{"id":108043,"date":"2024-07-16T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-16T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freethink.com\/?post_type=ftm_article&p=108043"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:18:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T19:18:03","slug":"dumphone","status":"publish","type":"ftm_article","link":"https:\/\/www.freethink.com\/consumer-tech\/dumphone","title":{"rendered":"9 dumbphones to help curb your screen addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since 2011, the share of Americans who own a smartphone has skyrocketed from 35% to 90%<\/a>. Also on the rise? The percentage of Americans who feel like they\u2019re addicted to them<\/a>. Now, the market for \u201cdumbphones<\/a>\u201d is quietly booming to help people curb their screen time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also known as \u201cfeature phones,\u201d dumbphones are deliberately designed to be less alluring than their smart counterparts. This means fewer capabilities \u2014 many are simply early model cell phones, doing little more than calling and texting. Some are even designed to look<\/em> boring, with black and white screens replacing brilliant screens and colorful app icons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Eight<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even if you don\u2019t think your smartphone usage rises to the level of \u201caddiction,\u201d a dumbphone could help you spend less time doomscrolling<\/a> or obsessing over social media<\/a> and more time on activities that are better for your productivity and mental health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you could, in theory, dumb down your current smartphone by deleting apps or blocking your access to them using a service like Unpluq<\/a> or Brick<\/a>, that approach requires a level of willpower that not everyone possesses \u2014 you can always reinstall TikTok on your iPhone, but with most dumphones, you won\u2019t even have access to an app store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The right dumbphone gives you everything you need \u2014 and not a single feature more.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once you decide you want a dumber phone<\/a>, you then need to figure out which features you can\u2019t live without: Will you be lost without a navigation app? Couldn\u2019t imagine life without a camera in your pocket? Some dumbphones only work with certain phone plans, too, so that\u2019s another factor to consider \u2014 are you OK making the switch to another carrier?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make it easier for you to navigate the dumbphone landscape, we’ve compiled details on nine options, ranging in cost from $80 to $800. Each one has different capabilities than the others, helping ensure you can find the dumbphone that gives you everything you need \u2014 and not a single feature more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Light\u2019s Light Phone 2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Light<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n