I fall in this category.
I don't even care for "dumbphones" but recognize their value under certain conditions. I don't need anything more than the ability to send and receive messages and prefer to keep the bell silenced most of the time. I've never much cared for being on somebody else's leash.
That said, if I ever get badly hurt while working in the field, I'll undoubtedly be happy to have a phone. If I bag a deer unexpectedly (perhaps while hiking), I might call my wife to bring an ATV for hauling it back. Those kinds of things won't happen often.
My current phone can do voice, text and low-res photos (no video). That's it. That's enough. I bought it at Wal-mart for about $20. It has no reception at the vacation house, but surprisingly good reception at the larger property - probably because it looks down on a six-building town that's on a rural highway.
I just opened Google Earth and counted. The actual tally of buldings in a ten minute (walking) radius of the barn is higher than I thought, around 30. Most are residences tucked back from the road and not easily seen. Most are on the highway. Like I said... it's Hooterville. What I like about that is that I can never get snowed in TOO badly. The highway will always get plowed within a day or two. There's a non-profit general store (but I don't know if it's open during winter), so I can probably get overpriced food if I'm ever that desperate. There's a post office and a church. I don't know if there are any other businesses.
November 6, 2017
Ditching Smartphones: ‘Dumbphones’ With Basic Functions Appealing To Some
By Nicole Brewer
Philadelphia.cbslocal.com
“Track my sleep, track my workouts,” said David Dahan of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
“I use it a lot for mobile banking,” added Megan Killea of Philadelphia.
“Snapchat,” laughed Alicia Dyson of North Philly.
Gone are the days when phones are used to simply talk or text. But, what if we could go back to just that?
“Disconnect for a while, stress-free,” said Patrice White.
Christina Colon of Brooklyn, New York wasn’t so sure. “I don’t think I’d be able to function going back,” she said.
As Apple and Android release $1,000 smartphones, with more features than ever, could dumbphones be the next big seller?
The $150 Light phone, which only makes and takes calls, transfers them straight from your smartphone, giving you a break from technology.
The $295 Punkt phone lets you talk, text, set alarms and use a calendar.
Nokia has also launched a “back to basics” version of its mobile device, citing durability and battery life as reasons to buy.
“I think there’s a lot to be said for a product that makes you nostalgic,” said Darren Zygadlo, creator of onecutreviews.com.
He has reviewed thousands of products, including top of the line smartphones.
Man Pulls Gun After Failing To Get McMuffin, Police Say
“We’ve hit a point where we can pretty much do everything with these phones and I think some people are finding themselves saying, ‘What do I need all that for?’”
Having evaluated the Punkt model, he says stripped down cell phones could be the next trend.
“I think some will gravitate to dumpphones because they want simplicity. They want their lives back.”
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/11/06/dumbphones-technology/
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