Living Smartphone Free
I don't own a smartphone. Never have, never will.
For a longer than anyone else I knew, I used a basic flip phone. From cheapo models that died the second they were dropped into a glass of milk to a ruggedized model that I'd proudly threw across fields, these little beaters did the job: I could call, I could text, and I could take basic photos. That's all I needed.
Eventually all of the networks phased out of 3G and I was forced to upgrade. I settled on a Light Phone II, an exceptionally tiny phone designed for the absolute basics: calling, texting, and a few other basic functions. It has an e-ink screen that is almost intolerably slow and is the size of a credit card. A definite head-turner and totally within my style of doing things that nobody else is doing, for better or worse.
Light Phone III & Bear Tracks
Light Phone III & Amanita Muscaria
Light Phone II & Flip Phone
Light Phone III & Bear Tracks
After several years, Light Phone released the Light Phone III, an upgrade from the second version in almost every respect except the ethos. The screen is sharper. It's more rugged (still not throwable, however). It has a camera, longer battery, a better GPS for maps, and more space for music and podcasts. However, it still lacks email, social media, tracking for advertisers, and other technological headaches that addict people to their phones 24/7. It's a fully-fledged phone that does everything a phone should, and nothing it shouldn't.
I enjoy being free from the smartphone universe. When I leave my laptop behind, I can be 100% unplugged. Your email won't find me well at all. I won't see your latest post until I log on in a few days. I can't verify useless facts on the fly. I won't ignore people trying to talk to me while I check my apps. There is no infinite feed to lose myself in, forcing me to actually pay attention to the world around me. I don't feel the need to share things as they happen. What you see on my Instagram profile often happened days, weeks, or even months ago, because I primarily use a regular camera for my photos. It's a weird concept!
Occasionally when I travel for work I do need a smartphone, which they bought for me. It sits in a drawer 99.9% of the year until it's needed to log into WhatsApp. For everything else, there's a workaround – or I didn't need it in the first place.
Take back your time. Get a Light Phone or similar dumb phone. You won't regret it.