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Comment by garciasn | Hacker News Reader

Or, you know, don’t install a bunch of distracting apps on your device. Delete everything you don’t need.

But, IMHO, this is not really about not having a smartphone to avoid distractions or eschew tech; it’s about a trendy backward looking tech resurgence just like vinyl that’s not intended to replace modern options, but instead augment them with something cool, different, or for use in specific instances.

Hey, nothing at all against this trend; you do you. I love vinyl and use it to augment unlimited streaming music availability via my Alexa devices for what I like to call “intentional music listening”, but to say that the majority of those using TCL Flip 2s are doing so as some stick-it-to-the-tech-man option is ignoring the more likely reality.

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There is a trend for using old compact cameras. Some say they like the old digital camera look. I suspect most just want something separate from a smartphone. Even when recent smartphone cameras are much better.

I keep hearing how people are addicted to their smart phones, but according to screen time my usage is at all time low.

I think it is because I never got into social medias and doom scrolling. Which makes me think there is nothing wrong with the technology we have, just with the people who use (or in this case can't use) it.

You don't need to buy a whole new device if you don't want all the apps - just remove the apps you don't want. You can use your smart phone just like a dumb phone, but you still have the ability to use it for navigation or check something from the internet when a need rises.

This feels very much like the trend of "going without phone" few years back. Which just meant that those people constantly begged their family, friends, and coworkers to loan them their phones so they could get things done. You can go back to dump phone, but then you really need to have a computer at home so you can still function and probably also buy a printer so you can again print out maps and QR codes you need.

Such a thing is unfathomable to me. I remember being frustrated that my $600 digicam only took quite alright-looking photos. You had to reach into the DSLR space at the time to get the good stuff.

Those digicam photos really don't have anything like the charm of a Polaroid or whatever, in my opinion!

The only thing i can think of that dumb phones do better than smartphones is battery life.

But even with that in mind it's not that big of a deal. My phones last for days because i literally use them only for calls and alarm, as i use my PC for everything else.

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