I do not have a smartphone

minimalism

I do not have a smartphone anymore. Sold my iPhone and bought an old dumb Nokia for 35 euros.

Which also meant I had no use anymore for my smarthome devices, Apple Watch, and AirPods, so I sold them as well.

Bought a nice Swiss mechanical watch to replace the Apple Watch. The freedom of not having to charge your watch everyday (or ever really) is liberating.

Why do you ask?

I spend too much time on my phone and wanted to have more time to read, study, walk, and spending time with friends/family.

Upsides
  • better for mental health
  • -1 addiction; because face it, we are addicted to smartphones
  • saves a lot of money, going from €40 to €7 per month makes a big difference
  • less data points for ad companies to track about me, so better for protecting my privacy
  • fear of missing out (fomo) will subside
  • instant reactions are not expected anymore
  • time to do the things you want to do
Downsides
  • do not have a camera handy
  • missing listing to music / podcasts
  • no maps app that guides me to my destination

I’ve been clean a year and a half now, and I’m doing fine. I get plenty of work, I don’t miss invitations, and I’m no longer scared of my own thoughts. These are not small victories in a world where constant communication isn’t just a convenient accessory – it’s a second skin. I got a landline and I got more sleep. I look people in the eye. I eat food instead of photographing it and am not driving half a ton of metal into oncoming traffic while looking down at a tiny screen. My business, social life, and personal safety have not evaporated overnight either. Turns out a basic internet connection and laptop is plenty of connectivity to keep friends informed, weekends fun and trains running on time.

- Jenna Woginrich in The Guardian

I will post in maybe a year from now how I experienced living without a smartphone.

Turns out using a dumbphone is like riding a bike; T9 is not nearly as bad as I’d remembered.

I am not the only one