Gen Z is ditching iPhones for $100 'feature phones,' and the numbers don't lie

fne8w2ah@lemmy.world to Technology@lemmy.world – -13 points –
zdnet.com
103

You are viewing a single comment

That's still more than I expected. But it doesn't look like the dramatic turn of tides.

I think it's a fad. The moment you need a certain app or feature these feature (-less) phones become frustrating quickly.

Take the idea of taking a break from your smartphone on a vacation. You end up without a camera, without a map, without public transport apps, contact-free payment, etc.

I think you'd be surprised how easy it is to live without any of those things, even in the modern world. Also, feature phones have cameras and some basic apps. They're not actually 80s cordless phones.

I wouldn't be, because smart phones didn't exist until I was in my 30s. No fucking way am I going back to paper maps and texting only through SMS with T9.

Okay. I'm not saying everyone should get a feature phone. I like paper maps though, and hate T9 less than I hate touchscreen keyboards.

Also, feature phones have cameras

I know the camera quality of this device category. They're all crap, no exception. And even if you buy the best of the best it will cost you as much as a sophisticated smartphone that does everything better apart from maybe stand-by battery. Which is fine for an emergencyphone.

and some basic apps.

Mostly preinstalled because no app store, non-removable, and you never have to worry about missed updates because you won't get any.

They're not actually 80s cordless phones.

Agree, because they're 2003 cordless phones and they suck for the everyday life of most people.

Okay. I didn't say they're good for most people. I don't think they are. The cameras are good enough for me and the preinstalled apps usually include all the things I care about.

Also, why would I care about updates? Am I supposed to be afraid someone might hack my phone to steal my call history or something? The whole point is that it isn't being used to log into every service on the face of the Earth.

Again, I'm not advocating for everyone to get a feature phone. I just think they do most of the things I use my phone for, and it would be pretty easy to just not do the rest. The fact that it's not what most people want is not the same thing as it being terrible.