Basic tech for phones on the rise

THE smartphone may have gotten a little too clever for some with the old “brick” handset now making a comeback by users wanting to safeguard their personal details from identity theft.

Australians are putting their high-functioning handsets on the shelf and turning back to old-school, simple function mobiles without apps or voice commands in an attempt to keep their bank details and other information private.

Data from market researcher GFK reveals six per cent of mobile purchases in Australia are now “feature phones”, basic devices that operate simply as a phone.

And with Nokia set to re-release their iconic 3310, the indestructible “thick as a brick” machine, that figure is predicted to rise further.

GFK’s Brendan Dowd said the basic “dumbphones” were cheap, easy to use and not confusing, which is what many Australians, namely seniors, tradies or travellers, demand.

“I think there will always be some old-school phones out there, like the big button ones for elderly people or travellers,” Mr Dowd said.

“We will see a few more brands release older phones again but I don’t have a crystal ball about what will be released,” he said.