I’ve been saying for a while now that I want to get a dumb phone. That I didn’t miss texting that month when I wasn’t doing it. But I look at my options for cutting down my phone use, and I find myself struggling to figure out which is freer: more connection or less.
My options at present seem to be: Light Phone, Light Phone 2, Samsung Watch (Gear Sport), Apple Watch. Here are some of the major pros and cons of each.
Light Phone
Pros:
- super minimalist (no texting!)
- fairly minimal commitment also but could transition to more commitment by pairing with Google Voice — in the meantime, could bring my iphone whenever I wanted/needed to (like in a group logistics heavy situation)
- viva la resistance!
Cons:
- who knows when it will be available?! (UPDATE: it’s available now, but the network it’s on may be unreliable and is being phased out)
- no photos or group messages
- have to pay for data plan (but it’s pretty inexpensive)
Light Phone 2
Pros:
- group texting
- could become my only phone
- viva la resistance!
Cons:
- kind of too much and too little all at once (navigation but no pics)
- not out til July and not all features confirmed
- would need additional phone number and plan
Samsung Gear Sport
Pros:
- limited app availability
- cool rotating bezel — cuts down on swiping!
- looks like a watch, which I feel like I need anyway
Cons:
- can’t answer calls
- need to carry my iphone with me (or get a samsung???)
- digital tether w/o digital conveniences (e.g., apple pay, duo mobile) unless I change phones
Apple Watch
Pros:
- works easily with my phone (can answer calls, Apple pay, etc)
- small profile
Cons:
- wearing a tiny iPhone on my wrist does not feel very resistant
- possibility of getting sucked into apps even more
Now that I’ve done the overview of pros and cons, I think it’s important to identify the values served by my iPhone and see what seems like the *best* way to maintain those values.
Here they are!
- Accessibility. I like people to be able to reach me when they really need to, and it’s important for me to be reachable as a parent. I also don’t want to bog my loved ones down with special rules for contacting me, except that calling is more reliable.
- Community. I like being able to send and receive photos and to be a part of group bonding/conversation/coordination. I don’t necessarily need to be able to do this 24/7.
Here are some additional values that I would like to uphold with my new solution:
- Boundaries. I feel better when I do one thing at a time, and I need my tech to support me in doing that. I also value not being tracked and mined for data with every step I take.
- Aesthetics. I want the physical experience of using my communication device to spark joy. I hope my new camera also sparks joy.
Conclusions
Even though the Apple watch is a no brainer in terms of features, it violates my values of boundaries and aesthetics. That’s out.
Light Phone used in combo with my iPhone seems like the best solution, but the question is whether and how long I am willing to wait. Light Phone 2 and Samsung Watch could serve as stop-gap measures. Light Phone 2 is an expensive and potentially complicated stop-gap, but it might be a nice investment if the Light Phone never becomes available again.
UPDATE: Light Phone is available now but will not be a long-term solution as the 2G network is being discontinued. Might be nice to try out for a while, though. Light Phone 2 is not available until August. I am also realizing that my summer needs differ from my school year needs.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Backed the Light Phone 2! In the meantime, I bought a cute dumb watch to reduce the amount of looking at my phone I do just to check the time.
