I used a dumb phone for 30 days
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
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Hi there 👋 If you're new to my videos my name is Matt D'Avella. I'm a documentary filmmaker, entrepreneur and TH-camr. I've made a couple documentaries for Netflix. I also teach courses on everything from filmmaking to habit change. If you like to nerd out about self-development as much as I do, you can subscribe for weekly videos.
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Directed by Matt D'Avella
Edited by Matt D’Avella, Spencer Torok, and Zach Mayfield - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
People keep wanting to ditch their smartphone but, actually, no they don't. What they want to ditch is social media.
Facts.
i think that like a year ago.
now i'm don't have any social media except WhatsApp and TH-cam. the last one is like a substitute for social media and Now i got the same situation but with TH-cam.
smartphones are Made for being used all the time, and i feel that the only way to not lose time with him iS ditching it totally.
@@diegomillan2806 TH-cam is social media.
@@Draconicrose I can’t agree with that. TH-cam is more like the video version of the internet. You can get information in text form on traditional web pages, or in video form on TH-cam. The content ranges from instructional to entertainment to social media, and social media isn’t nearly its sole content. I don’t use any social media apps and use TH-cam primarily for information on my hobbies and interests.
@@maxducoudray You can use social media apps primarily for information on hobbies and interests. It's how I use Twitter and Reddit, both of which I don't think anyone would disagree are social media.
TH-cam, just like those, requires people to upload their own content, promotes what you would like to see through an algorithm, allows user to user interaction and following, even has bingeable content in the form of shorts, and is definitely infinitely scrolling.
But alright, fine, let us assume I agree it's not social media.
It still uses the same psychological tricks that social media does, with notifications, semi-random content being pushed, infinite scrolling (watching) and no obvious "exit point".
Therefore, again, people are not trying to quit their smartphones, they are trying to quit the addiction caused by the manipulative patterns used by social media and derivates.
$300 is absolutely ridiculous, but I guess by marketing it to the “minimalist” and “productivity” community they are going to make a lot of money off it. You can buy a $60 Nokia that has the same functionality plus a better gps, and just not install any social media apps.
In the US, Nokia devices are not very reliable and offer a more frustrating experience than the Light Phone 2. The newer Nokia devices produced by HMD are not very consistent or simple to use. I can tell you from experience that using a Light Phone 2 is better than the current offerings that Nokia has. Older Nokia devices are better indeed, but they are not usable in the US anymore due to the 3G and 2G shutdowns from US telecoms. Also, I have saved so much money on my monthly plan with the Light Phone 2 because I only pay $10 that it has made the $300 price tag worth it over the last 3 years.
It's a small team working at lightphone. Especially compared to a big player like nokia. This explains some of the steep pricing
Insert the office meme with the "slap the desk - Thank you!". Exactly my thought. Thanks for saying it out loud.
Yeah it's fucking insane. There are some 100$ smart phones. Maybe 70$ would be good for something like this but if you're trying to get similar functionality just get a flip-phone
ikr, might as well get like old $100 phone and create a ios system
I think the reason why you feel more stress when using some of the apps is because you have a set level of expectation. If you were still using paper maps like people used to before phones, the light phone's gps would be a god send, even if you did get lost sometimes. I think part of being minimalistic is to relearn to rely on yourself more than a device that can do it all for you.
Yes, agree 100%. Good point.
100%
This 100%, as a LP2 user.
@@susanashton6608 Glad we agree
i get what u mean, but trying to rely on urself when it isnt needed is not beneficial at all imo. people will adapt when they have to adapt.
I love this idea but there are just a ton of essential functions from smart phones, a highly developed user experience, and compatibility with other devices in our lives that would be problematic for many people to give up. What we really need is a setting or app or whatever that turns our phones into a job-completion device rather than a media consumption and time-filling device. But I admire this guy for his philosophy and making an honest attempt to build his own solution. Definitely some good lessons to be learned.
This exists already; navigate to the draining apps, press uninstall, and thank me later
I remember there being an episode on Black Mirror that you described
Android has that
Its called focus mode on android, problem is its too easy to just turn back off
Job completion device just sounds dystopian
The price definitely makes this a solution to a 1st world problem
Ikr? 300 bucks it's absolutely demential price for that useless thing lol
it's a startup so it's actually pretty cheap
@@ahmusg8054 it’s going to be a wind down soon
@@ahmusg8054 $300 dollars for a plastic 3-inch phone with e-ink technology is absolutely ludicrous.
@@the_crypter it costs over 100 dollars to make, they dont produce on scale yet… also this is their only source of income.
For me the biggest dealbreaker here is paying 300$ for "lightphone" , I get the concept and the idea of removing distractions etc, but today for 300$ you can buy mid-range phones that compete with few years older flagships. It blows my mind that I have to pay MORE for LESS. It doesn't make sense to me. I would rather buy a midrange phone for that money and "modify" it into more "dumper" version (remember android phones, highly customizable) with me myself deciding which features i want to keep and which to get rid off.
With that said, if that phone was , say below 100$ then it would maybe be a reasonable option.
Same thing I was thinking
i think the same, but maybe the price is bc they Made a hardware , os and software from Zero, and this great idea is something like a niche, so less units Made equals high prices. and the worse part is that is only for people on certain countries. here in chile it's useless.
Exactly
You don't even need that much modification. Just don't install stuff that you don't need in the first place. If you could bring yourself to use a dumb phone, you could definitely not install things on an iphone.
@@diegomillan2806 I’m also guessing that’s the reason. Even though it’s a ridiculously simple OS, it was still made from scratch. Even the cheapest of cheap smartphones typically utilize Android and Android takes care of most of that software. I’m not sure though.
For me, I think that any sort of 'stripped down' phone would need one extra thing: Google Maps. I live in a huge city and Google Maps is a great way to find out when public transit is coming and what trains are down.
A turn by turn app is in the works they said! :)
the nokia 6300 is a "dumb phone" that has google maps, whatsapp and facebook as options. they are automatically downloaded but u can delete facebook as an example
Seconding the Nokia 6300 - it’s not perfect but you can do almost everything on it
@@Vivivofi Just use one of those app blockers with a passcode (stayfocused works well for me on android) and give the code to a friend so you can't download the social network. Much more reasonable and you dont have to dump all the other utility of the device.
A lot of transit systems have implemented app based ticketing. Obtaining a ticket without the app can be hugely impractical in many locations.
There are also a bunch of other apps that are near essential in today's world. Payment apps is one example. 2-factor authenticators for cybersecurity is another. You may even be required to install specific apps for your job.
I love the aesthetic of the phone, but not for $300. $150 sounds a bit more reasonable cause it only looks sleek. I can't do much with it, but as a "getaway" from the constant torment of technology, if it were half the price, I'd go for it.
this is a $60 product and they know it, they're riding the massive 12" bbc of journalist hype
$99 might be more reasonable. The lag is insane.
@@foreversolvent5334 He is a small company. He can't compete with Apple and Google prices.
It probably costs them les than $20 to make, it’s a bit scummy to create such a large up charge for $300 you can get a fast modern smartphone and just only have essential apps on it
@@DrielyS it's a small product with way less features than apple and google?
"why are you so nice?"
"because you were nice to me!"
there's some profound lesson in here somewhere, I can just feel it
yes being nice is good
God just shut up. "There is a profound lesson in here" my guy are you legit under 14?
We talkin About lightphone
Not what she told
I am happy that someone else noticed. hahaha
noticed it too
For y'all saying that you can just not install the things you don't want... This is for people with an addiction. If you are ADDICTED to social media, then you WILL redownload the app. Just like he said at the start of the video lol. I have uninstalled and reinstalled social media several times. It's like sending an alcoholic into a liquor store and telling them to be just be strong. So no, just having willpower isn't enough.
Agreed! We've slowly drifted from using desktops to using handheld PCs. We've forgotten what the point in a phone was to begin with! Remember when touchscreens became a thing? No more qwerty physical keyboards! lol
The only social media I' still use are TH-cam and Reddit. Although I don't have reddit installed as an app and only use it as a more personal way to "google things". Haven't used facebook in over a year and could care less at this point. I might use facebook to use it's marketplace to buy sometime one day though, like when I tried shopping around for a used Playstation 2.
@@Ammut6tbh you have to add "reddit" to the end of most google searches to get any relevant answers nowadays. a lot of ppl do it without ever creating an account.
Sounds to me like you dont have enough self control to just stick to your choices. Willpower isnt enough because you dont have enough.
@@colegillgrass3373 you think you could overcome a clinical addiction on your own? yikes. hope addicts are staying away from you, you're the opposite of helpful.
@@colegillgrass3373do you understand what addictions are? Ffs imagine saying that to someone who has a drug addiction.
Where I failed when I tried to go dumb was peer pressure. I simply could no longer connect with my friends and family easily. The novelty factor wears off sooner than you might think and it takes a lot of perseverance to keep at this.
Jokes on you. I hate keeping in contact with my family.
I am deciding that if something ws important enough message they would call me to tell me about it
@@100dayGamer or even twice. I don't accept calls when I'm in the bathroom. Or cooking. If it'S that important, call again.
The problem is that they use iPhones? With the massage? Cos if they use whats app you can see the messages in your computer. Just need to log in with a smartphone from time to time..
Fake astroturf comment. Omg peer presh! shut up. It's literally not a big deal at all. everyone understands why I got an Sunbeam F1 and they think its really cool !
I write down directions on paper before I leave home using maps on my laptop. Spending time looking at the map and navigating myself in a more active way enables me to remember routes so much better and I usually don't even need a map at all anymore to get around my city.
That was what I used to do before I bought a smart phone around twelve years ago. It is true, you use your brain more. I can tell if I kid knows her/his basic math when I give her changes shopping at a store. Very few can even do basic arithmetic.
Return to tradition. This is how people used to navigated before smartphones and you build so much more plastic working memory of spatial comprehension when you "actively learn" instead of passively letting the smartphone take brain agency from you.
My previous boyfriend and I when we went on vacations would turn our phones off (and bring a digital camera, books etc) and it was glorious! Not only did we relax but it helped us spend time together.
Sounds like you miss him
@@BestGamerB I do and likely will forever, but he preferred meth over me
@@emmajars58 oh god...well thats not good
@@emmajars58 Jesus, that just got dark
@@emmajars58 that scalated quickly
Next challenge: I stopped following the news for 30 days . Do it and see your life change.
At the very least, it will serve the same purpose that a lot of these challenges do which is to get people to approach the task purposefully rather than as something people just kind of do with as they feel.
News is a tool for capitalists and politicians to control the world. Media is trash. Media creates stereotypes and holds the crowd. The best anybody can do to their lives is to ignore the news and publicity. Believe me, you don't need those 250$ AirPods
stop watching news and mainstream media and people will learn to do research for themselves and find the truth.
I haven't watched the news in like 7 years
Guess I’ve been doing something right my whole life
For anyone trying to lessen their phone usage, one thing I would recommend is: Turn off all lock screen notifications.
The simple act of removing all prompts from your screen to check in on things, and making it a thing you do on your on terms is a game changer.
Or just get a Sunbeam F1. Its the perfect flip phone. Gps and great texting. Had it for 2 years now. Will NEVER go back!
This would be brilliant for those whose kids need a phone for texting, but you want to keep them out of the toxic social media or help them not fall into phone addiction so young.
There's recent data suggesting that Gen Z are dirching smartphones for dumb phones.
They seem to be super aware of the impact of smart technoloy on their emotional state and neural development.
299 seems like a rip off for a phone designed to give you less
Agreed
especially when there are full blown phones with cameras and screens that obviously are more expensive to make in the same price bracket. Feels like a cash grab disguised as a productivity hack
Ikr, that price for a piece of plastic that doesn't really do anything, like wtf.
I guess there's the factor that it's a small company and probably spent a lot of money researching to make a niche product that will not be mass produced. All of those things adds ALOT in the final price. Its unfair to compare to a big company that can make these things in a blink of an eye, paying much less in every single step.
Sort of like health foods: our cookies have 20% less oil, 30% less refined flour, 35% less sugar so our prices are 85% are more than regular cookies.🤣🤣🤣
No tracking too - obviously not the focus of this video- but all ground up app development, no ads, no tracking , no privacy / data tracking is a huge plus for an alternative phone
Understated benefit 👆
Only half true! Still tracks location due to GPS feature.
You can still be tracked by sim card. Also 300 dollars for "no tracking" is not worth it.
Um OK except what if someone has kids and gives them a smartphone OR smart watch because you can track them just in case of potential kidnappings? I don't like tracking either but it does still serve a purpose
@@furbait3442 it is most definetely worth it
I bought a cheap go phone with just text and calls on it maybe 7 years ago now. I loved being unplugged and only being able to use my phone for calls and the occasional clunky text. Life got busier I got a phone with a bit more functionality and now I'm back with a smartphone. I think everyone who can should do that at least once
This phone is not for productivity, it's for reducing screen time. Given that a lot of the features on this aren't convenient to use, and that's considering how little features this phone does have, it'd be difficult to justify spending 300$ on it.
Personally, for me, I don't really think I could last a day, specifically just due to how small the phone is, which is something that most people aren't talking about!
The phone is ridiculously small, which would make texting difficult for anyone, even if texting wasn't already so slow.
Honestly, the product just seems like a bit of a useless piece of tech designed to be advertised and bought, but not practically used for anything other than show.
(This is my conclusion from watching the video btw, I have never tried this phone, but it's essentially what I find to be it's biggest flaws even from the getgo)
Tried Calling people?
@@BadenHealth Phonecalls are beautifull. Wish more people used them, you can usually get a direct instant response to a question you might have, both you and the receiver of the call can communicate hands free which means you can continue to do other tasks, and you don't get akward misunderstandings from people misreading or reading more into text than what is there because they now have a tone of voice to associate with your words and paint a more full picture.
In an ideal world, people would call me for conversation, and text me to communicate hard information like a street address, meetup time etc.
Get an appropriate watch and Bluetooth headset and you can go an entire day without ever taking your phone out of your pocket.
I _love_ that it's actually pocket-sized rather than the monstrosities people lug around now
I'm using a "dumb phone" for over three years now. When our daughter was born, I wanted to have the experience of being "analog" when I'm on the street. 3 years later, still using that thing as my only phone. Best decision. I used the Light Phone II in the beginning and switched to a Punkt MP02 quickly for its tactility.
Fun part: I make a living as a digital product designer mainly desining iOS and Android apps. :)
I don't know why you don't have more likes but that's actually super dope and I'm gonna search your Punkt MP02 phone to see if it's usable for me
那你是怎麼判斷別人需要什麼應用程序？
I'm using an old windows phone. They no longer have app support and most network services are shut down. But having an MP3 player and a very nice display is great. Many of those modern "dumb" phone's UI's are in fact inspired by windows Phone.
calling it - you live in europe, am i right
@@juliensmith5076 Yes.
A cellular Apple Watch is a similar concept to the lite phone. You can leave your phone behind/locked away, and make calls, get directions, send texts, and listen to music (probably even Spotify, but at least Pandora and Apple Music).
It’s small enough you aren’t tempted to constantly use it for everything, unlike a phone.
How is it with listening to music? Can't imagine listening to music on a watch lol
It’s rough in my opinion. If you aren’t using AirPods or something with Apple’s propriety fast-pairing chip it takes a lot of steps to pair your Bluetooth audio devices. It’s also a pain to disconnect (multiple steps). That said, if you have AirPods/something compatible with Apple’s fast pairing or a Bluetooth audio device you use only with the watch, then it’s an ok but not great experience.
I’ve listened to a few albums, but hunting for a specific song or for new music isn’t easy. I think of it like an iPod shuffle, where you make playlists in advance and stick to them.
I did use it to listen to an audiobook on a walk once; that was nice, but audible’s book sync feature was difficult to make work even with a 5th gen Apple Watch.
I use it for audio as little as possible… It’s just much easier to control on my phone, but it will work if you must leave your phone behind.
Also of note: when playing music on your phone, the watch will often display what is playing and gives playback controls. I use that more than the native audio playback on the watch.
how is the storage on it? Gotta get the music on there in some way.
I just started using the light phone II recently, and I am actually loving it. I do not mind the directions system (though I have found it a little spotty and difficult to use) because a car trip taking a little longer is rarely an issue for me. The main thing I've missed is Spotify. I don't mind the texting system because I already HATED texting. also another big win in my book for the light phone is the absence of a blue light screen. I can feel my eyes becoming more comfortable because of less blue light in my life. It is absolutely not for everyone, and I appreciate your stance in the video. I thought I'd throw in my two cents.
Just get a Sunbeam F1. Its the perfect flip phone. Gps and great texting. Had it for 2 years now. Will NEVER go back!
the qualit\y of this video 🥰
love the intro!
4 years ago light phone video brought me to Matt's channel, now he's talking about it. The life comes full circle
I think this phone could also be interesting as a second phone, maybe use it as your main phone monday through friday, for work and a routine, and then have fun with a smartphone on weekends? Maybe it's a bit extra having two phones though haha Very interesting concept
A lot of people use it this way. It's a better system for those who need the smartphone on work days.
Funny, I would actually think the other way around: use the smartphone during the week to be as efficient as possible and the dumb phone during weekends / vacation to minimize distractions.
Great idea !
This is the kind of correct approach, instead of expecting the LP2 to replace a smartphone 100%.
yes exactly
This is definitely something I would love to test out in the future, as of now I'm taking the steps to limit my screen time and be more mindful, but with the 300 dollar paywall, I can't justify the purchase, as with my current job, im required to have access to certain apps and gps, as well as having to send photos and emails all the time. But, since I am looking for a new job closer to home, hopefully one where I'm not required to be locked in off work, this video has definitely been helpful, thanks for all of the information, love the channel!
I wish there was a phone you could customize what apps and features it comes with. That way you can personalize it. Because everyone has different things they need to use on their phone, so you really can’t strip it down too much without cutting out a huge chunk of customers.
For me the screen time was the real issue. I started actually leveraging my Apple Watch more and realizing my iPhone can stay out of my hands more frequently. This to me has been a nice half way step between smartphone and lite phone.
I do the same thing like this. It's really help me reduce screen time and give me less FOMO feeling. I use Xiaomi phone and Mi Band.
Apple Watch only seems like the best of both worlds in my mind. You get a good maps app, you get to text relatively easy, but you can’t sit on TH-cam all night on it. And it’s battery life can be limiting enough, that you are mindful not to spend too much time on it. I’m making to switch to watch only soon, hope it goes well.
This has been the case for me too.
@@JibyJab you have to have an iphone apparantly, i wish i could pair watch to ipad. but it doesnt work
@@Anwarboy786 Yes, this is the biggest downside. I called my cellphone provider to ask if I could do a watch only plan, and they refused
Finally this might be a phone I could get for my kid without being worried about the social media addiction
@Jack Wrath what the fuck
just get him iphone 4 or iphone 5. most apps wont be installed
iPhone gives all tools you need to control what your kid can do with a phone. You don’t need a special overpriced phone for it
If you're worried about social media addiction then it's probably more valuable to make sure your kid has friends and an active social life, as well as an understanding of the bad sides of social media and addiction in general. They'll eventually have a smart phone and social media.
@@AmirulMokhris lol my son is 8.. I think in due time when I let him have a “smart phone” he’ll be ok and won’t hate me for it.. this is more for safety reasons if he’s getting home late/emergency
Would totally get a phone like this if it had a battery life of like 2 weeks
wow 300 bucks... really? why don't get cheap low spec smartphone and delete all apps
People here mentioned (correctly) that the problem is not the phone but the apps, you just need to delete social network apps. Living without a smartphone is pretty hard for me as well.
Banking, talking to my mom who lives in another country, directions, flight tickets (or any ticket actually) makes it almost impossible to live without it.
Also the camera :/
But you can install the apps again. That is the bigger issue. If you have the option, you'll do it eventually.
@@HappyBeezerStudios Make it difficult. Use the parental settings on yourself to block social network apps and websites.
@@mbirth the problem is that if i made the parental settings and my future self wants to break the goal my past self makes bad enough it knows exactly how to remove the parental settings.
I actually came up with a way to do this that worked for me. I made the password for the parental settings the first 8 digits of pi for my switch so if the steps of gooling pi often times was enough to stop me from removing the settings
@@mbirth That's not "difficult".
just use a google made auto generated password and dont look at it you will never find the password @@zarim9989
300$ for a phone that does almost nothing is a joke
I appreciate you bringing attention to and reviewing this phone. I do think things like “there’s no Spotify!” and commenting about the difficulties with the Nav UI is kinda missing the point. If you wanted a smart phone, get one. This isn’t a smart phone, and that’s totally fine.
I did a complete media fast for 7 days and it changed my life. No socials, TH-cam, TV, nothing. It was pretty boring for the first couple of days but eye opening because I realized how much of my life it was taking up. On top of that I also saved $800 a year canceling subscriptions!
Wow, great for you. How did you achieve this? I seemingly can't ditch wasting my time in front of PC.
@@Palladium1010 As someone who used to spend a lot more time on my PC, don't try and stop being on your device. If you have to suddenly fill your free time, you are likely to fail. Instead, plan for things you would much rather do, e. g. going for walks, drawing, cooking, go to concerts. Don't look for wasted time, look for more meaningful time.
My brain read that as 800 a month and I thought you had a subscription addiction, rofl.
@@Palladium1010 It was something I just had to commit to. It wasn’t easy. It required me deleting the apps temporarily on my phone and literally not allowing myself to turn my PC on. It was just something that I really wanted to do because I knew the internet was sort of taking over my life. Definitely wasn’t easy but after the first couple of days it gets easier.
@@hermanwooster8944 😂 That would be bad
You have changed my life Matt. Your videos have taught me so much. Thanks for everything.
Good effort I enjoyed the review and I must say it sounds tempting to try it myself. I think if I’m switching from the iPhone to a ‘dumb’ phone I would want to make the jump and not accidentally enter a ‘transition’ temptation. I imagine it would be hard at first, I spend hours on my iPhone but in the long run it might make me move away from screens and into a more active, social and healthier lifestyle. Thanks for sharing you have given me food for thought 👍
storage and speed are pretty big factors for something like this, especially for $300. might consider if a version has a rear camera and more fluid typing
Loved the raw and authentic review and how you mentioned both the good and bad of the light phone rather than just keeping it “oh yeah, it’s great” 👏🏻✨
299 $ is total rip off! I destroyed my phone by accident just before christmas and have to use something for few days before new come to me. I take my backup Sony Ericsson k800i from a drawer. It is basically the same, but you got buttons so you write sms super fast, and with T9 even without looking. And it cost 3$?
Just buy dated phone for 5 bucks and it will beat this cashgrab crap in every aspect.
All this light phone has is marketing for minimalistic people.
what if the idea was to make the phone so annoying to use to deter you from wanting to use it at all
I like social media because I have a full time job, and 4 kids. My friends are able to come over like once a month, as they’re also busy, so it’s nice to see faces other than my immediate family without having to walk to the store, since I’m not there for interactions, but to grocery shop. I think consistently going to church, and maybe joining some kind of Bible study group, as well as resuming going to the Zumba class I used to attend every Tuesday can definitely fill the social media void tho. I just have to prioritize. I can’t imagine how lonely being both an introvert and not going to church can be for an entire lifetime. My first job was cashiering, so as much as I didn’t like customer service, it definitely gave me the confidence I lacked to talk to strangers more, but then the Covid seclusion kind of forced me to take a step back on that progress.
I know the feeling. I usually am too tired to socialize after taking care of and financially supporting a family. Sometimes I think to myself though: "If I didn't have social media, would I be more motivated to spend more time with family and friends?" Something akin to the chicken or the egg question. I often wonder if my introverted personality is exacerbated by social media or if it helps me be more social.
Just get a Sunbeam F1. Its the perfect flip phone. Gps and great texting. Had it for 2 years now. Will NEVER go back!
Gotta love MaTT. its nice too see someone stick on his own values
I really like the dumb phone contents! Keep it up Matt
Good job, enjoyed the video!
for years i keep thinking i wish i could go back to a brick phone (i was a kid when these came out) but i liked the simplicity of them, the only thing that stops me is whatsapp, in my country i think the contracts even have text messeges anymore, so not having whatsapp and only calling (with my anxiety with be terrible just doing that) it would never worked for me, but i keep searching for that option... gread video and honesty and also i haven't heard from light phone until today
i love that you tried this one out, i've actually had one for a while and you really hit the nail on the head. my light phone is collecting dust in a drawer primarily because i can't message people efficiently, i can't navigate with the current state of the gps system, and some other minor functionalities like not being able to set multiple alarms or timers.
light phone is on the right path and their heart is in the right place. this phone is great if you have a phone addiction and you need to do a detox period, or if you're going on some outing where it's important that you focus on the present moment or just need a "weekend phone", but without feeling compromised in not being reachable or having a calculator or directions. so for me, it's no long term solution.
some smaller adjustments i've made with building a healthier relationship with my smart phone has tied into a lot of common topics about neuroplasticity. i make choosing my iphone and social media time the harder choice, and i use apps like forest as a way to track my "deep work" or other habits. i monitor my screen time and keep my phone on do not disturb. i pare down the social media apps that don't add significant value and i've done an extreme part in curating my social media algorithms as much as i can. i've invested much more in hobbies that keep me away from fragmenting my time online and that i can essentially participate in if the power goes out -- like yoga, crochet, reading, crossword puzzles, etc. i have effectively managed my doomscrolling by picking up a physical newspaper to stay informed - then i toss it when i'm done and move on.
it's not perfect and battling internet addiction is difficult with a lack of good resources, especially considering i have adhd - inattentive type. but i still keep my light phone in my desk drawer and i keep up to date on any changes the company is doing to make it more accessible to help bridge that gap for me. the more attention is drawn to the issue, the better support we get.
Or just get a Sunbeam F1. Its the perfect flip phone. Gps and great texting. Had it for 2 years now. Will NEVER go back!
Definitely an interesting idea but when the founder said it was never meant to replace your smartphone it lost me. If you’re adding more phones to your life you’re not really simplifying.
Replacement, no. Alternative, yes. It’s for those who don’t use social media as a necessity, don’t need the help of maps. It’s really simple to transfer a SIM card from one phone to another, it allows you to be contactable while also off grid, which I think is the point in the end.
And the price is ridiculous.
It has replaced mine. What Joe meant is that it is not a 1-1 replacement, but rather it is an invitation to step back and only have tools and not all the apps that smartphones have. I have used the Light Phone 2 for 3 years now and I am not going back to a smartphone :)
He said that of the first Light Phone
Definitely something I’ve had success doing, is changing one habit for another. I deleted all my social media off my phone including TH-cam. TH-cam is only on my tablet that’s at home and is actually dead half the time. When I had TH-cam on my cell but nothing else I’d just waste time on TH-cam. But I have since swapped that habit out for the kindle app and end up reading a ton. Or if I don’t feel like reading I just don’t end up using the phone. It’s a win win.
much easier and more realistic to just ditch social media
If you want to test your phone addiction, leave your phone at home next time you go somewhere and count how many times you reach for it while you’re out 😬
I take it with me because it counts the number of steps I take each day. 😃
@@monikavarro2020 i like your response😂
@@katemartin1329 It's true! It gives you a graph of your average step count each week! 😃 Otherwise how would the phone know you've walked? 😂
@@monikavarro2020 I know I also like this option,but I didn't expect such an answer I would thought something like instagram or whatsapp is more important, because people chat there multiple times in the day soo your answer made me smile why? It reminded me of the time where I tried to collect 15000 steps per day
@@katemartin1329 I usually don't do that many steps every day. Occasionally I reach over 10,000 it's usually under that. 😂 That's why I take my phone in my bag! 😆 And for emergencies. I quit social media years ago! I don't use my phone while out unless I'm kept waiting. I edit videos while waiting to be served.
I’ve been looking to get one of these for a bit. I think if it (as you stated) “smartened” up a little I think this could be really viable. If I could get WhatsApp, Spotify, and Google maps I’d probably jump on the bandwagon and play sacrifice to the inconvenience of everyone around me, enjoying that freedom of not having one. In the meantime deliberately minimizing my phone apps and sticking to it has been really helpful. A rule of thumb I’ve generally tried to operate on is seeing which apps I could get away with deleting if i can access it on my laptop. So instead of dealing with social media addiction (IG/FB) on the phone and trying to quit cold turkey I just deleted it off my phone and then check it at the end of the day on my laptop. Doing these things have helped me feel/become a lot more productive/present to things around me.
I switched to the CAT S22 flip. It’s a smart phone that is hard to use, but still very usable. Social media apps are comically hard to use so I’ve completely stopped using social on my phone. I still use them on my laptop occasionally as fb marketplace and TH-cam can be wonderful tools!
Somehow people in the nineties carried their lives quite normally, and even in their early 2 thousands. This guy in this video is a showcase in the psychology of social media and instant gratification.
For texting and notes there is speech to text available. You didn't mention it, but it's how I do all my texting and note taking. It works well.
works great if the words you use are in the library.
Same here. I was surprised he glossed over that.
There are hundreds of situations, when we as people do not want to speak our thoughts out loud, such as in a crowd of people, which is why speech-to-text becomes an impediment and not a solution.
Matt you've been a source of inspiration and I actually went NO PHONE for 30 days haha and was one of my first ever videos!
Wow! That’s wild.
@@user-sf9gs2pg1b I feel like I need to do it again, maybe I will in October! Stay tuned ;)
This seems like a really great product for kids! I know it’s incredibly expensive. Some people can afford that I guess. But the bare minimum feature could be great for kids with one parent or duel working parents. If they walk home from school or the bus stop. Even at sleep over or birthday parties. Everything has to be downloaded and it has little to no storage so there’s not much they can do in their own without plugging it into a computer. It seems like a really good first start and intro to smart phones and somewhat independence. But that price is still crazy.
As somone who is currently 24-years-old and only recently got to experience having a phone number and data, even if for a short time, it's frustrating in a way to watch people say phones are ruining peoples lives. Nowadays, you need a phone number for nearly everything, from getting a job to downloading an editing software. This is the world I live in and it's not something I can change, so I have to deal with being completely locked out of things no one even realizes people can be locked out of.
Just get a Sunbeam F1. Its the perfect flip phone. Gps and great texting. Had it for 2 years now. Will NEVER go back!
What I do is: I have essentials on my phone and distractions (i.e. Social Media) on my tablet. I keep my tablet away from me so I don't feel tempted to check it everytime while working. This way you can keep the important features of your phone, while staying away of the distractions; unless you intentionally want to either take a break or need something that is found easier on social media
I love my light phone. I'm a mobile app developer, so I'm around smartphones and a computer screen all day long. The Light Phone 2 helped me transition form work to being with my family or living in moments without the constant need for a screen to keep me from getting bored. I agree with all of your criticism of the Light Phone 2. When giving up a smartphone to use the Light Phone 2, I was forced to set up new systems for every pain point that not having a smartphone brings. I actually got use to texting on the Light Phone 2 (I keep haptics on) and I love the voice to text and text correction. But for 3rd party apps. I do keep the original iPhone SE in my car and it has almost no apps on it besides slack, discord, and other third party apps I check for work. So if I'm out and about for a whole day and I'm not near a computer, I turn on the hotspot feature of the Light Phone 2 and check those services. But ultimately those services aren't in my pocket pinging me throughout the day begging for my attention. I also downloaded offline maps on my iPhone SE as well and use that when the Light Phone 2's directions feel "stressful" (which I totally agree. It can). For notes, I keep a little notepad on me to write important stuff down. Again, it's the systems someone puts in place that helps them through the Light Phone 2 process...the Light Phone 2 itself isn't the cure digital overload.
(For those wondering why I don't use the iPhone SE but stripped down? If I had that phone in my pocket all the time, it would be calling for my attention and I would break down and load it up with apps eventually because that's what these smartphones do to me). But with the Light Phone 2 in my pocket, I don't have that temptation at all because I can't.)
I loved the video and I was totally pumped to see this show up in my feed! Thanks, man!
This is the way. 👍
Good systems. What I'd love to see is a middle ground of light phone and a smart device
E-ink screen.
Voice input.
Call / text.
Email.
Maps.
Spotify.
Calendar / Todo list / note app.
Night mode / Kindle reader app.
Oura, Garmin, Bose sleepbuds ++ integration.
Allowing to add features and apps to fit daily needs without the extra clutter. Great battery due to screen type. Bigger screen size to enable book reading as well.
Could omit camera, as much of a pain point that would be - a proper camera for travels would be better anyway.
Essentially a light phone 3 with more flexibility.
It was fun watching this. I'd actually love to use it! If only they could fit the keyboard in horizontal mode instead of landscape it'd be perfect and also fix the navigation.
For a few months last year my smartphone broke so I decided to just stick with my burner, at first I hated it but then found I was calmer and did more activities such as reading
i had similiar goal and i realized that having lte smartwatch along with smartphone was working the best for me. not the ideal i imagined but it worked the best. most of the time i am relying on my watches since they can accomplish some of my common tasks like basic communication and what not but for things like maps when traveling, photos, qr codes and what not i use phone. i dont need it too often but when i need it i use it. but i also transitioned lot of my apps on a laptop like all the communications (messenger and what not) so these things distract me only when i am ready to be distracted aka when im on the laptop, not outside that.
also i found out lte in watches slashes the battery life pretty dramatically which sux but i guess you could find your way around that (i guess if you leave it on charger at night it would be ok but Im using it to monitor my sleep so i cant)
but otherwise the watches feel liberating. for example you no longer have to carry phone in your pocket which might sound silly but it really feels good for some reason, especially when you dont need to carry anything else, you just dont need to carry that paperweight on you
oopsie, thats bit too long, and i didnt even say everything i wanted :I welp, if you made it this far, congrats :D
I guess I gotta get me a light phone
I used a light phone for a year and I solved a lot of the frustrations you mentioned by treating my unlocked smart phone like a smaller, more portable, laptop; connect the sim-less smartphone to wifi and all the web messaging apps work fine at home. Turn on light phone hotspot in the car and look up directions to a new place for lunch. When things get really crazy (like being part of a wedding) I'd swap my sim back over to the smart one for a couple days, but most of the time, I'd leave the smartphone behind at home. The only reason I'm not using the Light phone that way today is because I moved to Japan and it's not compatible with Japanese cell towers.
I wanna do this.
This is exactly how I use mine. I've had it for a month and so far, I don't plan to go back.
@@watchthisdude and now, after 8 months, are you still using it? How is it going?
I have a Moto G pro Stylus as a working and personal phone, yet sometimes I look at it and think "you're great, but you're still a discration to me". What i'm trying to say is, a Light Phone with the issues mentioned in video solved, and a stylus would be something I would love to have.
Damn. If only it had a calendar/scheduling app I'd buy that in a heartbeat
"who actually calls people anymore?"... I DO! in essence, that's the main purpose the phone was created for right? a text message don't replace a phone call, hearing a persons voice generates a reactions of emotions which can remember us that we are humans; this are my 2 cents! Thanks Matt for this kind of videos, it is a really good topic to consider.
Literally nobody asked my guy.
They were literally responding to the question asked my guy.
@@furbait3442 The video literally asked the viewers who calls people. He is responding to the question that was asked
@@furbait3442 Nobody asked you say "my guy" either, which is an incredibly douchy phrase
@Furbait You are, in particular the kind of person that needs to get off your phone, cuz it making you an asshole for no reason.
In fact what this guy saying is right
It was one of the tips in the book (digital minimalism)“replace texting with calls”
This device reminds me a lot of cell phones they’d market specifically to children when I was young. Very simple, have all the basic things a younger person would need, and a parent could always get ahold of them.
If this had a camera, this would be the perfect first phone to give to a kid IMO! Kind of wish I had been given something like this and not an actual phone that led to some pretty bad internet addiction when I was that age 🤷
Thanks for the review
I love how you can get this but better for like $50- an iphone 4. You can get maps, calls, texting, all way faster, but you can't get app support for 90+ percent of apps in the app store, and thats really what makes a phone "light". (as an added bonus its the same form factor lol)
That map app gave me serious anxiety. I am not sure if I will be able to use a Light phone if it means not having access to these apps. Kudos to you, Matt! You made it through the 30 days.
Loved this! I didn’t even know there was sth like a light phone.
And I actually do miss the pre smart phone era now and then. While smart phones can be very helpful, I feel like the destroy so much of the worlds “real” charm
Having this as a daily phone would’ve been so cool
For many of us who become used to using smartphones, I think the benefit of technology truly enhances our daily lives in many ways. In most part of the world, it has become an essential and where you are from, I can only imagine the frustration and inconvenience you experienced. You were very brave to try and I also think that the creator of this light phone hope that we can strive to have a simpler relationship with our phones. However, simplicity is not easy. (To the creator, don’t give up!) Thank you for sharing your social experience! It was certainly fun to watch this video! 😊
IDEA: not sure if this exists already, but after watching this video I think maybe we might be better off with smartphones having a "dumb mode" that you can switch the phone to. And you can select the apps that show up. Example: you pick contacts, texts, alarm, google maps. I would much rather have google maps than the map app in this video.
Ultra Power Saving Mode on OneUI (Samsung) kind-of solves the purpose honestly. Reduces the phone to basic features and apps. I'm sure other OSs have it as well.
Sounds like Do Not Disturb mode on Android to me.
There are many minimalist launcher apps in store.
If you really want, you can make these kinds of adjustments in Screen Time settings on the iPhone but you have to actually have someone else set the passcode if you don’t want to just keep constantly overriding it yourself
Nowadays iphone can literally have a focus MODE! And you can choose what apps you want and even the background and lighting for this MODE… also i think using shortcuts app comes in handy for the same purpose of.., for ex: u can do a shortcut to direct you to a certain website instead of going through google by urself.. also shortcut can direct you to certain things like yt channels, chats etc
1:32 "A flip-phone was too dumb for me, it failed to get my Google Maps location constantly, so I was excited about the potential of the Light Phone - Switches to a $300, even dumber phone that can't even display maps or anything more than a few black a white pixels and it's a big and bulky as any other smartphone.
6:46 - They have been adding new apps like music, hotspot, podcasts and other things so it's constantly improving - what, it's getting "smarter" and with more features that will bring it back to a smartphone, just worse?
Really redundant $300 product
Just get a Sunbeam F1. Its the perfect flip phone. Gps and great texting. Had it for 2 years now. Will NEVER go back!
The only thing it needs is just a few more features and fast-refresh e-ink screen to be genuinely comfortable.
matt the thing with GPS and directions is you should always check them before heading out, then on the way the GPS is a reminder.
Like the idea, you can do this with any phone. I have deleted majority off social media apps and useless scrolling apps and that has helped me consume negativity much less and forced me to go out and interact with people way more!
That's the Way to Go
I still can’t believe we used to all walk confidently out into the world without a smartphone, only a decade ago, and yet today, I can’t fathom it.
Just get a Sunbeam F1. Its the perfect flip phone. Gps and great texting. Had it for 2 years now. Will NEVER go back!
Must be very difficult for those who are content creators to go down this path. Life is all about being connected, social media reach and all very smart phone features. Thankfully I'm not a social media fan as life is enough in the real world that I cant do with more and worse in the online world. It also helps if you remember a world that was offline. I cannot imagine those who have never seen a different world to want to try this.
Thanks for the video 🙏
I've had the Light phone for two years. Love it.
This was great to watch. I've followed lightphone and similar for years. Used an iPhone SE from 2016 for years and upgraded to the iPhone 12 mini; and expect to keep that for four+ years (expect one battery replacement during use). Keep myself to under 2 hours of use and set up screen time limits, and under 50 apps. light phone is a good concept for some, but I figure I'd run in to similar issues you did during use. I was about to get a cellular Apple Watch, but didn't care for another tenner leaving my pocket every month.
That’s a good point. A “dumb” iPhone 12 Mini genuinely seems like the best option. It’s discrete, reliable and all the essential apps work flawlessly.
I have a 13 Pro Max and I would definitely say the size of the screen encourages a lot more screen time then I would like. Definitely want to downsize some day.
They should make the touch smooth, make it coloured. Have the same apps there with good performance. They've confused distractions with performance.
i like the looks and the simplistic of it...thought of getting my dad one since he only uses it for calls, an upgrade from your old button phone but the price is, yeah abit too much for my budget but overall a great idea for someone who doesnt want to get hook onto social media and only need basic needs
I’m seriously considering it, but unless it has good speech-to-text for texting, I don’t think it’ll work for me. The on screen keyboard and screen are too small for my hands, and I also have dyspraxia, which makes my gross motor skills very poor, overall. In other words, they need a larger model to accommodate people like me. It’s an accessibility design problem.
A possible alternative to the apparently awful GPS might be to use a tablet or secondary (smart) phone for it and serve connectivity through a hotspot, perhaps?
I use speech-to-text almost exclusively on my phone. On my Samsung Note 9, I used G-board and the speech-to-text gave me average results and was almost unusable when there was little reception and 100% unusable when there was no reception but it was still way better than Samsung's keyboard. When I heard the Google Pixel 6 Pro had native speech-to-text support (no internet required), I bought it and it's lightyears better than anything else available today. Google offers the native speech-to-text on all Pixel phones with the Tensor processor which is in all the variants of the Pixel 6 and 7. It's not perfect but if you put a little effort into how you talk, I would estimate about a 95% accuracy rate from my own personal use. If that's a big factor for you, it's worth checking out because it will definitely change how you use speech-to-text. There are some YT videos showing how it works.
Fun Fact: on existing smart phones not only can one uninstall apps, one can also not install *any* apps from the get go.
a lot of smartphones come with apps like Facebook, TH-cam and Netflix pre-installed. Sometimes even without the option of uninstalling it. Also, the point of an addiction is that you're unable to stay away from it when it is within reach. "Simply" not installing the apps is like telling a drug addict to "simply" not get the drugs.
I don't understand why people even buy stuff like this. If you have a smartphone addiction just accept that fact and try using it lesser every day. Yeah, I know it's tough but you do what you gotta do if you know its becoming an inconvenience. Stuff like this just creates more hurdles in one's life.
@@myrtle4717 Get a second hand iPhone, uninstall or disable all unwanted apps in screen time, let someone from your family or a friend to set screen time password. Done.
Mind blown 🤯🤯
@@fr0sty999 You've clearly never had an actual addiction. "Just accept that fact and try using it lesser every day."? The whole point of an addiction is they're not able to use it lesser by just their own will.
I don't think this is supposed to replace your smartphone, I think it is meant to compliment it. I could see this being perfect for when you want to go out to a dinner and truly being present with the people you are with.
what we need is a plan that can connect multiple devices to one account. Using the same data plan, sync-ing-up all the different apps on different devices automatically. That way people can buy multiple phones and use different ones for difference occasion and purposes.
This is perfect solution for all my non-existent problems
i like the idea of such low or perceived low tech making phone calls. simple tech? makes the phone call seem more like magic.i wonder how much more simpler it could get and still be useful to make a phone call.
“ u r 100% capable of making change in your life, even if u failed 100 times before “ ❤
Or maybe we could just, idk... put the phone down?? lmao
I would get one of these for the cabin in a woods holiday... to get away from all of the apps. But would miss Google Keep for ideas
Nice experience!
While watching, all I could think about were those android launchers (indistract minimalist or minimalist phone).
Smartphones are too stimulating, so it's nice to optimize them for essential use
What really helped me is going fully with Apple Watch and leaving my phone at home. You have all benefits of smartphone without being distracted by social media and other stuff
I think using a powerful phone that does most of your tasks is actually the more minimalist thing.
You don’t need a printer for directions, a camera for pictures, a computer for banking. You can do it all on one device and I think that’s more minimal.
@@vinaevergreen3851 That's a really good point that I hadn't considered. Maybe I'll have to do some thinking on that.
So I guess in summary, using a powerful phone isn't necessarily something we should strive to avoid, unless we want to!
but it also creates one point of failure. If your printer dies, you can still make calls and texts and listen to music and tell the time if you have all the other devices. If your iphone breaks and it's what you rely on for everything, you need to buy a whole new phone. That's not very economical or environmentally friendly
Use super power saving mode is my advice. It limits the number of app icons that can be displayed to 6 on my phone. I have just the essentials I need to communicate and travel, plus moonreader for books and Iplayer sounds for audio dramas, music etc. All the clutter falls away for a while. And the other stuff is available when you exit super power saving mode.
As a Light Phone owner/user/fan, I have to say that it seemed like the philosophy of “going light” wasn’t really something you were fully seeking. I can definitely attest to the friction of the early days of owning one. But as a person over a certain age, I remember life during the time of MapQuest or even keeping paper maps in the car. I also remember life before all my devices spoke seamlessly to one another. The latter point is what I missed the most at first, especially sending images to clients as part of my job. This is a lesson in why a Light Phone might end up as my personal phone and I keep an iPhone for business.
All that said, I really love not being tied to a screen anymore when I’m not working. I won’t say it feels like the 90’s again, but certainly feels like rewinding back to the late ‘00’s in the best (mindful) ways. It’s definitely a conscious lifestyle choice you are making to own and use one.
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