So I got a dumbphone
I've been wanting to jump onto the dumbphone bandwagon for a while now. I finally had the means to do it, so I went to finally make the purchase.
Why a Dumbphone?
I first got interested in using a dumbphone after watching Reject Convenience's video on the matter. I've been going down the "decentralizing my phone" path for a while now, and this was the final evolution.
I didn't like companies collecting so many data points off of me, I didn't like being connected at all times, etc. I found that even after I would attempt to "dumbify" my smartphone, there was still so much that I couldn't remove. I couldn't stop the habitual scrolling online when I'm bored. So I decided that maybe my dumbphone would be the final stretch to complete independence from the smartphone space.
What Phone Did I Go With?
I was originally going to go with a Sunbeam F1 Pro, but after doing more digging, I realized it's a hefty price tag for a relatively cheaply-made device. There were a lot of complaints about the build quality, the jankiness of the UI/UX, amongst other things. So, I tried to find an alternative that wouldn't carry such a hefty pricetag.
I wanted a phone that would be really durable. After some digging and lurking on r/dumbphones, I decided to get a Kyocera DuraXV Extreme. Bought it used off ebay in solid condition for about $90. 1/3rd the price of the Sunbeam.
First Thoughts
First thing I noticed when I got it was how hefty it was. This thing is a brick. You could spike it into the concrete and I bet the concrete would crack before the phone did. It feels well made. I like how nice it feels, the hinges feel solid and smooth, and the rubberized parts make it feel like it has a nice grip.
The setup process was easy. Just swapped my SIM card from my android into it and it worked immediately. Well, I accidentally put the SIM card in the SD slot and spent 20 minutes trying to get it out, but... at least I got it?
The phone is pretty barebones. I think it runs on android 8 and has only a couple of apps. Like an email client, some basic tools like an alarm, voice recording, etc. Comes with a 5MP camera on the front. It has a web browser, but it doesn't seem like it actually works. There's an email client, but I may or may not even use it either.
You may be thinking "well is it really a dumbphone if it has a browser and email client?" To which I would say, yes, they still are, these were features even in the pre-blackberry days, so I would still consider the phone to be a dumbphone if it has those. The fact the browser doesn't work is a bonus in my opinion.
The texting in this phone was something I was completely blown away by. I half expected to hate texting on it, but I actually find it's not so bad. This phone comes with a sort of "smart" typing system. If I wanted to write "Hello" in a text, I would just press 4-3-5-5-6 and it would give me a list of suggestions, with "Hello" being the first one. It's actually impressive how well it functions. If you remember how typing on a T9 pad was back in the day, you'd remember how much it was akin to pulling teeth, but on this it actually is pretty solid. Granted, nowhere near as fast as typing on a full QWERTY keyboard, but this is I think a pretty solid feature that makes texting actually manageable.
The charger is USB-C, so that's really handy as well.
Moving forward
Since I'm only 2 days in on my dumbphone ownership, it's hard to say the impact it'll have. So far, I already feel a massive difference in my internet usage. I know I'm gonna have to use secondary devices. I do have my old iPhone on my dresser for sleep aid videos/morning alarm/2FA for work, so that'll always be handy. However, that phone can't connect to internet without a SIM card in it since the bluetooth/wifi functionality doesn't work. So it's almost like having an old iPod touch in a way.
My therapist had mentioned he was proud of me for taking this step, as he also says that the 24/7 connection to the internet isn't good for us. So, it seems to confirm my thoughts and that I'm moving in the right direction.
There are some other features on this phone I wanna look into such as the file browser, music player, and how well it sounds with headphones.
Hope to update you all in a later entry. So far, I'm looking forward to the future with my dumbphone.
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