I've done something similar to this the past few weeks by basically turning my iPhone into a glorified iPod that has the added bonus of receiving phone calls. No Safari, no games, and the only custom app on there is my podcast player. There are less apps showing on the phone now than with a fresh install of iOS.

Moving most of the phone activities back to my computer or tablet makes it, like you said, a more conscious choice, and easier to not constantly check for updates.