Is this the answer to smartphone addiction? Basic ‘Detox’ handset has ZERO apps installed and won’t connect to the internet – but it will still set you back $500
- It has a simple shape, bare design and comes only in three plain colours
- Like the old ‘Nokia’ handsets there are no apps on the phone which run on 2G
- But they can act as a hotspot for other devices like laptops to access the Internet
- They cost around 10 times as much as a Nokia phone with similar functionalities
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Help is at hand for those who really can’t kick their smartphone addiction, thanks to a new ‘dumb’ phone claiming to be just the digital detox you need.
Swiss brand Punkt has designed a handset with a small screen, no apps and no way to connect to the internet – but it will set you back £300 ($400).
While the price may seem steep, its creators justify the price because of its sleek and lightweight design and modern features.
That includes high quality audio with noise cancellation, micro-USB charging, an anti-reflection screen and anti-fingerprint coating.
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For those who really can’t kick the smartphone habit, Swiss company Punkt. has come up with a handset designed for people with digital ‘fatigue’. It has a small screen, no apps and will set you back £300
The MP02 Mobile Phone, on display at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, can do little more than send texts and make phone calls.
It’s minimalist design is reminiscent of a 21st Century version of the so called Nokia ‘brick’ phones from the 1990s.
The handset is much lighter, however, and is thinner and works with modern sized sim cards.
It weighs just 88g, nearly half that of an iPhone XS, which weighs 177g.
The phone does let the user switch on 4G mobile broadband access to act as a hotpot for devices like laptops and tablets to tether to.
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The MP01 from Swedish company Punkt comes in three colours, brown, black and white. The MP02 Mobile Phone, on show at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, can perform simple functions like sending texts and making phone calls, much like the ‘brick’ Nokia phones from the 90s. But it’s thinner, lighter and designed to be stylish, says the Swedish company Funkt
The MP02 weighs 88g, less than half that of an iPhone XS, which is 177g and is 14.5mm thick. Its other features include high quality audio with noise cancellation, micro-USB charging, anti-reflection screen and an anti-fingerprint coating
Petter Neby, founder of Punkt, said: ‘I founded Punkt to offer a viable alternative for those feeling overwhelmed by the advanced technologies that have pervaded modern lifestyles.
‘If anyone wants to talk to me, they can give me a call. Other forms of communication, for example email or social media, are available when I choose to use them – and via a linked device that allows me to use them more effectively.’
‘Punkt is about using technology to help us adopt good habits for less distracted lives.’
The Nokia 105 (2017) NANA (pictured), is based on the original Nokia models from over a decade ago, and has similarly basic functionalities and design much like its Nokia predecessors. But it comes in blue and costs a tenth of the MP02, at under £30
However, the Swedish handset is not the first to revisit the simplicity of the pre-digital age.
The MP02 is around 10 times the cost of certain Nokia models that have been updated for modern networks but retain the basic functions.
If it’s just getting away from social media you’re after, there are other options.
The Nokia 105 NANA, for example, which is based on the original Nokia models from over a decade ago, has similarly basic functionalities and costs under £30 ($40).
It is 14.4mm thick and the battery life lasts for 15 hours of talk time, although it’s less minimalist and has a ‘curved’ design.
It also comes in a bright blue colour on top of the grey and black options.
HOW SEVERE IS SMARTPHONE ADDICTION?
With the average age for a child to get their first phone now just 10, young people are becoming more and more reliant on their smartphones.
Worrying research from Korea University suggests that this dependence on the technology could even be affecting some teens’ brains.
The findings reveals that teenagers who are addicted to their smartphones are more likely to suffer from mental disorders, including depression and anxiety.
Other studies have shown people are so dependent on their smartphone that they happily break social etiquette to use them.
Researchers from mobile connectivity firm iPass surveyed more than 1,700 people in the US and Europe about their connectivity habits, preferences and expectations.
The survey revealed some of the most inappropriate situations in which people have felt the need to check their phone – during sex (seven per cent), on the toilet (72 per cent) and even during a funeral (11 per cent).
Nearly two thirds of people said they felt anxious when not connected to the Wi-Fi, with many saying they’d give up a range of items and activities in exchange for a connection.
Sixty-one per cent of respondents said that Wi-Fi was impossible to give up – more than for sex (58 per cent), junk food (42 per cent), smoking (41 per cent), alcohol (33 per cent), or drugs (31 per cent).
A quarter of respondents even went so far as to say that they’d choose Wi-Fi over a bath or shower, and 19 per cent said they’d choose Wi-Fi over human contact.
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