I carried around a Light Phone 2 for years, and I tried out various dumbphones before that. There are the sacrifices you expect, and then there are those you don’t. It’s the latter that really get you.
I’m not talking about the lack of group messaging or GPS navigation apps. We know that going in. Let’s go over things that may catch you by surprise.
6
Inferior Cell Signal
I naturally assumed that phones that are primarily only intended for making phone calls would actually be good at making phone calls. Turns out, I was naive.
Modern day dumbphones have significantly weaker chips and cell radios than modern smartphones. This means that they both have a harder time picking up a signal, and they deliver inferior voice quality. While this isn’t true across-the-board, don’t be surprised if you suddenly notice that you’re dropping more calls or people keep asking you to repeat yourself.
I encountered this during my time with the Light Phone 2, which admittedly feels like a device that’s too small to have good radios. During that same time, I had looked forward to the release of the Mudita Pure, only to find out its limited cell reception in the US would be a non-starter.
5
Everyone Sends Picture Messages
At this point, picture messaging is not a superfluous feature. It’s not all stickers and GIFs. Sending images has become a vital way people expect you to be able to communicate information. After all, cameras have been baked into mobile phones for over two decades.
When we were building our home, contractors expected us to be able to communicate via MMS. When I recently requested a quote to have a generator inlet port installed for all those solar generators I bought, the electrician asked me to send pictures of my breaker and the generators. When shopping, family members often expect to either send or receive picture messages to confirm whether they or I am picking up the right thing.
My Light Phone 2 was on the extreme end, since it lacked a camera entirely. The Light Phone 3 has a camera, so it’s not as stark a sacrifice, though you may still have to squint to see images on its tiny screen. The Minimal Phone has one as well, though it’s not nearly as good, and you’ll make out even fewer details on its E Ink display. And any basic flip phone you consider downgrading to in hopes of minimizing distractions will leave you wondering how we all put up with viewing postage stamp-sized images for so long.
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I’m not saying this is an insurmountable issue, but from personal experience, this is where I experienced the most frustration. Not friction, which is a positive trait for those of us pursuing digital minimalism. Frustration—theirs and mine.
4
EVs Often Require Apps
My wife and I both drive EVs, so we’re an all-electric household. We primarily charge at home, but while our house was being built, there was a period where we had to rely heavily on public charging. This happens to also have been a time when I was carrying around a Light Phone 2.
Many major networks will accept a credit card, like EVGo and Electrify America. Others depend on an app, like Tesla Superchargers (if you’re not a Tesla owner) and many ChargePoint stations.
If you’re going on a road trip as an EV owner with a minimalist phone, make sure you bring a spare phone or tablet along for the ride. Aside from occasionally paying for your charging, you will probably want this device around to find charging stations in the first place.
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3
QR Codes Are Everywhere
During the pandemic, it became pretty common for restaurants to start using QR codes rather than hand out paper menus. This was viewed as one way to help reduce the potential spread of viruses. It sucked if you did not have a phone capable of scanning a QR code, and it sucks no less now if you’re visiting a restaurant that has continued the practice.
Some restaurants will have physical copies around as a backup, but flagging down a server to ask for one isn’t the ideal start to your meal. Such restaurants often also have you use an app to pay for your food when done. Again, they likely have another way to take your money, but it’s a hassle nonetheless. In a group setting, this draws attention to how you’ve chosen to be weird.
Restaurants are not alone. Now you may find you need a QR code to set up Matter devices or to download a product manual. You just never know where they’re going to pop up anymore.
2
Filling Out Medical Forms
To save time and reduce paper usage, many medical facilities now ask you to fill out medical forms electronically. I recently had a dentist appointment and was texted a link to update my information a few minutes before the appointment. I didn’t and instead stood in front of the receptionist while I entered the information into an iPad.
As in many other parts of life, carrying around a minimalist phone means you need to plan ahead. You may be able to fill out the form at home using a computer, or you can bring a separate device that can access the internet in the waiting room. The latter brings me to my next point.
1
You End Up Carrying Around More Stuff
I bought a Light Phone 2 in part to help reduce the presence of tech in my life. While it was true that I reduced any impulsive phone use, I ended up lugging around more tech, not less.
Everywhere I went, I made sure I had a laptop bag. I needed a separate device for when I might need internet access, which was typically an old smartphone. I had a laptop for work. I tried using a tablet for work and eBooks. I needed a separate camera for photos. I also needed a portable hotspot, because while my Light Phone could be used as one, its battery already might not make it through the day as it was.
I have never carried around as many devices as I did during my initial years trying to actively live as a digital minimalist.
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The options are better now than they were when I first tried ditching my smartphone over half a decade ago, as I documented for MakeUseOf at the time. The Light Phone 3 seems to have fixed many of the issues of its predecessor. The Minimal Phone can install any app you need but likely still won’t be all that addicting. The Mudita Kompakt actually has a version explicitly made for the US.
Yet no matter how you slice it, there will be a degree of social pain. On the bright side, if you do return to a smartphone in the future, you may ultimately find that your impulses have changed to such an extent that you just don’t use your phone in the same compulsive way you used to.
