Last week, the new iPhone 16 was grandly announced and is hotly discussed on the Internet. At the same time, there is a “no-smartphone”: the Light Phone III, which is priced at the same price as the iPhone 15 Plus. Pre-orders have started a few days ago and are expected to be launched in January next year. It is very Popular among young consumers.
Modern people can do almost everything on their mobile phones. From the alarm clock that wakes you up in the morning, ordering takeout, and calling a taxi, mobile phones are needed in almost all aspects of daily life. People almost never leave their mobile phones. Why? Would you want to buy such a “low-priced smartphone” in this situation?
Quit social media and mobile games, new startups relaunch “smartphone-free”
The Light Phone, a new startup company located in Brooklyn, New York, has launched three generations of Light Phone since 2017. The first-generation Light Phone I can only make calls, set alarms, and store 10 phone numbers; the Light Phone II is slightly It has evolved to be able to connect to WiFi, play music and podcasts, and also has calendar, note-taking and other tools, but it is still very simple compared to ordinary smartphones. Both generations of mobile phones sold out within minutes of their launch, and are especially popular among Generation Z consumers.
The launch of the third-generation mobile phone this time maintains its “minimally smart” style and adds basic life functions such as noise reduction microphone, fingerprint recognition, navigation, listening to music, mobile payment, etc. However, you still cannot use it to socialize, You cannot play mobile games or order food delivery, nor can you download various apps. “It is on a different path from all mobile phones on the market.” “Forbes” described it this way.
The Light Phone believes that the reason why this “smartphone-free phone” can dominate the market is that the younger generation generally does not trust smartphones and is tired of the constant push messages and needs a mobile phone. To help them “wean off their cell phones”.
“Minimalist mobile phones” have become a trend, and other manufacturers have begun to invest in this market.
The trend set off by Light Phone has also caused other manufacturers to rush to the market. For example, in 2017, NOKIA relaunched the 3310, which is said to have “battery life that is almost never exhausted.” HMD, which manufactures NOKIA mobile phones, also statistics that sales of old flip phones will double from 2022 to 2023. will reach new highs.
Aiming at this popular trend, clothing brand Bodega has also cooperated with beer brand Heineken to launch a “Boring Phone”. This is a phone that can only send text messages, make phone calls and play Snake, without any other network Functional mobile phone.
People spend too much energy and time staring at their mobile phones, resulting in a sharp decline in the quality of communication between people. About 90% of respondents in the UK and the United States admitted that they would swipe their mobile phones while communicating with others. More than three One in four people said they check their phones more often than they should when out with friends, and 38% said they would consider turning off their phones or leaving them at home in the future.
The rise of such products reflects Generation Z’s doubts about today’s technology and reflection on their over-reliance on mobile phones. “Fast Company” believes that if the trend continues, it may change the thinking of technology giants in designing new mobile phones.
Top image source: The Light Phone