In the United States, the iPhone is the most used mobile phone and has a market share that exceeds 50%, while Android continues to monopolize practically the rest. However, during the last year something quite remarkable happened, since, Thanks to Gen Z, there began to be a growing interest in feature phonesalso known as dumb phones or dumb phones.
Believe it or not, young people born between the mid-nineties and the early years of 2010 are trying to revive the appeal for those simple mobiles, with small screens and limited connectivity options. No matter the form factor, be it candy barssliders or flip phones.
But the revival of interest in feature phones It is not for a simple nostalgic whim. What Gen Z seeks is to disconnect from the bombardment of social networks and messaging apps to improve your mental health.
Be careful, this does not mean that, starting tomorrow, young people will boycott technology and stop buying new iPhones, Pixels or Galaxy. But they are more aware of the effects of permanent exposure to mobile phones and addiction to apps like Instagram and TikTok.
Therefore, having a phone with more limited functionality could help adolescents or young adults to spend their day —or part of it, at least— connected through calls or text messages, but without the noise and anxiety that come with other apps.
Gen Z could revive the sales of the feature phones in North America
It is clear that, although smartphones in all their ranges today govern destinations in terms of communication and mobile connectivity, the feature phones they never disappeared. Indeed, Nokia may no longer be one of the world’s leading brands, but continues to offer a wide catalog of these devices.
According to collect CNBClast year 80% of the sales of the feature phones it was divided between India, Africa and the Middle East. HMD, the parent company of Nokia, saw a drop in its global demand for these types of phones, but he did grow up in the United States. Especially in their type models flip phone, also known as “de concha” or “con tapita”, depending on where you are in the Spanish-speaking world. An interest that could not only be linked to those who bet on these simple devices with the elderly in mind. Gen Z would have played their part too.
Although no specific numbers are mentioned, Nokia would have sold “tens of thousands” of this type of device per month on US soil in 2022. Numbers that may not be impressive for the vast majority, but for the Finnish brand they represent a light of hope towards the future.
the analyst Patrick Moorhead ensured that the market feature phones in the United States it could re-emerge during the next five years. In North America, the market for dumb phones it’s pretty stagnant. But you could see an increase of up to 5% over the next five years, at least, based on the public health concerns that are out there,” he said. It all likely depends on how long Gen Z’s interest in these types of products lasts.
Jose Brioneswho manages the subreddit r/dumbphonesalso expressed his opinion on the subject to CNBC. “I think you can see it with certain Gen Z populations: they are tired of screens. They don’t know what’s going on with mental health and they’re trying to make cuts,” she said.
In fact, his community on Reddit summarizes the most important points for those looking for a dumb phone either feature phone in the middle of 2023. From what type of mobile to choose according to needs, what operating system to use if you want to maintain access to apps such as Spotify or WhatsApp, etc.
From ‘dumb phones’ to ‘minimalist phones’
The growing interest of Gen Z to cut ties with smartphones It has also given space to a new business. We are talking about “minimalist” phones, which are offered as an anxiety-free solution. One of the best known cases is that of light phonewhich aims to establish itself as a different option in an era that they characterize as “surveillance capitalism” and the “attention economy.”
«You will never have social networks, news with clickbaitemail, an internet browser or any other infinite source that causes anxiety, “he says the website promoting the Light Phone II. But it is not the only one of its kind. Sunbeam Wireless has released a flip phone called F1that for Sale as “the phone that frees you to do more.” While the Punkt MP02 I bet you a similar philosophy.
As we said earlier, none of these devices will take the market dominance from the iPhone and Android smartphones in the near future. But they make it clear that feature phones could have a second life in the United States by the hand of Gen Z. Especially, due to the desire of its members to escape the harmful effects of a technology with which they have lived almost since they were born.