r/simpleliving • u/Evening_Cobbler9080 • Jul 10 '25

Offering Wisdom my experience switching to a flip phone

f hey all. like the title suggests, i switched out my iPhone 13 for a Nokia flip phone for a few months back.

i was sick of being addicted to my smartphone, but for a long time i held off on making the decision because of a few things i thought i couldn't give up --- spotify, google maps, whatsapp, group texting -- etc.

finally, i hit a breaking point and made the switch. at first it was hard, but i quickly realized that i simply *didn't need* all of that stuff, and had tricked myself into thinking i did.

instead of spotify, i pirate download music, and enjoy silence more often. instead of maps, i get lost and write directions on the back of my hand.

i still keep my iphone, which i use on wifi for imessage group chats. but when i'm out of the house, i feel untethered, and it's lovely

44 Upvotes

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12

u/MisRandomness Jul 11 '25

I plan to never buy another smartphone, when mine goes I’ll also get a flip phone. My concern is that there are now ticketed events that literally will NOT let you attend without using their app/smartphone for entry. When I get a flip phone, may be the end of sporting events and concerts too.

4

u/PerfectWeb8697 Jul 18 '25

I'm starting to think the rise in mental health has to do with smart phones. Similar to cigarettes, everyone using them back in the days until decades later they found out it's harmful.

For the past two weeks, I've been thinking on switching to a flip phone. Might keep the iPhone to use it every 2 months or 1 week a month

8

u/Dirk-Killington Jul 11 '25

I've tried this a few times and can't ever get it to stick. The big one is maps. Everything else is easily manageable.

9

u/PurpleOctoberPie Jul 11 '25

Have you tried a dedicated GPS? Did that work or not really?

I’m intrigued by the concept of owning more single-purpose devices instead of a single multi-purpose device, but haven’t tried it yet for navigation.

7

u/Dirk-Killington Jul 11 '25

I have not. They are crazy expensive for the features you get. But if it meant breaking a smartphone addiction, I could see it being worth the price.

7

u/leaderhozen Jul 12 '25

There are a lot of old units out there that people are probably dying to get rid of that should still work just fine. I'd ask on your local free group if anyone has one. 

1

u/DanTheProgrammingMan Jul 12 '25

I need uber is the problem for me. And places started using QR codes for menus and stuff sometimes since Covid.

1

u/Dirk-Killington Jul 12 '25

My phone won't read QRs. I always just ask for help, they will have a paper menu or a tablet.

1

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