Why Dumb Phones are Becoming Smart Again
And 5 feature phones for you to try
In the early 2000s, I had my first tryst with the Nokia 3310. For a school-going student in New Delhi who had to navigate the treacherous network of private buses to reach a tuition centre, the 3310 was an ideal companion. It was a compact device that would fit right in your pocket. Battery life was dependable, and the ringtones loud and catchy. It was sturdy enough to survive pretty much anything you threw at it. My phone once came under the huge tyres of a bus as I tried to disembark the vehicle. I picked it up to find that it was still functional, barring a few superficial scratches. This thing was built like a tank.
Known for its longevity, durability and the iconic ‘Snake’ game, the Nokia 3310 remains a cult classic nearly 25 years after its debut at the 1999 Mobile World Congress. In 2023, Human Mobile Devices, formerly HMD Global, launched a modern version of the 3310. They also introduced the Nokia 3210 in 2024 to celebrate the device's 25th anniversary, with CMO Lars Silberbauer calling it “a cultural icon” returning “at the pinnacle of the global dumbphone boom as consumers look to balance their screen time usage with a digital detox”.
What makes these phones special in this era of high-end flagships and foldable smartphones that can burn a hole in your pocket? Yes, they offer simplicity, longer battery life and fewer distractions compared to smartphones. But there is more to this. Research has shown that reducing smartphone usage—or even moderating its use—can help students study better and employees work more efficiently. In a study released in October, researchers in the US said that one-minute phone breaks could help keep students more focused in class and better in tests. Another study conducted by researchers at the German Center for Mental Health and the Mental Health Research and Treatment Center at Ruhr University Bochum, in Germany, revealed that people who reduced their screen time by even one hour a day improved both their well-being and motivation at work.
There is perhaps no better way to reach such a space — settling your screen addiction or managing a digital detox — than dumb phones. Minus the frills and fancy features, these phones still make you reachable, while offering a tinge of nostalgia. In the era of foldable smartphones, dumb phones also find takers with regular smartphone users, who sometimes want a secondary device for a bit of downtime.
Recent numbers also back it up. In 2023, Human Mobile Devices saw sales of their Nokia 2660 Flip phone, double. According to CounterPoint Research data, feature phone shipments in India grew 10% year-on-year in 2023.
To see how popular dumb phones still are, I explored Reddit, which has a dedicated subreddit of dumb phone enthusiasts – r/dumbphones. For many users in the group, which has close to 80,000 members, these minimal phones have become part of their EDC – or everyday carry. People still use Blackberry devices with actual physical keyboards (remember the QWERTY key combination?) and flip phones that do not have screens everywhere. Some users have added old digital cameras and iPods (with a physical trackpad) to complete their EDC look.
For some users, AI and smart features are slowly taking a back seat. Minimalism, mindfulness and a less cluttered phone are front and centre in this new era of digital disconnection. Everyone’s using a secondary ‘dumb device’ - from CEOs and business leaders to millennials who want to throw a bit of old-world charm to their mix of hyperconnected gadgets.
You can pick up a dumb phone too. Here are five devices you can try.
Light Phone 3
The latest iteration of the popular Light Phone series features USB-C, fingerprint ID, 5G, an NFC chip and a metal frame. The digital detox phone also has a retro clickable wheel.
Punkt MPO2
This beautiful 4G voice phone has a sturdy candy bar design. Combine that with a monochrome (black and white) display, physical keys and a minimalist operating system, and you have yourself a pretty smart dumb phone.
Nokia 3210
Released earlier this year, the Nokia 3210 comes in a sleek design (it reminds you of the original 1999 look) with a 2MP camera (this includes a flash that doubles up as a flashlight) and a 1,450 mAh battery. The phone comes in three colourways: Scuba Blue, Y2K Gold and Grunge Black. One for all the Nokia lovers out there.
The Boring Phone by Heineken x Bodega
This limited-edition phone, produced by HMD, was launched in April 2024. The Boring Phone features a transparent design. This flip phone, however, has no access to the internet. Its primary function is to send and receive calls and text messages. This retro-looking device has an impressive standby time of one week and offers up to 20 hours of talk time.
The Minimal Phone by The Minimal Company
This productivity-focused phone comes with an e-ink display, which makes it stand out among other devices. The 35-key QWERTY layout on the device is reminiscent of a Blackberry. It runs on Android 14 and is powered by a Mediatek processor. In the battery department, the Minimal Phone has a 3,000 mAh battery and comes with wireless charging capabilities.