My Review of the Dumb Phone Experience
Should you get a dumb phone?
Lots of us romanticize the idea of “going off the grid” but is it as good as we imagine it to be? Is getting a dumb phone worth the cost of inconvenience? I’ve done it and I am writing this blog post to share whether or not I found it to be worthwhile.
I asked myself the question of whether or not to get a dumb phone and “go off the grid” for a few years. I looked into the main options for dumb phones but it felt like too big of a change. It seemed too inconvenient. Not just for myself but for my friends and family too.
First, I tried a different method. Stricter boundaries. Before getting a dumb phone, I tried many different boundaries with my smart phone. I wrote a blog post on it to give you inspiration: How to Reorder Your Life with Phone Boundaries. Many of these worked for a time and many are worth trying but the unfortunate news was, after a while, and in a particularly difficult season, I felt like I still needed harder lines. The lure of my phone was too strong. The escape into a different world too easy.
Was it that I had no self-control? Was my will completely weak? Or perhaps it was that this device had become too smart and was using insanely smart strategies to hijack my brain?
All I knew was that I felt like I had tried it all (except the dumb phone option) and I felt I was losing the battle.
My phone had control over me.
Is this you too?
The answer was clear.
I lay awake one night thinking how to get a handle on this problem. I replayed the day. Thought about my children. Thought about my husband. And thought about my relationship with the Lord. I had a sinking pit in my stomach, “I know I can love them better than I am.” “I know I can do better as a homemaker.” “Should I delete social media?” “What would that look like for the blog?” Then, that thought again. “Maybe I should just get a dumb phone?”
The next day I had an email from Techless, offering me the opportunity to try their device, The WisePhone II.
The answer was clear.
The WisePhone 2
I had been on the Techless website before. I had compared their product “The WisePhone” to the other “dumb” phones in the market and it seemed like the best option to me. So I tried it for 4 months, I am writing this blog to give you a detailed account as to the pros and cons and whether or not I recommend it.
The WisePhone falls in the category of dumb phones because it doesn’t have addictive apps and you can’t access web browsers, emails, or social media but the WisePhone not actually dumb. It is a wise phone. Not a dumb phone. Not a smart phone. Wise. Like the virtue.
Think of it like a “healthy smartphone”. But not like any smartphone you’ve seen.
It’s a phone without social media, web browsers, Amazon, or any addicting apps.
It’s a phone that is safer. It is completely data safe. No leaking your messages. No leaking your photos. No leaking your information.
It’s a phone that is simpler, quieter, not distracting, but a phone that is still useful.
A phone that still has access to apps like Spotify, Uber, Venmo, Google Maps, and Hallow.
How does it work? Well, this current model (The Wisephone II) is actually a rewired Samsung Galaxy that is locked down by Techless Software. It still has the high tech capacities of a Samsung but without the apps that are problematic. Techless even has a team who continuously review and approve apps for the device, if there is an app you believe they should have, you can submit a request and they will review it for you. It is up to date and convenient but without any of the addictive apps, which allows you to live unplugged, in a healthy “off the grid” kind of way.
I loved my experience with the WisePhone. On a practical level, there are pro’s and con’s to making the switch so lets get into those details in this blog post…
Review of The Wisephone 2: Pro’s and Con’s
I will first preface this with saying most of the cons are not really too problematic. They are just things that take some adjusting to when you have been living an iPhone life.
Activation. It was a bit of a bumpy start. First, because I had been using an e-sim card with my phone carrier and I needed to wait a few days to get a replacement physical sim in the mail. And second, because I obviously couldn’t access a web browser or email through my WisePhone to activate it. I felt like I was stuck in a maddening loop trying to activate my phone and transfer my info and phone number, going back and forth from my computer to my WisePhone to my old iPhone.
The Cost of Subscription. There is a $15 monthly cost with the WisePhone. This is a con however I felt like it was easily worthwhile for what it gave back to me in my life…truly. If you bundle the subscription with the right carrier plan, you need not be paying more than $30 a month. For phone carrier plans, I HIGHLY recommend Mint Mobile. (Sidenote, lets mention this pro, the WisePhone takes MANY popular carriers. I have had a wonderful experienece with Mint Mobile for YEARS. At first I thought the cost of Mint must be too good to be true, my previous phone carrier cost over $100 a month, but with Mint, you can pay $15 a month for good phone service and data. If you use my Mint Mobile refer-a-friend link you get $15 coupon.
The Android. Now this is obviously not a con for everyone. I didn’t anticipate this being a big deal because I was moving to such a simple device. But the switch from an Apple to an Android product was a challenge for me. I didn’t realize how deeply ingrained the functions of an Apple device were for me until moving to an Android. After a few months, I had adjusted to this change.
Photo Sharing. If you have an android or know anyone with an android, you are familiar with this problem. Photo sharing with friends and family between Android and iPhone devices results in blurry, low quality photos. This was a big con for me. I used to be a professional photographer and this irked me to my core. I much prefer the iPhone’s camera, photo storage, and sharing options. The WisePhone does have access to Google Photos, so this helped, but it was again another way I had to retrain how I was used to doing things.
From my perspective, these cons were not deal breakers. Especially since I began the journey of switching to a dumb phone during Lent, I was able to see these little setbacks as a creative way to embrace the death of self.
Here is why I loved the WisePhone…
Now lets talk about the pro’s of switching to the WisePhone…
“The Dumbness”. As if it needs to be said…no social media, no web access, and no mindless scrolling. When I first made the switch, I would pull out my WisePhone from the habit of scrolling and then I’d remember, there is nothing to do on this thing. Then, I’d put it away and go life my life! It was really quite refreshing.
Simplicity. It was SO nice having a device that was SO SIMPLE. The screen itself is simple and straightforward. The menu is intuitive and there are no images or red notifications to distract your attention. I loved the aesthetic of the simple words on the menu screen.
Safety. Have you ever had fears of data leaking and other personal information being shared? This phone is protected and locked down. Secured by Techless. It is completely data safe. No leaking your information.
Functionality. The apps and “Tool Drawer” are pulled from the Samsung App Library and function just like any smartphone. This means excellent GPS navigation with google maps and banking apps for your convenience. They even have the Hallow app!! The WisePhone isn’t a frustrating and clunky device. It works great! Did you know you can find when businesses are open by looking them up on Google maps? This was a happy discovery when I was out and about with the kids.
Spotify. I am giving this its own bulletpoint because I didn’t know this was possible but Techless has somehow managed to make Spotify available without any album cover photos or videos. The same Spotify, just with the music, playlists and no images. I LOVED this especially for music access with my kids around.
Group messaging and text messaging. I was still a part of all my friends group chats. Nothing changed besides the color of my texts being green. I could still send and receive emojis and the messaging wasn’t clunky or weird. If they sent a link, it was not clickable on my end but it still went through.
The Camera Lens. The camera and video quality were good. Again, it’s a Samsung Galaxy camera which many people have and love. It takes good photos for the average consumer. I am a bit different then the average person here- I used to be a professional photographer and I personally prefer the iPhone camera. However, I am mentioning the lens as a pro because I think most people would be satisfied with the quality.
Freedom!! Lets save the best for last. I have my brain back. Thanks to the WisePhone, I have had a major shift in my life, one that I think will be long lasting. After a short time I’ve remembered how unimportant these devices are which have gained so much power in our daily lives. My phone doesn’t ding at all times of the day. It seemed useless for me to check it more than a few times a day. My phone is no longer always in my hand or carried from room to room. I leave it and forget it. I have forgotten it when I have left home. I have even let the battery die on a few occasions, without charging it for a few hours and simply been out of touch with the outside world. What a RELIEF. It is JUST A PHONE. It seems silly that such a little device could ever control my life. But, I remember very much how it had.
A Dumb Phone Day in the Life
Suddenly and instantly, my days have *more* order. It was like I woke up, a fog was lifted and everything was immediately easier. Here is an example of what my best days looked like after making the switch…
I wake up and pray.
I make coffee and stare out the window.
It’s silent.
I sit and read.
It’s simple.
I eagerly await the excitement of my children coming down the stairs.
I sit down with my children for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I play. I watch my children play. I study their faces.
I think about my husband.
I check my email on my computer once a day. Just once. No more than that is necessary (I laugh thinking about how many times I used to check it).
At midday, I have energy. I am productive.
I am more friendly and chatty with people in line at the market. I am more eager to talk with neighbors.
I cook. (I use cook books or just invent my own recipes.)
I bake. (I have baked more things than I ever have.)
I clean and I enjoy it. (My house has consistently stayed cleaner than usual.)
When I get a text, I am excited to say hello to a friend but I am not escaping the world in front of me.
I get bored.
I get creative. My hobbies are growing.
I garden. I have more of a green thumb than I used to.
I laugh.
I cry. This took me by surprise when it first happened. In that first week with my new phone I sat down with nothing to do but watch my kids play and I started to cry because of how beautiful the moment was and also because of the moments like this that I have missed.
I am sillier with my kids, I dance around and make funny faces because there is nothing else to do but be present.
I sit and talk with my husband and I have many things to say.
Ultimately, I go through my day feeling like a better mom.
In addition, I have prayed more. I find myself drawn to conversation with the Lord in the many moments of pause. My interior life is more peaceful. My mind is more quiet and when I find myself with sitting still with empty fingers, I talk to the Lord.
The Intangibles of the Dumb Phone Experience
I can’t adequately express what switching to a dumb phone gave me. Because truthfully, it is priceless. 90 days after making the change, it was evident, I had freedom. My brain was rewiring. My attention span was improving. My impulsivity was better. My creative energy returned. My ability to be present was growing. My prayer life was fruitful. My home was cleaner. And so much more that I didn’t realize had been altered by the use of my smart phone. I don’t think its possible to realize how much our phones are taking from us until we make a big change.
And the WisePhone made all this possible for me. So YES. I recommend this experience to you.
I Recommend the WisePhone for…
After 4 months of trying the WisePhone I think it is a great option for everyone, but I acknowledge that it isn’t free and some, like me, may have a hard adjustment switching from a iPhone to an Android.
Get the WisePhone if…
You are looking for a phone for your older kids/teens. It would be an excellent option for them!
Do it if you are already an Android user. Easy Peasy. Do it and don’t look back!
Do it if you have a serious phone problem and need to be locked out completely of the option of downloading addictive apps. It will help you detox and give you a hard reset.
Do it if you have been considering it long enough, the only way to know is by trying.
You can get it with a $25 discount using the code: ALLISONM.
Still Not Sure?
That’s ok! BEEN THERE.
If you are not ready, get on my email list to read my upcoming blog post on how I found a way to dumb down the iPhone!