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I might be missing something here. Can I not pick up a Nokia, Sony or other phone for an order of magnitude less than this price? It might even get some kudos. Or, as stated in the article, an alarm clock for a similar order of magnitude less. This might belay a greater stagnation, and not a bad one. The laptop I'm typing this comment on, a ThinkPad manufactured in 2012, works just fine. It has an upgrade to a SSD and a new battery. It cost around $100 three years ago. The watch on my arm, if choosing to put it on, was manufactured in the 1990s. It just needs a new battery every 3-4 years. I have no idea how old my alarm clock is. It's mainly unused because body clock works well enough. I do not need a step counter as when going for a morning stroll or jog I know roughly how far I'm going and how many steps that equates to. Nor do I need a meal planner app because the amount of calories in various food stuffs fortunately stays quite constant. While mobile payments have been all the rage where I live for some time, I get by well enough with a technology that doesn't aggregate personal information for 3rd parties called cash, with two high-tech devices in my wallet being a bank card and a public transport card. When taking the bus or subway I do crazy things like bring a book with me; there's a local bar/cafe/restaurant where people bring books they're done with and pick up others new. > Such a design philosophy may be good for consumers, but not for financial projections. Encouraging customers to upgrade helps smartphone makers keep cash flow consistent, whereas minimalist phones comparatively are selling few units to begin with, despite some models now being in the market for more than five years, said Ken Hyers, director of emerging technology devices at Strategy Analytics Inc. That just means I have more money for things other than keeping up with the Jones'. Like good food, or taking part in activities or hobbies. And more time. Without Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok or whatever pushing notifications and 'important' updates, notifications that bring more baggage than utility, the world becomes a pull world. If it's urgent, call me or at least text. If needing more detail send an email, not an attachment on WhatsApp in the hope I actually care to check that, or Signal, or Telegram, or WeChat, or Messenger, or Discord, or iMessage, or whatever. Not a rant. If someone likes to blow $3000 on a laptop, or $1000 on a new phone per year, or $349 on a dumb phone, great, anyone's choice. It's nice the choice not to is also there. |
In the United States all networks are switching to VoLTE. They will no longer activate devices that do not have 4g. So no, the old Nokias will no longer work.
Unfortunately all new "Dumb Phones" will have to have a 4g modem and be compatible with the VoLTE networks.