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Technology Dumbphones

Do you have or are you interested in dumbphones?

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 28.6%

  • No

    Votes: 5 23.8%

  • I'm interested

    Votes: 8 38.1%

  • I'm not interested

    Votes: 2 9.5%
  • Total voters
    21
Mysterier

Mysterier

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Messages
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There seems to be a return (for millennials mostly) to pre-smartphone-era-style devices (before the iPhone in 2007) to create a boundary and disconnect from the online world.

Do you have or would you get a dumbphone?
 
I'd like to see a poll. ;)

I still have one, but it doesn't work on my carrier anymore. Guess I'd buy one for really basic phone use. Not trying to create a boundary, but there is something appealing about a device that does one job real well. I own standalone DSLR camera as well, now that I think about it
 
The scary thing is you can't buy true "dumbphones" anymore...

During one of my "meth psychosis/CIA has all my electronic devices bugged" moments I tried to buy a dumbphone that was capable of making phone calls and phone calls only (No OS. No Apps. No nothing). Turns out you can't buy a dumbphone anymore in-store (or even online from what I've gathered). Every "dumbphone" out there has some sort of android OS installed these days, which can be surely compromised by Intelligence agencies at a moment's notice. So there's really no such thing as a "dumbphone" anymore, which is sort of scary.

But yes, if I could get a true "Dumbphone" such as the old-school Ericsson GH 688 (pictured), I would in a heartbeat (as a backup private communication device) but based on my research true dumbphones like these are a thing of the past, and are never coming back. Ever.

ergh688b.gif
 
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Cheshire_Kat said:
I still have one, but it doesn't work on my carrier anymore.
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Yup. From the research, I've done carriers don't support true "dumbphones" any longer. You more or less have to have a phone that runs some sort of basic AOSP flavor that connects to the internet (or has the potential to connect to the internet). Which is SKETCHY!
 
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I already have one. Standard issue old school tracfone that only has phone call making capabilities. The reason for that is because I have a laptop at home and when I'm not at home I'm doing other things and have no desire to communicate on the internet.

If someone needs me ( I have a landline home phone btw yeah i know i know I'm a boomer ) they can call my tracfone. Have never had a smart phone and never will. My lifestyle doesn't require one. If i want to connect with the world I use my laptop. If I want to speak to friends and family I use my landline. If I break down in my vehicle i use my tracfone to call the towing company. Works great for me.
 
I just googled Jitterbug, which has big buttons for the more aged folks. However the google search revealed Tracphones like Nurse R has as well as a variety of pre-paid (burner?) phones that are flip phones and non-internet phones. At least they appear to not have internet.
 
Nah, smartphone is too useful to me. Going without would be as much of a handicap as trying to get through the day without my wallet or keys.
 
it took me awhile to jump onto the smart phone train, and now i dunno if i want off... being able to use the internet to look up anything on the go, and being able to use a map/ directions app... it's indespensible now in my life. i guess i could buy a map book of 100 miles radius around my home, but google maps is extremely convenient.

with that said, my crotchetty old man instincts often kick in and sometimes i wanna throw my smartphone at a wall.
 
Recently I saw a documentary in television about the development of emotion recognition software - and they want to incorporate this into video communication software (like Skype, Zoom etc) which, while I love modern technology, I find scary. Also in another episode they told that China had so many hi quality surveillance cams online that it was hard to pass from one house to another without getting seen - and they have the processing power to identify everyone in a matter of seconds.

So - no, I won't buy a dumbphone for now but it'd be good to have them and the equivalent for other technologies available.
 
nepalnt21 said:
it took me awhile to jump onto the smart phone train, and now i dunno if i want off... being able to use the internet to look up anything on the go, and being able to use a map/ directions app... it's indespensible now in my life. i guess i could buy a map book of 100 miles radius around my home, but google maps is extremely convenient.

with that said, my crotchetty old man instincts often kick in and sometimes i wanna throw my smartphone at a wall.
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Probably similar here. I didn't have one until 2014/15 and now I have a few that I constantly use, while also not liking the potential of what they may be used for in the future
 
You guys do realize that a dumbphone can as easily be tracked on the server side as any smartphone and eavesdropped on as well? The only secure way to communicate is with end to end encryption and periodic security updates and a dumby doesn't do that.
 
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I’m glad I was at least part of the last generation that didn’t have cell phones growing up, I think I got my first cell phone freshman year in highschool and it was one of those Nokia 6110 with that insanely addicting snake game, but before that it was calling land lines using pay phones with 1800collect, and pagers, man wish the pager would make a come back, remember how cool you felt with that pager attached to your belt ? And we were just always outside riding bikes skateboarding din dong ditching water ballooning cars ect. You rarely see that anymore, my niece is 5 and knows how to use a smart phone almost better than me, I limit her time on the phone cause you can see the addiction taking hold
 
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