Feature phones' popularity continues to rise as parents seek to protect children from online dangers

In brief: The net tin beryllium a vulnerable spot for children, from nan antagonistic beingness and affectional effects of societal media, to nan risks of encountering thing aliases personification unpleasant. With astir under-18s now carrying smartphones, it's easy for them to beryllium online almost constantly. As a result, worried parents are pushing up nan income figures for feature, aliases dumb, phones.

According to British wide media and telecommunications institution Virgin Media O2 (via The Reg), income of non-internet connected characteristic phones person doubled successful nan UK year-on-year, pinch a immense spike knowledgeable successful September, nan period nan caller schoolhouse twelvemonth begins.

Somewhat ironically, Nokia, nan marque whose phones were truthful prevalent successful nan early 2000s, is presently proving celebrated among those wanting to debar nan integer world. One of these is nan latest exemplary of nan Nokia 3310, which comes from brand-owner HMD. The famously difficult-to-destroy handset was primitively released successful 2000.

It's not conscionable protective parents buying phones that connection small much than calls, texts, and elemental games (the caller Nokia 3310 still features Snake, of course). Older consumers put disconnected by progressively analyzable handsets and talk of artificial intelligence are opting for simpler, easy-to-operate characteristic phones.

Dumb phones are besides a communal show successful industries wherever nan devices are apt to beryllium damaged, specified arsenic building and lipid rigs. Smartphones aren't known for their ruggedness, and not only are characteristic phones mostly tougher, but their debased prices (around $50 to $100) besides mean breaking 1 is overmuch little achy than destroying a $1,000+ Apple aliases Samsung flagship.

This isn't nan first clip we've heard astir non-smart phones making a return. A report from Counterpoint Research past twelvemonth noted that nan number of devices sold successful nan US was increasing. It's believed that portion of their fame comes from Gen Z - those calved betwixt 1997 and 2012, presently aged 12 to 27 - who are trying to trim down connected surface clip to protect their intelligence wellness and trim nan number of distractions successful their lives.

Eton College, nan prestigious UK boarding school, bans smartphones for incoming first-year students, offering them nan usage of dumb Nokia phones arsenic an alternative. The schoolhouse hopes nan strategy will thief create an situation that supports learning while minimizing distractions.