Clinging onto old phones

Iused to be surprised when I saw people with older ‘‘dumb’’ phones but now I’m beginning to understand the attraction. The digital draw of a smartphone can get too much for people as they spend too much time staring at a screen rather than engaging with those around them.

There is no such problem for those who own dumb phones as there is very little to do with them other than text or make calls.

But for some people, that is coming to an end tomorrow as

2degrees shuts down its 2G network.

The company estimates thousands of people will be affected and it’s trying to help by giving away budget 3G phones. While you could move to Vodafone (Spark doesn’t have a 2G network) it might be best to upgrade to 3G to future-proof yourself.

3G refers to the type of connection used by cellphones to access the network – the higher the

If you don't want a smartphone, then you can get a 3G dumb phone like the Nokia 3110 3G...

number the faster it works. The current standard is now 4G with 5G expected to arrive in New Zealand in the next few years.

But if you do have an older style phone, that doesn’t mean you need to get a 4G capable smartphone. If you’re happy with the features you already have, then you can buy a basic 3G smartphone for between $100 - $200. Another $100 will get you a 4G smartphone.

If you don’t want a smartphone, then you can get a 3G dumb phone like the Nokia 3110 3G ($99) which is a re-released version of the popular phone from more than a decade ago.

Nokia has also announced it will re-release its famous ‘‘banana phone’’ which features a snap cover that is used to unlock the phone or answer calls. Unfortunately, it probably won’t arrive in New Zealand until the end of the year.

Other tech companies are also trying to cash in on the backlash against smartphones. The trendy Light Phone 2 has all the features of a dumb phone but a design worthy of an iPhone, but at US$400 it costs too much for the average user.

So while you may be forced to upgrade your phone, it doesn’t mean you need to get a smartphone. Enjoy the world of simple phones while you can.