this post was submitted on 20 May 2024
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[–] andrew_bidlaw 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I don't want a dumb phone, I want a reliable PDA that doesn't hallucinate it's smarter than me. Older android on a current hardware could've been the best but it's not supported anymore by major devs. As a consumer, I don't understand why that's the case. I'm not interested in their new design choice or whatever they market it with while bloating the shit out of it, I want a low-powered portable PC to edit docs and browsing the web without eating through 8gb and 6000mah like it's nothing.

[–] heavy 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Some new competiton would be nice too. I remember when companies like Palm made their own competent OS. I wouldn't even mind if Windows mobile made a reappareance. What do people even need anymore except a versatile browser and the ability to play games?

[–] captain_aggravated 3 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Communication, GPS, web browsing, camera, occasional use as a flashlight, media player, and a multifunction clock. And yeah that's about it.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I miss my T-Mobile Sidekick 3.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

✨Kai os✨

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I thought I wanted a dumber phone. Not a flip phone necessarily, but not a pocket supercomputer. I looked at the majority of options out there and concluded that (ignoring the ones that are basically just running Android) they’re all missing a feature or two I really like, like the Light Phone looks great but I listen to audiobooks on Libby all the time. So then I just decided to delete a bunch of stuff from my iPhone, and then I didn’t get around to that so I still just have the same phone. 🤦‍♀️

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I want a dumb phone I can side load on to.

Just my essential apps and nothing else

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

People are probably like 3%

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

https://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Dual-SIM-Factory-Unlocked-Smartphone/dp/B0B6WLHKC3

That was easy to find

If they want smartphone with less apps they could go with a gnu phone

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

This is why I want a Raspberry PI based PDA and a Tablet. Nothing fancy, even if its somewhat thick and not water proof, etc... It should be modular and repairable. Put a flavour of Linux on it and configure it to be secure. Then have a dumb phone which I can use as a modem if I want but otherwise call and text and turn off when I don't want it.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (2 children)

For one soon HMD/Nokia will come out with a new Nokia 3310 as the first dumbphone with 5G

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Disclaimer: The below rant does not include things like healthcare where choice in the market is either not a thing or not possible. Lest someone think I am being absolutist. It is purely railing against the average consumer widget, not grandmas oxygen tank refills.


That depends on how many people want them.

Companies will make, or stop making/doing, nearly anything if the money for doing it goes away. But not enough people want "dumbphones" bad enough to stop buying "smartphones".

Just like not enough people want small phones to stop buying the big ones. Or not enough people want the price of Netflix to go down to stop paying for Netflix, etc. Consumers in general need to learn the power of and build up the mental discipline to do without when the available options aren't what they want. Apple, Google, etc can't force you to buy it from them after all.

Companies prey on the inability of the consumer to go without when they find the terms of the deal distasteful to great success. Large chunks of every companies marketing department think about nothing else.

The real "sin" in all of this is there not being enough smaller players around to fill those smaller segments, because we kept buying from the company that bought up all of the competition years ago despite finding those practices distasteful.

Companies, and politicians, have figured out that the average majority is all bark and no bite. And the average majority would be wise to start to figure that out.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

companies will make them, it's just capitalism. It's a question of whether or not people will buy them.

Companies are already making "dumb phones" go buy one if you want one.

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