If you notice more and more flip phones around you, no, you haven’t traveled back in time. These more minimalist models, practically disappearing with the rise of smartphones, have been regaining ground in recent years.
Unlike the smartphone, the stupid phone
(also called dumbphone And feature phone, in English) offers limited features, such as calling and texting. It simplifies the user experience and reduces the time spent in front of screens.
I was wasting too much time on social media, glued to my phone. This is a serious problem
, says Kirsten Campbell, a 34-year-old Albertan, who chose a simpler phone. She says she is now known as the dumbphone“,”text”:”queen of the dumbphone”}}”>queen of dumbphone
within his circle of friends.
Many professionals and even stars overwhelmed with notifications
want to return to minimalist phones, underlines techno columnist Pascal Forget.
Techno columnist Pascal Forget put minimalist phones to the test, including models from Light Phone and Punkt.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Pierre Fortin
Millennials and young Generation Z are opting for stupid phones
to, among other things, protect their mental health and reduce their screen time. The trend is all the rage on the forum Reddit : Internet users share their experiences on the subredditr/dumbphoneswho has more than 58,000 followers.
Young people will choose to move towards minimalist phones to concentrate better, to avoid being constantly distracted and tempted by applications.
This is precisely why Leigh Tynan decided to give her 13-year-old daughter a flip phone. The Toronto mother wanted a direct way to contact her, without exposing her to the risks posed by smartphones and social media.
It scares me because there is no content filtering
says the Toronto mother, citing the platforms Discord, Snapchat and TikTok. I’m not trying to escape it. I just try to manage what she consumes and protect her for as long as possible.
Leigh Tynan decided to buy her teenage daughter a flip phone to limit the time she spends online.
Photo: Joe Fiorino/CBC
Not surprisingly, the stupid phones
cost a fraction of the price of smartphones. The majority of these devices sell for less than $100, according to Counterpointa research firm specializing in the technology, media and telecommunications industry.
For the moment, in Canada, this still very niche market is dominated by the Chinese manufacturer TCL (which produces Alcatel phones), followed by its competitors Sonim and ZTE.
Leigh Tynan, for her part, paid $80 for her daughter’s phone. The plan, which includes unlimited calls and texts, costs him $26 per month.
Devices sold: increase of 25% in one year
In 2023, more than 98,600 minimalist phones were sold in Canada, an increase of 25% from the previous year, according to data from Counterpointwhich notes that this assessment does not include devices purchased through online platforms such as Amazon.
Smartphones, which remain by far the preferred mobile devices of Canadians, recorded a more modest increase in sales (12%) during the same period. More than 9.6 million smartphones were sold in the country last year.
% of the Canadian wireless market”,”text”:”Minimalist phones represent less than 1% of the Canadian wireless market”}}”>Minimalist phones represent less than 1% of the Canadian wireless market
says Hanish Bhatia, associate director at Counterpoint. It’s still a tiny market.
HMD Globalowner of the Nokia brand, says it has sold millions of minimalist phones every quarter for the past two years. 3210 and it’s a great success”,”text”:”We have just launched the Nokia3210 and it’s a great success”}}”>We have just launched the Nokia 3210 and it is a great success
says marketing director Lars Silberbauer.
Many people predicted the death of these phones. It’s interesting to see them so popular all of a sudden.
Hanish Bhatia and Pascal Forget do not foresee significant changes in habits among Canadian consumers over the coming years, but they note a certain enthusiasm for these stupid phones
.
cool and as a digital detox option. Obviously, this comes at a price. That’s why you’ll see these new models priced two to threetimes higher than traditional cell phones”,”text”:”Some brands are trying to generate excitement for these niche products by positioning them as cool and a digital detox option. Obviously, this comes at a price. That’s why you’ll see these new models priced two to three times higher than traditional cell phones.”}}”>Some brands attempt to generate excitement for these niche products by positioning them as cool and as a digital detox option. Obviously, this comes at a price. That’s why you’ll see these new models priced two to three times higher than traditional cell phones
says the analyst of Counterpoint.
2024, we can only live with a minimalist phone”,”text”:”I can’t imagine that in 2024, we can only live with a minimalist phone”}}”>I can’t imagine that in 2024, we can only live with a minimalist phone
, adds Pascal Forget, who tested certain models of minimalist phones. The tech columnist points out that it is possible, with a smartphone, to limit the time spent on applications or simply to delete them.
Combining simplicity and modernity
Despite the market still being quite small, several young companies offer minimalist, but modern phones. The co-founder and CEO of lightKaiwei Tang, claims that his device does not seek to compete with the smartphone.
According to him, the Light Phone rather serves as secondary phone
to get off emails and social networks, for example, in the evenings or on weekends. He says to himself pleasantly surprised
that its main clientele is made up of adolescents and young adults.
Kaiwei Tang, co-founder and CEO of Light, the New York company that produces the Light Phone, a minimalist phone.
Photo: Radio-Canada
hours a day, 7days on7. You are constantly connected, when you fall asleep, when you wake up, when you eat, during your meetings”,”text”:”Your smartphone is practically a mini-computer that you carry with you 24 hours a day, 7 days on 7. You are constantly connected, when you fall asleep, when you wake up, when you eat, when you meet”}}”>Your smartphone is practically a mini-computer that you carry around with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are constantly connected, when you go to sleep, when you wake up, when you eat, when you meet.
says the New York entrepreneur.
We are not anti-technology. (…) We try to convey the idea that it is healthy to take a break.
Its latest model, the Light Phone III, also includes a camera and allows you to connect to the 5G network and share your connection with other devices.
There’s still no way to download apps, but the phone also includes a few features that users can customize, such as an alarm, calculator, calendar, stopwatch, and music and podcast player.
The Light Phone offers basic functions, such as geolocation, without allowing you to download applications and web browsers. The American company hopes to sell its phones to Canadians in the second half of 2024.
Photo: Light
THE Light Phone is not yet available in Canada, but the American company says it is working with one of the Canadian telecommunications giants to make its devices available in the country.
Getting a new phone approved is not an easy process, but we’ve been working on it for a year and a half and hope to make our product available in Canada later this year
says the CEO.
With reporting from CBC’s Nisha Patel and Laura MacNaughton
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