the PSTN network, so what I'd really like is that my "phone" accepts (and mostly makes) calls to only one other point: a VOIP relay which intercepts all incoming calls and redirects outgoing. Incoming traffic is then limited to only those numbers I allow, or which pass some screening mechanism. And my mobile telco provider gets a Very Boring profile of whom it is I'm in contact with. Whether or not this ideal VOIP service / capability exists I'm not sure, but that's what I'm looking into.

And yes, it would be possible to ditch the phone entirely for a pure-play modem, though the ability to make calls directly in an emergency has its arguments.

#dumbphones #featurephones #deathoftelephony

Doc Edward Morbius ⭕ @[email protected] · 2025-10-02 · 15:50 UTC

@neil No, but this is something I've been actively researching for ... an embarrassingly long time (months) ... with low satisfaction. But as this is on my current to-do list, this toot doesn't count as procrastination 😺

I have a perfectly serviceable early-2000s flip phone which I'd love to reactivate ... but it won't talk to any current-generation mobile cellular networks.

I've looked at current low-feature phones, with interest in the Light Phone and Punkt MP02. Both ... have drawbacks, though I'll likely end up with one or the other.

The MP02 lacks comprehensive protocol coverage, and hence is limited to a subset of local mobile providers, unfortunately the ones I'd most prefer not giving my business. (I'd prefer not giving any of them my business, but that seems unlikely).

The MP02 does offer integrated Signal messaging, which is a strong plus.

The Light Phone is spendy but is also compatible with more carriers, which ... will probably win me. There are a couple of revs on the initial design, though I'd favour e-ink (original) over OLED (LPIII).

What both the MP02 and LP offer is tethering, which means your phone becomes your no-WiFi backup for Internet access, enabling you to use a more-featured, non-telco device for comms.

Which suggests another path:

Dumbphone for critical on-the-road comms, as needed.
Dumphone as cellular modem.
Small-form-factor PC/laptop as primary comms device.

Palmtop PCs (e.g., the Psion 3) are no longer of this world, which is a shame. But smaller laptops, e.g., Framework's 12" (8.45 x 287.00 x 213.88mm, 1.3 kg), are effectively a far-more-capable larger tablet (I've been carrying a 13.3" Onyx BOOX for the past four years), without all the handicapping and crappification of Android. With a Bluetooth earpiece that becomes its own vox comms device, and you have full access to any other comms protocol through your Linux distro of choice, with a full keyboard. The Framework 12 is convertible (360° hinge) with stylus support. It doesn't have an e-ink screen module (yet?), but ... I can live with that. For anything other than on-the-run use, it's likely superior to any smartphone or tablet.

The other issue is vox comms management. I'd prefer not being directly on the PSTN network, so what I'd really like is that my "phone" accepts (and mostly makes) calls to only one other point: a VOIP relay which intercepts all incoming calls and redirects outgoing. Incoming traffic is then limited to only those numbers I allow, or which pass some screening mechanism. And my mobile telco provider gets a Very Boring profile of whom it is I'm in contact with. Whether or not this ideal VOIP service / capability exists I'm not sure, but that's what I'm looking into.

And yes, it would be possible to ditch the phone entirely for a pure-play modem, though the ability to make calls directly in an emergency has its arguments.

#dumbphones #featurephones #deathoftelephony

Doc Edward Morbius ⭕ @[email protected] · 2025-10-02 · 15:50 UTC

@neil No, but this is something I've been actively researching for ... an embarrassingly long time (months) ... with low satisfaction. But as this is on my current to-do list, this toot doesn't count as procrastination 😺

I have a perfectly serviceable early-2000s flip phone which I'd love to reactivate ... but it won't talk to any current-generation mobile cellular networks.

I've looked at current low-feature phones, with interest in the Light Phone and Punkt MP02. Both ... have drawbacks, though I'll likely end up with one or the other.

The MP02 lacks comprehensive protocol coverage, and hence is limited to a subset of local mobile providers, unfortunately the ones I'd most prefer not giving my business. (I'd prefer not giving any of them my business, but that seems unlikely).

The MP02 does offer integrated Signal messaging, which is a strong plus.

The Light Phone is spendy but is also compatible with more carriers, which ... will probably win me. There are a couple of revs on the initial design, though I'd favour e-ink (original) over OLED (LPIII).

What both the MP02 and LP offer is tethering, which means your phone becomes your no-WiFi backup for Internet access, enabling you to use a more-featured, non-telco device for comms.

Which suggests another path:

Dumbphone for critical on-the-road comms, as needed.
Dumphone as cellular modem.
Small-form-factor PC/laptop as primary comms device.

Palmtop PCs (e.g., the Psion 3) are no longer of this world, which is a shame. But smaller laptops, e.g., Framework's 12" (8.45 x 287.00 x 213.88mm, 1.3 kg), are effectively a far-more-capable larger tablet (I've been carrying a 13.3" Onyx BOOX for the past four years), without all the handicapping and crappification of Android. With a Bluetooth earpiece that becomes its own vox comms device, and you have full access to any other comms protocol through your Linux distro of choice, with a full keyboard. The Framework 12 is convertible (360° hinge) with stylus support. It doesn't have an e-ink screen module (yet?), but ... I can live with that. For anything other than on-the-run use, it's likely superior to any smartphone or tablet.

The other issue is vox comms management. I'd prefer not being directly on the PSTN network, so what I'd really like is that my "phone" accepts (and mostly makes) calls to only one other point: a VOIP relay which intercepts all incoming calls and redirects outgoing. Incoming traffic is then limited to only those numbers I allow, or which pass some screening mechanism. And my mobile telco provider gets a Very Boring profile of whom it is I'm in contact with. Whether or not this ideal VOIP service / capability exists I'm not sure, but that's what I'm looking into.

And yes, it would be possible to ditch the phone entirely for a pure-play modem, though the ability to make calls directly in an emergency has its arguments.

#deathoftelephony #featurephones #dumbphones

Doc Edward Morbius ⭕ @[email protected] · 2025-10-02 · 15:50 UTC

@neil No, but this is something I've been actively researching for ... an embarrassingly long time (months) ... with low satisfaction. But as this is on my current to-do list, this toot doesn't count as procrastination 😺

I have a perfectly serviceable early-2000s flip phone which I'd love to reactivate ... but it won't talk to any current-generation mobile cellular networks.

I've looked at current low-feature phones, with interest in the Light Phone and Punkt MP02. Both ... have drawbacks, though I'll likely end up with one or the other.

The MP02 lacks comprehensive protocol coverage, and hence is limited to a subset of local mobile providers, unfortunately the ones I'd most prefer not giving my business. (I'd prefer not giving any of them my business, but that seems unlikely).

The MP02 does offer integrated Signal messaging, which is a strong plus.

The Light Phone is spendy but is also compatible with more carriers, which ... will probably win me. There are a couple of revs on the initial design, though I'd favour e-ink (original) over OLED (LPIII).

What both the MP02 and LP offer is tethering, which means your phone becomes your no-WiFi backup for Internet access, enabling you to use a more-featured, non-telco device for comms.

Which suggests another path:

Dumbphone for critical on-the-road comms, as needed.
Dumphone as cellular modem.
Small-form-factor PC/laptop as primary comms device.

Palmtop PCs (e.g., the Psion 3) are no longer of this world, which is a shame. But smaller laptops, e.g., Framework's 12" (8.45 x 287.00 x 213.88mm, 1.3 kg), are effectively a far-more-capable larger tablet (I've been carrying a 13.3" Onyx BOOX for the past four years), without all the handicapping and crappification of Android. With a Bluetooth earpiece that becomes its own vox comms device, and you have full access to any other comms protocol through your Linux distro of choice, with a full keyboard. The Framework 12 is convertible (360° hinge) with stylus support. It doesn't have an e-ink screen module (yet?), but ... I can live with that. For anything other than on-the-run use, it's likely superior to any smartphone or tablet.

The other issue is vox comms management. I'd prefer not being directly on the PSTN network, so what I'd really like is that my "phone" accepts (and mostly makes) calls to only one other point: a VOIP relay which intercepts all incoming calls and redirects outgoing. Incoming traffic is then limited to only those numbers I allow, or which pass some screening mechanism. And my mobile telco provider gets a Very Boring profile of whom it is I'm in contact with. Whether or not this ideal VOIP service / capability exists I'm not sure, but that's what I'm looking into.

And yes, it would be possible to ditch the phone entirely for a pure-play modem, though the ability to make calls directly in an emergency has its arguments.

#XMPP #Jabber #KaiOS #DumbPhones #AskFedi

#dumbphones #featurephones #deathoftelephony

כָּלב :jewish_pride_flag: @[email protected] · 2025-10-01 · 16:10 UTC

Anybody use Convo?

#xmpp #jabber #kaios #dumbphones #askfedi

Emily Hare @[email protected] · 2025-10-01 · 12:59 UTC

3/3 One thing I do know though after trying the Kompakt. I don't want a smartphone, but there is so little choice and minimalist phones are buggy as heck. Phone shop's have zero choice - 'hey, do you want a huge slab of glass?' is the only choice. SO FRUSTRATING! #dumbphones #digitalminimalism

#dumbphones #digitalminimalism

ResearchBuzz: Firehose @[email protected] · 2025-09-24 · 19:12 UTC

MakeUseOf: I made my phone dumb and finally broke my screen-time habit. “I intentionally made my phone ‘dumb.’ It involved stripping away everything that pulled me in until it felt almost boring. It wasn’t easy, but it finally stopped me from wasting hours on my phone.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/09/24/makeuseof-i-made-my-phone-dumb-and-finally-broke-my-screen-time-habit/

#digitaladdiction #digitaldetox #dumbphones #howto #productivity #smartphones

Paul Schoe @[email protected] · 2025-08-22 · 08:59 UTC

Het is ook wel confronterend wanneer je dit artikel van #Hofman en #Kraneveld uit De Groene over Digital Minimalism leest, wanneer je de waarschuwingen en de trend herkent, en je vervolgens realiseert dat je het artikel op een scherm leest.

Een quote: 'Wie een paar uur niet op zijn telefoon zit, gaat naar buiten, springt op de fiets, pakt de hoelahoep of trekt plots waterverf uit de kast.'

#hofman #kraneveld #groene #dumbphones #jongeren

Paul Schoe @[email protected] · 2025-08-22 · 08:59 UTC

Het is ook wel confronterend wanneer je dit artikel van #Hofman en #Kraneveld uit De Groene over Digital Minimalism leest, wanneer je de waarschuwingen en de trend herkent, en je vervolgens realiseert dat je het artikel op een scherm leest.

Een quote: 'Wie een paar uur niet op zijn telefoon zit, gaat naar buiten, springt op de fiets, pakt de hoelahoep of trekt plots waterverf uit de kast.'

#hofman #kraneveld #groene #dumbphones #jongeren

Paul Schoe @[email protected] · 2025-08-22 · 08:59 UTC

Het is ook wel confronterend wanneer je dit artikel van #Hofman en #Kraneveld uit De Groene over Digital Minimalism leest, wanneer je de waarschuwingen en de trend herkent, en je vervolgens realiseert dat je het artikel op een scherm leest.

Een quote: 'Wie een paar uur niet op zijn telefoon zit, gaat naar buiten, springt op de fiets, pakt de hoelahoep of trekt plots waterverf uit de kast.'

#hofman #kraneveld #groene #dumbphones #jongeren

Paul Schoe @[email protected] · 2025-08-22 · 08:59 UTC

Het is ook wel confronterend wanneer je dit artikel van #Hofman en #Kraneveld uit De Groene over Digital Minimalism leest, wanneer je de waarschuwingen en de trend herkent, en je vervolgens realiseert dat je het artikel op een scherm leest.

Een quote: 'Wie een paar uur niet op zijn telefoon zit, gaat naar buiten, springt op de fiets, pakt de hoelahoep of trekt plots waterverf uit de kast.'

#jongeren #dumbphones #groene #kraneveld #hofman

Paul Schoe @[email protected] · 2025-08-22 · 08:59 UTC

Het is ook wel confronterend wanneer je dit artikel van #Hofman en #Kraneveld uit De Groene over Digital Minimalism leest, wanneer je de waarschuwingen en de trend herkent, en je vervolgens realiseert dat je het artikel op een scherm leest.

Een quote: 'Wie een paar uur niet op zijn telefoon zit, gaat naar buiten, springt op de fiets, pakt de hoelahoep of trekt plots waterverf uit de kast.'

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/06/10/lifehacker-i-changed-these-settings-to-turn-my-iphone-into-a-dumbphone-and-im-loving-using-it-less/

#hofman #kraneveld #groene #dumbphones #jongeren

ResearchBuzz: Firehose @[email protected] · 2025-06-10 · 13:04 UTC

Lifehacker: I Changed These Settings to Turn My iPhone Into a ‘Dumbphone’ and I’m Loving Using It Less. “It’s true that the dumbphone market is adapting take care of some of these weaknesses, offering devices with features like cameras, navigation apps, note-taking apps, and more. But why bother dropping a considerable amount of money for a device like that when I already have a device I can […]

#bestpractices #digitaladdiction #dumbphones #howto #mentalhealth #smartphones

Hippo 🍉 @badrihippo · 2025-03-14 · 05:36 UTC

@mountdiscovery omg in that case I hope they start implementing "AI" on #dumbphones next!! 😄

#dumbphones

caco @[email protected] · 2025-01-26 · 21:10 UTC

i love #dumbphones... they only do what i want them to do 😎

#dumbphones

ResearchBuzz: Firehose @[email protected] · 2025-01-23 · 10:09 UTC

CBS News: We asked four teens to swap their smartphones for flip phones. Here’s what happened.. “Ben said he used to average up to five hours of screen time per day. Once he switched to a flip phone, it went down to about 30 minutes. So, CBS News asked four of Ben’s friends, Carson, Ranita, Jamison and Maya — all 8th graders in New Jersey — to try flip phones for a week. Maya said her […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/01/23/cbs-news-we-asked-four-teens-to-swap-their-smartphones-for-flip-phones-heres-what-happened/

#dumbphones #flipphones #smartphoneusage #smartphones #socialmedia #teenagers

Hippo 🍉 @badrihippo · 2025-01-09 · 03:21 UTC

#KaiOS 4.0 expected to be released this year! ✨️

https://kaios.dev/2024/12/whats-coming-in-kaios-4.0/

Expected features include:

:firefox: #Gecko 123 engine (released Feb 2024)
:android: #Android 14 base
📶️ 5G support
🛠️ Same APIs as KaiOS 3.0
🍪️ Better #cookie sandboxing
📋️ Maybe copy-paste functionality!
🌏️ First out in #India and the #USA (a good sign, as KaiOS 3 devices were only available in the USA till recently and hard to develop for at that)

https://kaios.dev/2024/12/whats-coming-in-kaios-4.0/

#kaios #gecko #android #cookie #india #usa

Hippo 🍉 @[email protected] · 2025-01-09 · 03:21 UTC

#KaiOS 4.0 expected to be released this year! ✨️

Expected features include:

:firefox: #Gecko 123 engine (released Feb 2024)
:android: #Android 14 base
📶️ 5G support
🛠️ Same APIs as KaiOS 3.0
🍪️ Better #cookie sandboxing
📋️ Maybe copy-paste functionality!
🌏️ First out in #India and the #USA (a good sign, as KaiOS 3 devices were only available in the USA till recently and hard to develop for at that)

https://kaios.dev/2024/12/whats-coming-in-kaios-4.0/

#kaios #gecko #android #cookie #india #usa

Hippo 🍉 @[email protected] · 2025-01-09 · 03:21 UTC

#KaiOS 4.0 expected to be released this year! ✨️

Expected features include:

:firefox: #Gecko 123 engine (released Feb 2024)
:android: #Android 14 base
📶️ 5G support
🛠️ Same APIs as KaiOS 3.0
🍪️ Better #cookie sandboxing
📋️ Maybe copy-paste functionality!
🌏️ First out in #India and the #USA (a good sign, as KaiOS 3 devices were only available in the USA till recently and hard to develop for at that)

https://kaios.dev/2024/12/whats-coming-in-kaios-4.0/

#kaios #gecko #android #cookie #india #usa

Hippo 🍉 @[email protected] · 2025-01-09 · 03:21 UTC

#KaiOS 4.0 expected to be released this year! ✨️

Expected features include:

:firefox: #Gecko 123 engine (released Feb 2024)
:android: #Android 14 base
📶️ 5G support
🛠️ Same APIs as KaiOS 3.0
🍪️ Better #cookie sandboxing
📋️ Maybe copy-paste functionality!
🌏️ First out in #India and the #USA (a good sign, as KaiOS 3 devices were only available in the USA till recently and hard to develop for at that)

https://kaios.dev/2024/12/whats-coming-in-kaios-4.0/

#mobile #featurephones #dumbphones #usa #india #cookie

Hippo 🍉 @[email protected] · 2025-01-09 · 03:21 UTC

#KaiOS 4.0 expected to be released this year! ✨️

Expected features include:

:firefox: #Gecko 123 engine (released Feb 2024)
:android: #Android 14 base
📶️ 5G support
🛠️ Same APIs as KaiOS 3.0
🍪️ Better #cookie sandboxing
📋️ Maybe copy-paste functionality!
🌏️ First out in #India and the #USA (a good sign, as KaiOS 3 devices were only available in the USA till recently and hard to develop for at that)