'Dumb Phones' May Be on The Rise

A new Nokia flip phone offers no tech features beyond SMS text messaging and a basic phone service. It's part of a supposed trend away from smartphones, though analysts are divided on how significant that trend is and what's causing it.

The Nokia 2660 Flip is made by HMD, which has licensed the Nokia brand for the phone. It's expected to retail for as little as $60 in the US. It does nothing other than make voice calls (but not VOIP such as Skype), send and receive messages and take photos on a single camera.

It resembles late-90s Nokia cellphones, though is missing the much-loved Snake game. It does have a Bluetooth connection though it's used solely for wireless headphones.

Data Dubious

The big question is whether this is just a nostalgia grab or a sign of rising popularity for bare-bones phones that don't have Internet access or any smart features. Both the Wall Street Journal and BBC have reported claims of a trend, though the figures behind them aren't that solid.

Nokia reportedly claims to be selling "tens of thousands" of flip phones. One in ten people who own a cellphone in the UK say they have a "dumb phone" model. And a research company claims global sales of such devices may have risen from 400 million in 2019 to one billion last year. (Source: bbc.co.uk)

Much of the analysis has concentrated on buyers in relatively wealthy nations, with an emphasis on users making a deliberate choice to have a "digital detox" while still being contactable in an emergency. (Source: wsj.com)

Global Picture

However, it also appears that many of the devices are in fact second handsets owned by people who have a modern smartphone but don't want to carry it in every situation. For example, people going to the beach or engaging in physical activity may not want to risk carrying an expensive handset.

There's also a very strong possibility that the bulk of the global sales are to people in countries where incomes aren't high enough to make smartphones affordable, or where data services are either unavailable or unaffordable, making an Internet-connected handset of little use.

What's Your Opinion?

Would you consider buying a basic cellphone with no apps or Internet connection? Do you believe there's a trend towards such devices? If so, what do you think is causing it?