Should you buy a dumbphone? - My experience with the Nokia 800 Tough

I've found my Nokia useful for improving my productivity, removing distractions, being more present in the moment and more.
Once again, to keep your smartphone or to opt for a dumbphone is completely your decision, and if you've been curious to know what a dumbphone is like to own, or if you're considering buying one, I hope you've found this video helpful.
Book I mentioned:
/ digital-minimalism
Video Podcast I mentioned:
• Digital Minimalism wit...

[@skinnylove1988]

Always good to see the younger generation realising how beneficial it is to be 'present'. I'm of the generation where 'dumbphones' were just coming onto the market when I was in high/secondary school & 18 when the first iPhone/smartphone came out. I feel lucky about this. I didn't get a smart phone until 23. I'm 33 now and as much as I know I am not addicted to my smart phone, I feel it is too much of a distraction (even though I am not on any type of social media), so I can't imagine how addictive these things are with all social media apps etc. We are being sucked into using these devices to do so many things in our lives, which is convenient, but if you haven't got to get up off your sofa to get the takeaway menu; there's a problem. I recommend watching the film Wall-E & reading the book, The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt. This was very inspiring mate and glad you had a list made for the video. Sometimes ppl make these videos and don't have enough detail. Been meaning to make the step from smart phone to a dumbphone and you have inspired me brother. Nice one. much love from the UK. Lived in Perth a few years back. Hope things a getting better in Oz.

[@rapajaro]

Starting today to get free from smartphones. I´m not sure I´ll be able to commit to my challenge, but I´m tired of being so distracted by the smartphone. 20 years ago I used to read books, study, use my time. Nowadays we sit down in the sofa with the smartphones in our hands and time goes by. THank you for your thoughts

[@folksurvival]

Are you smartphone free today?

[@wild4fp]

I have a dumb phone. Less Screen time, brain time, looking up than down in the world, more control, read from actual paperback, a little smug able to view what's around me, write on paper to do list and tick and actually get things done, better nighttime. There are also drawbacks but these are some of my points....!

[@bensomes7662]

Whatsapp Update as of mid January 2022: You can now link your smartphone to whatsapp web without requiring the smartphone's whatsapp to be active! This means that those out there with a dumbphone, now you don't have to keep their old smartphone on standby to use whatsapp web!

[@bramschmitz99]

Hi Ben, amazing review dude! I was checking the comments and was hoping for this one. Thanks a lot. Just ordered mine yesterday 😄

[@thebobbit2740]

Thanks for the Video Ben, I've had my Nokia 800 for close to a year and love it, nothing special but it's tough and combat ready and I do not like distraction. This is a beast in my eyes.. Cheers

[@j.dekker5137]

Thanks for this video, this was the final push I needed

[@tommyjansson7471]

Thanks for your inspiration! I've had this amazing phone for a while. So far I haven't taken the step to skip my smartphone but I'm planning to. Since I've only used it for a few texts and calls I get four weeks on one charge! I've locked it to only 2G which is possible in my area (Sweden).

[@bensomes7662]

Thanks for the kind comments. I didn't expect to get as many views as it did! A few comments have asked, "How do I make my dumbphone data work?". I still do not know. But does it even matter? If you're trying to dumb down your technology use when you're out and about, perhaps data is unnecessary. Calls and texts are necessary. But internet data? I don't see a purpose of it in a dumbphone. That's just my opinion though, feel free to disagree.

[@Schrijver112]

I am going for a nokia 800 thumb phone. It is between a GSM and a smartphone. Indeed you don't get addicted to it, calling and texting will do.

[@DAAC86]

You had me had snake and I'm looking for a dumbphone for hiking and biking and this one ticks many of my needs

[@deliadji102]

Thank you for sharing... 100% agree while you said that we controll the phone, not phone control us...

[@sitdownkanesutton3573]

Hell yeah bro✌️ appreciate the review

[@UNKNOWNUNKNOWN-tw2iz]

My brother here is speaking my language I can relate to you Less distraction for university Thats the main reason I want a dumbphone But being rugged is a plus Thank you for this video Great and informative Exectly all questions I had answered

[@morelove619]

THANK YOU!! Going to switch aswell!

[@emil.graphics7616]

Thank you for the video!

[@nishthamahajan6445]

Very nicely explained 👍

[@bikoula100]

I found your video really helpful ,cause a client asked me about it now i know exactly what to say .. thank you

[@bensomes7662]

That's great. But remember these are simply my observations, not hard scientific facts, so it's great to test it out and see how it changes things for you 👍

[@cristiansattler3375]

I found this phone in the Nokia webpage and bought it. It arrives tomorrow. And I already know it will be a big change for good. When I was around 15, I had the Nokia 1100, green screen, a light, and SMS. I was so happy back then without social media.

[@pdonneky]

Good on ya Ben, your so right in many ways, I also think these phones get a better phone signal over smart phones, better battery life and less distractions,

[@timh6741]

I just bought the Nokia 800 Tough. I only want to say that I LOVE this phone, this phone helped me to get rid of my phone addiction. The only problem is that some of the services in the Netherlands are only available on a smartphone.

[@bensomes7662]

That's awesome. Hopefully the 4g service works

[@Jappert1234]

Hello Tim! (fellow Dutchie here) I did read some bad reviews about this phone stating it can become slow sometimes, apps crash, it resets itself sometimes. I know you can clean the memory, by holding the power button. What are your experiences with that? Love to hear about it. Many smartphone apps just got released to kaios (like whatsapp, youtube, whatsapp), so many more will come soon I guess.

[@aldo6532]

You probably know this by now but this phone has a Predictive texting feature!

[@Hetkanookanders]

The 800 tough got Whatsapp!

[@suvishard3204]

Also, anyone know you you'd be able to connect wireless ear buds to it? I know it's got Bluetooth I'm just not sure

[@moulee7448]

Thankyou for the video..

[@gianina0393]

Hi. Can whatapp,facebook be uninstalled? Can battery be show in procent like a smartphone?

[@SanTenChan]

Great review. When youtube will pay me again I will buy one to my dearest mother that needs one!

[@canmetan670]

Thanks for sharing. I would love to have a dumb phone but following make it difficult for me: 1) Maps 2) QR code scanning to enter into venues / order food 3) Note taking applications (obsidian or Keep etc.) 4) Reading PDFs. Printed paper is not really great on the go. 5) Contacting people overseas. Some people also have access to wifi but have no reception in their house. 6) Being unable to look up information on search engines. Could be worth it to try it for a month. Getting off social media and KZbin is key I think.

[@daysandwords]

Hey Ben - thanks for this video. I am curious: I have wanted to do this for ages (at least 2 years), but one thing I have a reeeeeally hard time giving up is the access to audiobooks in Swedish. I am wondering about your experience as a language learner with this? I know there are other ways to do it but for me, the app Nextory (which also has a tonne of stuff in Finnish) is almost oumbärlig... Um, I can't think of the English right now, it's like "un-do-without-able" (there is a proper word though). I just wondered how you go about immersing in Finnish without a smart phone? I've thought about ways I could get Nextory without the other distractions of a smartphone and I'm thinking of actually biting the bullet on one of those ways.

[@bensomes7662]

Hey! Thanks for watching. I've been reading physical books for language learning, as well as comprehensible input KZbin videos on my laptop. I have heard of Nextory, so I may use sometime in the future to combine with reading books. Using smartphone apps for language learning is controversial, and I agree with Olly Richards (and I think you mentioned this too) that people's time spent on language learning apps is better time spent on comprehensible input (the exception is an app that facilitates that input, such as Nextory audiobooks). But in general, I never use my smartphone for language learning in general, I'm strict on myself in that way

[@Sophiamessingaround]

Hey how do you download songs onto your iPod Nano…can that be done easily for free ?

[@aran3723]

I've just buy it.

[@hypnoboutique]

Thanks for the honest review. When you said you got a comfortable week out of a charge, do you know if you had WiFi/Mobile data turned on? I just bought a Nokia 800 Tough after trying the Punkt MP02 because I wasn't happy with the battery life of the Punkt. Unfortunately, I'm finding the Nokia only lasts about 24 hrs. I don't have a SIM in the phone yet but I do have WiFi turned on...

[@samiology4576]

Well said

[@Poopdeck1015]

Can the Nokia 800 tough be locked with a passcode?

[@indrekeenmaa7018]

Yes, there is a option for lock the phone with a passcode.

[@jordanalexander1992]

Too bad I can’t find anywhere to buy one in Aus

[@kaliabashir6639]

Is the phone call secure on them

[@Ryan78336]

I'm yet to find out whether my phone really is lost, having accidently left it behind after a night out with some friends. If it is... I think aside from the footage that was taken on it, I don't think it will be a huge loss. I might even replace it with a budget brick like this. I'm really not even bothered.

[@jamieandsuzipocock1922]

Great video.

[@bensomes7662]

Thanks

[@craigjohnson4271]

Group text threads? Sending individual messages/receiving individual messages? That's really the only thing I care about with finding a new dumbphone...

[@bensomes7662]

Yes, through WhatsApp it does send and receive individual and group messages

[@user-hq3pw4kv3o]

Im mostly using my pixel like a dumb phone. doesn't that Nokia have kai os ?

[@lucaraimondo5967]

Can you cancel the apps like Facebook WhatsApp etc. or they are fix in the phone? Thanks

[@Valentinfj]

Yes. You can't delete Twitter, KZbin, Google, preinstalled games

[@achour1943]

can you scan QR codes? (SafeWA)

[@ruiseco7054]

Many times the alarm clock does not ring.

[@WhosThisPersonNotMe]

does it have a podcast app?

[@sylla2]

Dude, I like your video and I agree with your opinions and conclusions with regards to dumbphones in general. HOWEVER!! Here it comes: The Nokia 800 Tough is NOT a dumbphone. It is absolutely a smartphone. It has an operating system, you can install apps on it, you can write programs for it, and you can - in theory - use it as any other smartphone. It just doesn't have a big touch screen, and the number of available apps is rather limited. A dumbphone doesn't have an operating system other than the build-in firmware, and you can't install anything on it. Just sayn' 😜

[@bensomes7662]

You're right, it does have an operating system, so technically it could be classified as a smartphone. "Feature phone" is the formal classification, but yeah most people refer them as a dumbphone. A bit like how a smartphone is technically a computer, but we don't call them computers

[@sylla2]

@@bensomes7662 , Yes, I know. And you are right 🙂👍 It's just because I come from the past, you see. And back when I got my first mobile phone, you could really talk about dumb 🙂

[@Caracal379]

Can you install in Nokia 800 tough apps like Spotify and Telegram?

[@Valentinfj]

No

[@cesarziru]

Resulta más inteligente que el youtuber

[@bawawowchanel_5827]

Been i love you

[@sukhenbarman422]

FOR PURCHASE NOKIA 800 MOBILE 📱 HELP ME

[@matteonegro8180]

Hi Ben, I’m 28 yo and for almost a year I’ve been thinking about switching from a smartphone to a dumbphone. As you said smartphones are too distractive also because they give you access to information anytime you want. I need to be bored again, and to sleep better at night. I’m just wondering if I can live without WhatsApp and buy the Nokia 5310 or buying the 800.

[@bensomes7662]

That’s the question. Can you live without whatsapp

[@matteonegro8180]

@@bensomes7662 So I bought a Nokia 5710 Express Audio since I couldn't find a 800 or a 2720 here in Italy. My phone doesn't have whatsapp and I must say that it doesn't really matter. My friends still text me by sms or mms and it works just fine. Regarding my choice to buy a dumb phone in order to live without a smartphone, I couldn't be more happy. I found my self capable to read 200 pages of a book without being interrupted by notifications o being distracted by my phone. I also sleep better and days seem to last longer. I feel good! As a bonus I've learn how to drive in my area without google maps.

[@MrHYDRO84]

But they can make telephone calls which is the primary reason for a mobile phone so not so dumb really. But I know that is what they call them.

[@user-vc8ug2uz5z]

اريد واحد من هذا الجهاز

[@Smattyy]

So 1 year later😊 Are you using a dumb phone or a smart phone?😁

[@indraw8516]

Hi Ben, was wondering if yours can do Whatsapp call on this phone? Cheers!

[@bensomes7662]

Yes it can

[@indraw8516]

@@bensomes7662 may I know how?

[@Valentinfj]

Open a chat with a contact in the app, press the right button for options, select "Call", or go to the "Calls" section and press the left button to make a new call.

[@suvishard3204]

Is there any way to download Spotify? Or even log into Spotify through browser

[@abdi4239]

No i dont think so sadly

[@pinkyellowblue007]

I've never had a smartphone.

[@sukhenbarman422]

I will purchase, plz help me to purchase Sir......Very nice Product of nokia

[@smartflipphonefan2047]

Good choice! But its actually a smartphone! ;)

[@suhailagha8270]

Ben, what sort of battery life are you getting with this phone?

[@bensomes7662]

I mentioned in the video that it comfortably lasts me a week (about 10-20% left by the end of the week), which is great! Other Nokia feature-phones have very similar battery life to my knowledge.

[@suhailagha8270]

@@bensomes7662 Was wondering how long it would last with data on... But you don't have data... So makes sense why it would last that long.

[@bensomes7662]

@@suhailagha8270 I imagine slightly shorter than a week (with data, and using the data occasionally, overall medium use) - 5 to 6 days is my guess. But for heavy use of the phone, that would defeat the purpose of a dumbphone, to cut down time spent on the phone itself

[@suhailagha8270]

@@bensomes7662 I was thinking of using it as a hotspot to fuel my work on the go, that way the phone remains distraction free while I get my work done on the laptop.

[@bensomes7662]

@@suhailagha8270 That's right, it can be used as a hotspot - which is a cool benefit

[@bigbiggieman8120]

Mine cracked falling from my hands it’s not this much tough

[@bensomes7662]

Sorry, I don't believe you 😆

[@bawawowchanel_5827]

I like u

[@rxonmymind8362]

Perfect for Australia. Lol.

[@trainman86trainstramsandmore]

why u call it a "dumbphone"

[@angelicad5843]

Because it’s not a smart phone

[@trainman86trainstramsandmore]

@@angelicad5843 Yes and its a cellphone...... :>

[@UNKNOWNUNKNOWN-tw2iz]

@@trainman86trainstramsandmore When touch phones came out, they got mostly known as smartphones And since those started to get called smartphones, these started to get called a dumbphone Cellphone and mobile phone are both general names for dumbphones and smartphones

[@trainman86trainstramsandmore]

@@UNKNOWNUNKNOWN-tw2iz ...

[@judeds624]

ahahaha are you reading off a script? is this for like a project or something lol but its still good