Alex White

The 6300 dumbphone.from Nokia .

Quite a few mobile callers nowadays opt for the dumbphone, also known as an old-fashioned mobile phone. But old-fashioned is relative, because well-known manufacturers such as Nokia regularly release new mobile phones. This so-called feature phones just have wifi, bluetooth, a camera and even social media apps.

Why go back to the dumbphone?
A large part of the switchers to the dumbphone is ready for a rest. An end to being constantly disturbed by an endless stream of messages from social media, apps and websites. And no longer feel the urge to view and respond to all those notifications. That saves a lot of time and stress. This also includes the fact that those social media and apps run off with your privacy on all sides. Your location, who you are, what you do: on a smartphone, others are always watching along with you.

Another important argument for switching to a dumbphone is money. Even though cheap smartphones are now available for just over a hundred euros, most subscriptions are based on much more expensive ones. Prices from 500 to over 1,000 euros are quite normal. You already have a simple dumbphone for four tens. A feature phone with a few more options costs around a hundred euros.

Finally, the nostalgia of an old-fashioned mobile phone also plays a role for switchers. Just as there are enthusiasts who enjoy listening to their music from a record player, there are those who appreciate the look and feel of a regular mobile. In fact, they often don’t get along well with an on-screen keyboard and feel more at home with a physical one.

What can a dumbphone do
Before you decide to switch to a dumbphone, it is useful to know what the options are that remain. As a basis you can start from the mobile phones that were popular before the rise of the smartphone. So you can always call and text with it. In addition, even the cheapest basic models have additional options such as a camera, FM radio, MP3 player and Bluetooth to play the music on an external speaker.

Feature phones are slightly more expensive, up to around a hundred euros, but also offer more. Think of a somewhat larger color screen, WiFi, a better camera and even the possibility to run and surf a number of apps. With the Nokia 6300 4G, for example, you can use WhatsApp, Facebook, Google Maps and YouTube. Keep in mind that feature phones are an operating system and apps with limited capabilities.

A plus of dumbphones over smartphones is that the battery lasts much longer. Instead of charging once a day, once every few weeks is usually enough. They can also take a beating better, due to the lack of a large, fragile touchscreen. If that’s not enough, there are models, such as the Nokia 800 Tough or RugGear RG170, that are built extra robust and can therefore be used under more difficult working and sports conditions.

What a dumbphone can’t do
Obviously, without an extensive operating system and all available apps, you will also be somewhat short of a dumbphone. For example, extensive surfing and gaming are not an option. At best, the camera takes photos and videos with moderate image resolution. Also you can not play music and video stream. In addition, on many devices you miss the option to scan QR codes and arrange your banking affairs mobile.

Some dumbphones just have a camera

Fortunately, you can still function without QR codes. For example, the one for the corona certificate can also be printed. Banks increasingly assume that you have a smartphone, but if you use a PC in combination with a mobile for security text messages, you will also be fine.

Older mobile phone models only work via 2G, which is still supported on the KPN and Vodafone network until at least the end of 2024. For certainty in the longer term: make sure that the name or specifications state 4G.

You save that much money
Like smartphones, you can make it as expensive as you want with dumbphones, depending on your choices. But even then you’re still out cheap.

The most affordable option is to buy the simplest mobile, such as the Nokia 110 4G or Alcatel 2057 (2G) for around fifty euros. With very little calling and texting, you can already do with a prepaid SIM card of 25 euros for a year. You can also take out a SIM-only subscription or a subscription including a device. For example, for unlimited calls and 1 to 5 GB per month of internet, you will pay about six euros per month at Lebara (KPN network). Whichever choice you make: you will end up with between 50 and 85 euros per year if you write off your mobile in two years. With a somewhat more expensive feature phone of a hundred euros, the costs are between 75 and 150 euros per year

Choose from the different feature phones at a phone shop

For an average smartphone, you will easily spend 400 to more than 1,000 euros on the device. This also includes faster and more internet and the resulting annual costs of 300 to 600 euros.

A dumbphone can therefore save you 250 to more than 500 euros on an annual basis. Interesting enough to think about whether you really need your smartphone that much.