Flip Phones: Do we still need them?

In my new years' blog, I mentioned on how I had every intention on reducing my time on my smartphone and essentially leave my social media at home while I went out to work or to hang out with friends. I'm here to not only provide an update but to also present a couple of reasons why we may need to consider having a flip phone (aka a dumb phone) nowadays; despite smartphones still being the main device of the 21st century.

Below is what my flip phone looks like. It's the Samsung Galaxy Folder 2 (2021 version) in gold. I was hoping for the white version but then I remembered that I could easily get a phone case that would compliment the gold; which I did on amazon. Who knew that a pink phone case would go well with this colour scheme? :D

Purchasing the phone through Y2K Phones, I did have my initial skeptics since I've seen quite a few scam stories on people wanting to buy good flip phones but then later find out their product never arrived or got overcharged and the order cancelling shortly after without refunds happening. So of course I got in contact with the seller of Y2K Phones and with renewed confidence, I made the purchase using my vanilla visa gift card and received it in just under 3 weeks. Once I got it, you can pretty much assume that I spent a good portion of my time decorating the phone case, putting my phone together, charging it up, and exploring the operating system...which I found out later to be Android 7.1.1
(Android Nougat).

While it is an older phone and system, it still runs pretty fast and the battery is very good if you try not to excessively use it in one day or use battery-draining apps, social media being a good example. The longest my phone has lasted came to be just under 3 days--which is quite rare to see in a lot of modern day phones due to our constant usage and dependence for the smartphones' all too famous conveniences which in turn leads to smartphone addiction. 

After 2 weeks, I noticed that my screentime on my smartphone decreased somewhat but I still relied on it to check on my socials, stay up to date with transit, and so on; but still--progression was made. However now that has been over a month since using the flip phone, I was able to use the play store (now that I remembered my password xD) and download a few essential apps for me; further decreasing my need to keep my smartphone nearby. 

Anyways, I bet you guys are wondering what else the flip phone has done for me ^_^ 

~ Doom scrolling has been reduced by at least 80%, even more so when I had workdays and left my smartphone at home. 

~ My focus and ability to multitask has increased. With less apps and no social media installed on my flip phone (with the exception of YouTube), I have been able to focus more on my cooking, cleaning, looking after my cats, and running errands. 

~ In the mental health department, I have also seen a sharp increase in that as well. Since I'm not doom scrolling nearly as much or being exposed constantly to negative content, I noticed a change in my mood, daily habits, thoughts, and even how I perceive the world around me. While I still have a ways to go, I seemed to have taken up journaling on my flip phone using an app that lets you write down your feelings daily and answer really good prompts to further improve your creativity and getting out your thoughts and onto the 'page'.  

~ As someone who grew up with flip phones before smartphones became all the rage, I acknowledge the fact that I was going to pick up on the older technology again and get the hang of it quickly compared to the younger generations. So using the T9 keyboard was no problem for me, really. Although I will admit to the occasional typo. I'm not perfect on the T9 keyboard, but it's safe to say that I still got it in me and my millennial thumbs ;)



If anyone here reading this is considering on getting a flip phone, I STRONGLY recommend you go through Y2K Phones. The communication from the seller is excellent, they carry all kinds of models for both smart flips and truly retro (aka rly dumb) flips, and there are always going to be discounts happening all the time. If you feel like you want to be extra careful for your first purchase, they accept vanilla pre paid visa cards. That way, nothing is attached to your bank account or your personal info aside from what you put in for shipping and the visa gift card details. 

To anyone who is considering the pros and cons, think about what kind of flip phone you would like, what you'd use it for, and how often you'd use it. If you don't feel like using a flip phone is right for you then that's totally fine!! Think of this blog entry of mine as a bit of an opinion piece and a testimony on the benefits of using a flip phone to combat smartphone addiction. 

Thank you for reading and I'd love to see your comments! <3