Could you give up your smartphone and "take back your life"?

Paddy Samurai

Swiss company talking about going back to mobile phone basics.Using your phone just for calls,texts etc.
Will it take off?.

I think the ‘always on’ life is probably even worse than having a poor diet,” says Petter Neby, founder of Swiss consumer electronics company Punkt. “Every day we are consuming more trash, and becoming more detached from real life and the ability to deal with situations head-on. Just look around, it’s a disaster – and the sociological issue of our times.”.....Punkt’s latest product, the MP 01, is a back-to-basics mobile phone.

.


I like the look of it , even if it does look a bit like a calculator. but its a its a crazy price, more expensive that my current "smart phone".

Morrison and Neby believe the tide is turning against intrusive technology that endlessly demands your attention. “I think we are more aware than before of feeling stupid looking at our screens,” says Morrison. “And the objects themselves have become so big that they are just not that handy for making calls any more. I think there is a niche. A couple of years ago I wouldn’t have said that, but it’s gone our way since we started designing it.”

The prospect of taking a single-function phone on holiday is terrifying, but almost certainly worth trying – for that sense of freedom and liberation that comes from doing something other than staring at a screen for a change. Or even nothing at all. As Neby says: “This is about taking back your life. It’s serious stuff.”

Overall I like the idea and could be tempted as I already spend most my days/nights on computers/ipads looking as screens. I could do with a rest from smart phone.

Could you go back and give up your smart phone?


FULL STORY: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/sep/22/punkt-mobile-phone-london-design-festival

Mesrine65

€295 :eek: :eek: :eek:

Fuck that!

Canadel

Hi, my name is Canadel, and I've never had a smartphone.

Figbiscuithead

Is it not the very same thing we were all using 5 years ago? Why are they charging so much? I've still got an old working Nokia in my drawer(s - ooooh matron!)

PARlance

sugarman wrote: »

Whats wrong with a cheap €20 Nokia?

It has Snake on it. No point trying to take back your life with a phone that will have you back playing that for 3 hours a day.

Mesrine65

Smartphones...they're only as smart as the user

kneemos

Canadel wrote: »

Hi, my name is Canadel, and I've never had a smartphone.

Hi Canadel.

Paramite Pie

Mesrine65 wrote: »

€295 :eek: :eek: :eek:

Fuck that!

Your right. No one's gonna buy it unless it costs at least €400-600.

kneemos

Does it come with skinny jeans?

CFlat

Canadel wrote: »

Hi, my name is Canadel, and I've never had a smartphone.

Is this your first time here? Don't worry, the people are very nice. Get yourself a cup of tea and no smoking inside....

MilesMorales1

I don't take my smartphone with me to many places. When I go running, when I go for a nice walk by the coast, when I go to the local cinema. I tell the people who would desperately need to get in contact where I'm going, so if it was an emergency they could find me. Otherwise its good to disconnect from time to time.

King George VI

In answer to your question, yes in a heartbeat. I love talking face to face and it pains me to see people my age (mid 20's) and especially kids stuck to their phones.

@That stupid Swiss company's stupid expensive phone: Fuck that. I'd rather shite in me hands and clap.

Have never had a smartphone. I always go for the cheapest Nokia. Don't want emails outside the office. Do a lot of trail running, climbing etc and don't want to lose an expensive phone in a boghole!

On the other hand, have my wife's ipad, so can't pretend to be disconnected.

Chain Smoker

I was surprised I couldn't find a custom OS for Android that just included no functionality beyond calls, texts and an address book derived from your SIM card. That would effectively be the exact same as this phone but much cheaper (although I assume this phone has an amazing battery life).

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

Donedeal or adverts have a few hundred old nokias for sale cheap, why buy this?

LDN_Irish

****ing hell. "Our USP is that we're charging approximately 30 times what the cheapest identical phone goes for." I will in me Swiss.

5starpool

Chain Smoker wrote: »

I was surprised I couldn't find a custom OS for Android that just included no functionality beyond calls, texts and an address book derived from your SIM card. That would effectively be the exact same as this phone but much cheaper (although I assume this phone has an amazing battery life).

Why would you want a smartphone capable phone to not have any smartphone capabilities?

You'd be much better off with an old fashioned nokia and a week long battery.

Corpus Twisty

I've a samsung flip. I think it was €30, can't remember, I've had it ages. It makes calls and can send/receive texts. Job done. I read e-mails for 10 minutes when I get home on the desktop. 10 minutes max. Most get deleted. I think people go into communication overload nowadays, most of the "communication" is just noise for the sake of noise.

Fleawuss

My smartphone enhances my life. If you're incapable of organizing it, filtering content and knowing the difference between real life and virtual life then you deserve to be ripped off by some gob****es flogging you self improvement philosophy and a crap piece of tech.

Hellrazer

Ive one of these
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluechip-Free-Mini-Mobile-Phone-Black/dp/B003OQUD2C
that I bring on nights out.Battery last over a month and it fits in my wallet.And you know something having no internet,emails is quite satisfying.Nothing worse than other people not talking in the pub and staring at their phones all night.If someones looking for me then they can ring me or text me.

Not sure I could do without internet/emails full time though.

Capt'n Midnight

What's the battery life on that new fangled phone ?

My old Nokia was supposed to do 460hrs standby. With the advances in technology over the last decade I'd expect a lot more.

Chain Smoker

5starpool wrote: »

Why would you want a smartphone capable phone to not have any smartphone capabilities?

You'd be much better off with an old fashioned nokia and a week long battery.

I've two old fully working smartphones lying around, I've zero old nokias. It would cost $0 and minimal effort to install a new OS onto one of those.

RobertKK

No, as I use it for many things including work.

5starpool

Chain Smoker wrote: »

I've two old fully working smartphones lying around, I've zero old nokias. It would cost $0 and minimal effort to install a new OS onto one of those.

I'd imagine your need is an outlier though, and there wouldn't be enough of a market for anyone to go to the trouble of creating an OS for a smartphone that removes almost all the features.

Riddle101

I only ever use my phone for text and phone calls, so I would be pretty grand with just a regular phone all things considered.

Sprog 4

Don't have a smartphone. Never have. This seems weird to me.

Hemerodrome

I love how "only calls and text" is now "back to basics".

Eugene Norman

Sprog 4 wrote: »

Don't have a smartphone. Never have. This seems weird to me.

I don't even have the Internet, me. Also who's Kim Kardasian?

CelticRambler

I hardly ever use my smartphone now, since I bought a proper camera ... :rolleyes:

This whole "always on" business never took off for me. Even before it was banned, I'd never make or receive calls while driving or on a plane, definitely not when at work/in a meeting/church/cinema/theatre, wouldn't hear it ringing if I was on the mower or using a chainsaw/drill/sander, and if I had it in my pocket while dancing it'd get wrecked with the sweat. :eek: The only time anyone would be able to get hold of me is when I'm at home, so they might as well ring me on the landline.

beks101

If I quit my job and moved to the countryside, or at least a smaller city than London, then yeah happy days.

5starpool

Hemerodrome wrote: »

I love how "only calls and text" is now "back to basics".

What would you say are the true basics of a mobile phone then? Smoke signal capabilities?

KERSPLAT!

Nah, I use my phone a lot. Generally not when I'm out and about with people but on my lunch, on the bus, times when I'm bored really.

dublinman1990

A smartphone would track your movements anytime anywhere within an instant.

And that is the very reason why I won't need one. Not worth the hassle or expense. A regular mobile phone with just calls and texts is just perfect for me.

jimgoose

Always control the equipment, Grasshopper. Never, ever, t'other way about.

Paddy Samurai

Johnny Carson wrote: »

In answer to your question, yes in a heartbeat. I love talking face to face and it pains me to see people my age (mid 20's) and especially kids stuck to their phones.

Yeah I agree ,you see groups of people in restaurants and pubs all together but ignoring each other as they use their smartphones to surf the net or play games.
I was visiting a sick relative in hospital last weekend I passed lots of staff on smartphones .Three nurses on the ward were in a storeroom all on the phones.i passed a few porters pushing patients in beds all on their phones.
I myself think I spend too much time on smartphone ,I reckon if I have a standard text/call phone without the internet I would waste less time.
I think in the new year I will bite the bullet and "downgrade " back to a older phone.
But that's just me.

LeeLooLee

The main reason I need my smartphone is work, so no, not really. I'm a freelancer and I'd lose a lot of work if I couldn't reply to e-mails quickly and get online.

Ruu

WAP will take off, you'll see. Cutting edge stuff!

jamesbere

5starpool wrote: »

What would you say are the true basics of a mobile phone then? Smoke signal capabilities?

Morse code i would say

osarusan

I never had a smartphone until about 3 months ago.

I bought a 2nd had one in Cash Converter, turned off mobile data, and continued on my pay-as-you-go way.

I bought one as I'm doing research into smartphones and user preferences and wanted to be able to have one with me for research meetings and so on, so I could hold it up and talk vaguely about apps and connectivity, allowing people to assume that my own phone had all the apps I was talking about, and that I was much more familiar with them than I am.

Mesrine65

Mesrine65 wrote: »

€295 :eek: :eek: :eek:

Fuck that!

You could probably still buy a basic nokia for cheap as chips. And the battery life lasts ages.

Answer to OP though is no it wont take off. Between buying stuff online, applying for jobs, social media and all other emails sent and waited on, I would think there is no way back from here.

Squidgy Black

This company basically just charges hipster-tax on basic stuff that would cost you less than a score.

https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/ac01-alarm-clock/#null

140 euro for a basic alarm clock that you could pick up in a 2 euro shop.

phormium

Corpus Twisty wrote: »

I've a samsung flip. I think it was €30, can't remember

I have one of these or rather I had Broke last week, cost 24.99 years ago, no camera even but grand little phone.

pgj2015

I was on a bus the other day on the motorway in Dublin, as you are higher up when on a bus, you can see into cars passing, the amount of drivers going 120km per hour while texting and looking at their phones was unbelievable, cars, lorries, taxi drivers etc they were all at it, I passed two in a row, I hope the Guards come down very heavily on anyone caught doing this, how selfish to put other road users at serious risk because you are so important you can't leave the phone down for two minutes.

I don't have a smart phone and won't be buying one, all I need are texts and calls.

eet fuk

Canadel wrote: »

Hi, my name is Canadel, and I've never had a smartphone.

Deleted User wrote: »

Have never had a smartphone. I always go for the cheapest Nokia. Don't want emails outside the office. Do a lot of trail running, climbing etc and don't want to lose an expensive phone in a boghole!

On the other hand, have my wife's ipad, so can't pretend to be disconnected.

Corpus Twisty wrote: »

I've a samsung flip. I think it was €30, can't remember, I've had it ages. It makes calls and can send/receive texts. Job done. I read e-mails for 10 minutes when I get home on the desktop. 10 minutes max. Most get deleted. I think people go into communication overload nowadays, most of the "communication" is just noise for the sake of noise.

Sprog 4 wrote: »

Don't have a smartphone. Never have. This seems weird to me.

dublinman1990 wrote: »

A smartphone would track your movements anytime anywhere within an instant.

And that is the very reason why I won't need one. Not worth the hassle or expense. A regular mobile phone with just calls and texts is just perfect for me.

osarusan wrote: »

I never had a smartphone until about 3 months ago.

I bought a 2nd had one in Cash Converter, turned off mobile data, and continued on my pay-as-you-go way.

I bought one as I'm doing research into smartphones and user preferences and wanted to be able to have one with me for research meetings and so on, so I could hold it up and talk vaguely about apps and connectivity, allowing people to assume that my own phone had all the apps I was talking about, and that I was much more familiar with them than I am.

pgj2015 wrote: »

I was on a bus the other day on the motorway in Dublin, as you are higher up when on a bus, you can see into cars passing, the amount of drivers going 120km per hour while texting and looking at their phones was unbelievable, cars, lorries, taxi drivers etc they were all at it, I passed two in a row, I hope the Guards come down very heavily on anyone caught doing this, how selfish to put other road users at serious risk because you are so important you can't leave the phone down for two minutes.

I don't have a smart phone and won't be buying one, all I need are texts and calls.

Not having a smart phone is the new 'not having a facebook'. The thread is about current smartphone users being willing to downgrade, yet anyone who doesn't use a smartphone just has to let us all know.

I am very proud of ye.

PizzamanIRL

No way!

Sent from my iPhone

SMJSF

I rarely use downloaded apps (htc).
The only ones I do have is Dublin bus, a unit converter and "color notes" for shopping & to-do lists.

I don't trust the social media ones because of their scary permissions, I just the browser to go on them.

I probably could easily go back to a buttoned Nokia.

blinkey 101

Yes I could if my only option of a phone was an iPhone .

Eugene Norman

jesus. This thread is almost a parody. No strike that. It is a parody.

You are all of you posting on a computing device that connects to the Internet. That's the same as a smart phone which also is a computing device that connects to the Internet. Except smaller. And it can take phone calls, although that's not really its main function.

If you don't like the modern world I suggest not posting your dislike about the modern world on the fcuking internet.

Eugene Norman

blinkey 101 wrote: »

Yes I could if my only option of a phone was an iPhone .

Yawn.

Canadel

eet fuk wrote: »

Not having a smart phone is the new 'not having a facebook'. The thread is about current smartphone users being willing to downgrade, yet anyone who doesn't use a smartphone just has to let us all know.

I am very proud of ye.

And it seems smartphone owners are the new smokers.

Eugene Norman

Canadel wrote: »

And it seems smartphone owners are the new smokers.

I'd bet it against that.

In fact I bet the posters on this thread, most with thousands of posts to their name, are in fact smart phone users and if not they are most certainly internet users which is basically what people do on smart phones. That and play games.

Kinda like computer users.