While dumb phones might not be what we used to call them back in the 1990s, the re-emergence of simpler mobile phones has been a fascinating development. Having a phone that doesn’t connect to the internet in the year 2024 might seem like an entirely pointless device, but the “dumb phone,” as it’s now commonly referred to, is a fad and growing trend that has appeared and hung around on social media since the early stages of 2022.

So, while this might seem better in theory than in practice, the truth is that the continued resurgence has started to pose more significant questions for those who work in the smartphone world. Could the renaissance take hold and become a much bigger problem for those in the smartphone industry? Let’s take a look.

Back To The 90s?

I remember when phones with call and text functionality were considered the greatest thing since sliced bread – they were a massive hit in the 1990s. The Nokia 3310, in particular, was a cultural phenomenon that I remember fondly.

Not only could we play Snake, but we could create our own ringtones! It was a total revelation. It also spurred tech giants to establish themselves in this budding new area of the tech world, and a flurry of innovations soon followed from the early 2000s.

First came the attachable camera, then the integrated phone camera, apps, and functions that allowed us to do everything we needed to in our day-to-day lives simply by picking up our smartphone and swiping a few options.

Propped up by the almost incalculable levels of success in industries that embraced the smartphone revolution, most notably the casino industry, which picked up the idea of online gambling and ran with it.

Placing a bet or playing at a live table was something you could only do at a live, land-based casino. However, most live casino games now operate through digital platforms, with casinos effortlessly broadcasting their tables directly to our smartphones or iPads.

The truth is that casino gaming is just the tip of the iceberg. Smartphones dominate society, whether for online banking, watching videos on our iPhones, listening to music, finding recipes online, or a dozen other topics.

Here To Say Or A Passing Fad?

While specific industries like fashion are cyclical, and the renaissance or re-emergence of styles is a given, the linear, radically new technology coupled with the rise of the smartphone has meant that there’s rarely been a backward step.

It’s happened so quickly and ferociously that while companies like Apple, Samsung, and Nokia were all battling against each other to come up with the latest new enhancements, an increasing number of experts were looking to warn users about rampant smartphone and social media usage.

Also Read: How To Fax from a Phone [A Step by Step Guide]

Positives Of The Dumb Phone

Dumb phones keep contact to a minimum, arranging meet-ups for people and removing the endless temptation to doomscroll or sit and read the identical four social media posts from three people repeatedly for 20 minutes.

They’re also a fraction of the cost of smartphones, and anything that can help offset the increasing cost of living in 2024 and combine it with a route to free up more time that we would otherwise be wasting on our phones isn’t a bad idea. They also encourage face-to-face interaction, an art many feel is diminishing, particularly amongst the younger generation who have grown up surrounded by technology and smartphone communication.

Being mindful of when to put your smartphone down and understanding that taking long periods away from it can be beneficial are two key elements that have helped dumb phones hoover up some of the market.

Final Thoughts

So, how far could the dumb phone renaissance go, and does it have the capacity to disrupt smartphone dominance? For now, it’s too early to tell; it still only comprises a tiny fraction of the overall mobile phone market. Given that many crucial day-to-day activities, such as our finances and banking, are much easier to do on a smartphone, there are also cons to stripping down to the much cheaper alternative.

If you find yourself not doing much and pointlessly scrolling for hours a day, then a dumb phone might be a viable, cheaper option for you to consider. We’re sure you can see the appeal. I can certainly see the appeal as an avid, unenthusiastic doom scroller who ends up stuck on YouTube for 30 minutes before I’ve even got myself out of bed in the morning.

A dumb phone would do wonders for my time management, and exploring where the ceiling for this renaissance will be is one of the more fascinating elements of this current trend. However, seeing any trend re-emerge and hearing it described as “retro” when you’re old enough to remember when it first appeared is also a sobering moment.