The dumb phone is dead, long live the dumbphone: four devices taking on the smartphone

The smartphone killed a lot of phones, and in my opinion, killed the fun form factors, quirky designs and truly new innovations. It also brought with it addictive algorithms and made it difficult to switch off.

However, as is often the case, things swing back round. The power of nostalgia is strong. We're now seeing the rise of simpler devices, ones that let you switch off and spend less time scrolling while still staying connected.

There's also a new wave of devices with physical keyboards, new form factors and different offerings than the likes of Apple and Samsung. I for one, love a physical keyboard and will happily click away rather than tap a screen.

So, with that, here are 4 devices shaking up the phone market and working towards limiting distractions, whilst doing something new.

The first thing that got me into this world of new (old) devices was the Light Phone, when it came out a few years ago. Then it was the Minimal Phone, the original. E-ink display, physical keyboard, simple OS, built to keep you focused and present.

Their new offering is the MP-02 has a new neater form factor, physical keyboard, new software and a premium aluminium body. If they deliver on this, it will be a very popular device. It will be especially popular with the Blackberry fans, I could see Obama with one of these.

One caveat: it's in crowdfunding on Kickstarter, and I always say to be careful with that. Minimal have delivered on their promises before, and also announced this when they already had a working device, but crowdfunding hasn't always delivered. Buy with caution.

The original Light Phone was a stark difference from the smartphone of today. E-ink display, limited apps, small form factor. I think they were one of the first in the space, and the longest running.

Light Phone really do stick to their mission in ‘humanely designed phones that help people stay connected without constantly competing for their attention’.

Their new offering focuses on the flip form factor. Not a tablet with touchscreen, an actual flip, like the OG Motorola Razr. There is nothing more satisfying than hanging up with a slap of closing the phone.

Keeping it simple, effective in communicating. Arguably the actual purpose of phones.

The Light Flip takes advantage of all of the existing LightOS tools, as well as predictive T9, voice-to-text and audio messaging. Simple but effective.

Meadow is a new device, less a traditional phone and more a fun, different form factor. One I really like. It's built so you can leave your phone at home but still stay connected with the essentials: messaging, maps, streaming. No social media, just utility, all the benefits of a phone without the feeds.

I think more devices will move to this form factor as we hurtle towards ubiquitous AI and assistants, and in an effort to curb our crazy scrolling habits and i’m all for it! I think form factor plays a big role on keeping us scrolling, devices like Meadow focus more on utility rather than sitting and scrolling on feeds.

They've also nailed their marketing and imagery. Extra points for that.

Highlights:

Honestly what more could you need?

The Clicks Communicator is built for exactly that: communicating, not scrolling. It works as a standalone device or a companion to your current phone.

As their tagline says, "Designed for doing, not doomscrolling." Honestly, a breath of fresh air in a marketing heavy, busy world. It's like a revived BlackBerry, built around a physical keyboard with a satisfying click, a voice input button and all the apps you need to stay connected. There's a recurring theme in this piece, if you hadn't noticed.

Worth noting, a lot of these devices work on pre-order or crowdfunding. That can be a negative, but it's also a clear example of how smaller businesses can get into the hardware world, which is notoriously hard, delivering what users actually want, rather than us just accepting what trend the big phone makers hand down.

It also shows the demand for devices and experiences that let you stay away from doomscrolling and distractions while still being reachable. True, you could just use your phone less, but that's often easier said than done. Some of us also want a different form factor entirely, and a device that's a lot less pricey than the big players.

Check out the phones and let me know what you think, if you have some other contenders send them through!