Smartphone detox with minimalist phones

Smartphone detox with minimalist phones

Our smartphones are distracting and stressful, but they seem necessary. Michael Zelenko tests out four distraction-free phones, ranging from the palm-sized Jelly phone with internet capability to the business card-sized Light Phone that solely makes phone calls. Find out if one of these phones could fit your lifestyle, or if maps and social media apps are too important for you.

Note: this video was originally published at 9AM ET and has been reuploaded to correct an exporting error.

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50 Comments

  1. Rochelle Deliz on June 20, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    I just want to be able to have Uber. That’s my only need. Other than that, I have no need for apps

  2. Darren Bullman on June 20, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    Great info ! I’d like to get away from smart phone as you can get lock and loaded in them so easily

    Caught up between the Nokia 3110 & light phone 2 tbh

  3. Vic Vic on June 20, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    I want a fancy looking phone for phone calls without any apps…

  4. Everyday is Everyday on June 20, 2020 at 7:02 pm

    Back in the days.. this is our phone and we don’t even call it "minimalist"

  5. cripplermaximus on June 20, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    wrong guy to review the phones, clearly…

  6. Simon K. on June 20, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    I wish there was a phone that would allow me to have just the USEFUL things smartphones bring. Like Maps, a Camera, and Whatsapp to stay in touch, but WITHOUT all the time wasting apps like YT, instagram, Facebook etc.

  7. Sachs Husam on June 20, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    Nothing can beat ‘Nokia 10 cent’.

  8. cripplermaximus on June 20, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    summer 2020 and I am on my Jelly Pro. anything social media can be done on my ipad.

  9. Mongst Tsgnom on June 20, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    Michael you need the Pinephone!

  10. KALEIDO jess on June 20, 2020 at 7:10 pm

    The light phone is a genius idea. It’s also really high fashion. I like how it looks. Plus I don’t really like using phones.

  11. Arjuna Delhy on June 20, 2020 at 7:10 pm

    Samsung make minimalist good phone

  12. Pikachu on June 20, 2020 at 7:10 pm

    I prefer Original Nokia 3310 over new Nokia 3310

  13. Arjuna Delhy on June 20, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    Also I have iPhone Galaxy Nokia Windows and Android….Xiaomy and Huawei.

  14. Justin S on June 20, 2020 at 7:12 pm

    that light phone is gorgeous

  15. Arjuna Delhy on June 20, 2020 at 7:14 pm

    VONINO Nono are too good or Alcatel

  16. sutirthaa biswas on June 20, 2020 at 7:15 pm

    I also want to do this to get rid of my smartphone addiction.

  17. Tucker Creech on June 20, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    Nokia has 27 hours of Stand by time btw

  18. Arjuna Delhy on June 20, 2020 at 7:19 pm

    I will buy ever minimal phone.Alcatel VONINO Nokia are good for work not for business

  19. PonySoftOnline on June 20, 2020 at 7:23 pm

    I’ve been using the Nokia 3310 as my daily driver phone for a year now and I love it. I will NEVER go back to a smartphone

  20. Rebeka Woods on June 20, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    I want a phone with decent text, Spotify, maps, and call but that’s it

  21. Logan Siu on June 20, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    The NoPhone: Allow Me To Introduce Myself.

  22. shubham dwivedi on June 20, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    Buy non ios ,android phone only GNU linux

  23. VileStorms on June 20, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    I just bought an older qwerty slider phone to replace my samsung galaxy S9 so yes. But only If I have that slider keyboard

  24. jim c on June 20, 2020 at 7:26 pm

    So you just quit social media, and the first thing you do is make and
    post a video about it to get attention and Vent your Issues in a so
    called therapeutic way ???Like anyone "woke" would watch after say 4:00
    ever heard of taking a walk in a park or reading a book just to name a
    couple ?

  25. Radical LeaveMeAlone-ist on June 20, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    OR you could just stop using social media and keep the good phone.

  26. Max Geronimo on June 20, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    the coolest minimalist phone was the Motofone F3 (the newest Flip Phones -Moto Razr Flip- are a great way to REDUCE screen time & still have a smartphone)

  27. Chel Viz on June 20, 2020 at 7:30 pm

    Phone calls, SMS, IM (whatsapp, telegram, discord, slack), camera, maps, music, battery life, payment app. hmmm

  28. sutirthaa biswas on June 20, 2020 at 7:30 pm

    I want to use my smartphone like a television.

  29. Arjuna Delhy on June 20, 2020 at 7:30 pm

    Also Blackberry are too good with phisical text

  30. rathna kumaran on June 20, 2020 at 7:33 pm

    Am using nokia 3310

  31. Arjuna Delhy on June 20, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    Yes The VergeI have plenty of all old phones That realy work indeed

  32. thomasennaa on June 20, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    When it comes out I think you should test out the mudita pure mobile for minimalists and meditation. It sounds awesome what with its low sar

  33. The Verge on June 20, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    Would you give up your smartphone for a minimalist phone?

  34. Todd King on June 20, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    "In 2018 a lot of our communication happens over test and I don’t really think that’s such a bad thing" 5:45 /// I do. It takes the humanity, the emotion out of personal interaction. It’s so bad that we’ve resorted to putting little yellow circles with faces on them in our texts in an attempt to convey the feeling that has been lost from not talking to each other. I think it’s having/going to have unforeseen consequences to our emotional wellbeing.

  35. Kevin Green on June 20, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    Wants to disconnect… installs Instagram and snapchat. Cool.

  36. Meister Rodgers on June 20, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    I use the new Punk. MP02 with my Z Flip and Note 10 Plus. The MP02 provides unlimited data for my mobile computing devices. Love it.

  37. Justin Towers on June 20, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    best minimilast phone is the Sidekick LX 2009 PV300. gps fast texting and calling. and some simple apps. no wifi as well.

  38. Love Piggys on June 20, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    The jelly is adorable

  39. Virtual Ranger on June 20, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    On t9 we used to text each other in real-time without any delay.

  40. Heksje Lilly on June 20, 2020 at 7:45 pm

    Thank you for the honest reviews, I agree on a lot of what you say.

  41. Raul Robles on June 20, 2020 at 7:45 pm

    This guy ripped off the entire script from an article

  42. New World Disorder on June 20, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    I just got the Nokia. Now I pretty much just surf the web at night, actually get stuff done in the day. Functions just like my phone before my first iphone. I like it. I remember my dad having the OG as a kid too.

  43. mstevenchapman on June 20, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    Did this before with the Nokia. Was actually very happy with it sans the lack of internet at home (previously was using Hotspot for my internet needs). Work demands made a smartphone essential so I ended up back in the mix. Now my profession has changed, I’m about to upgrade and I’m sincerely considering switching back to a basic. Camera and music would be my only losses. I’ve been an old man since Pre K so I don’t do the memes and/or gram life.

  44. Mazen Marwan on June 20, 2020 at 7:47 pm

    The light phone is a great phone for parents to give to their children to help them grow up

  45. Matty Jackson on June 20, 2020 at 7:48 pm

    Kids are defintely gonna be whipping their Punkt’s out in class n text bc teachers will think they’re calculators

  46. ferkemall on June 20, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    UK gov love smartphones loaded with near field and gov APPS like national emergency app
    where you can be tracked & traced all day long ,so i use the smart phone for appointments ,council ,doctors hospital ect then when i go out i take my little PAYG Doro just a phone no internet if they track that they need 3 towers and that is only appx area unlike a smart phone where its is tracked within 3 ft + the doro is turned off unless im expecting a call or need to use it . fkem nosy bstards !

  47. Kyle Wollman on June 20, 2020 at 7:50 pm

    I kept thinking he was going to throw one of them into the water for some reason.

  48. Kai Johnson on June 20, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    The last phone is just a joke. *do not buy that everyone* get a cheaper phone that does the exact same thing.

  49. Jaime on June 20, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    Nokia 3310 runs KaiOS, and it’s not owned by Nokia.

  50. Cameron Pak on June 20, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    Revisit this again with KaiOS phone, Light Phone 2, Mudita Pure, etc.

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