Ask HN: What prevents you from switching to a dumbphone?

3 points by Divisibly3 248 days ago | 4 comments

I’m doing research for a potential project (maybe even a startup) around making dumbphones viable again in 2025.

I’ve personally been living with a flip phone for a while. It works surprisingly well: fewer distractions, better sleep, better focus. The smartphone only comes out for banking or government apps.

Most discussions I’ve found online end up pessimistic: “you simply can’t live without a smartphone.” I found some partial solutions (see blog: https://tim.kicker.dev/2025/09/14/flip-phone/ )

So I’d like to ask HN for input:

- What are the real blockers that keep you tied to a smartphone?

- Which apps or services are absolute dealbreakers (banking, navigation, 2FA, messaging…)?

- Would you consider paying for workarounds/companion tools if they solved those blockers?

- Do you see this as just a niche lifestyle choice, or as an underserved market with startup potential?

I’m especially interested in hearing pain points from people who wanted to switch but couldn’t, those might highlight the most valuable problems to solve.

Thanks in advance for your insights!

codingdave 248 days ago |

You might be asking the wrong question. The first answer you need to know is why a dumb phone is better than just under-using a smartphone?

I can think of a few answers to that, btw, but before you try to start knocking down roadblocks of what use cases dumb phones cannot cover, figure out whether your target audience's desire for a dumb phone is even about the features, or whether it is cost-based, or psychology based (to avoid addiction, etc.), or is just trying to avoid owning devices that are run by big tech companies.

Personally, I barely use my phone. I forward calls to my VOIP line, I handle texts and other messaging from my PC. I don't really use apps other than the occasion bird or plant identification, some maps if I am travelling to a new location, and one notable time when I locked my keys in my car and used an app to unlock the doors. All of those scenarios could be handled without a smart phone, so it is certainly possible to drop the phone. But in that case, I would not get a phone at all.

So I feel you are looking at a niche, and one that is more about lifestyle choice, not feature sets.

theandrewbailey 248 days ago | |

> The first answer you need to know is why a dumb phone is better than just under-using a smartphone?

This is me. Outside of phone calls, I probably use my phone for less than 15 minutes per day. A dumb phone could be tempting for me, but firing off a short text with a 12 button pad is irritating, and I like GrapheneOS and trust it more than some random probably closed dumb phone platform.

notmyjob 248 days ago |

“The smartphone only comes out for banking or government apps.”

You answered your own question.

gus_massa 248 days ago | |

And WhatsApp