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#TECH: Dumbphones can offer a modern and original alternative to smartphones

ALTHOUGH dumbphones are still a niche phenomenon compared to the choice, availability and sales of smartphones, the market can hold some surprises, such as the latest device from Light Phone.

A feature phone, or dumbphone, is the antithesis of a smartphone. It's a phone that goes back to basics, taking the form of a relatively basic device, devoid of advanced features and often without Internet access. The idea is to be able to disconnect and keep things simple, with handsets offering only basic functions, ie, making calls, sending and receiving text messages, plus a calendar, a calculator, a camera and some basic games.

There are different types of dumbphones out there. Some are modern reissues of iconic retro models, such as the Nokia 3310, 8110 and 3210, which may appeal to those nostalgic for that time. Others are more recent innovations, such as what the US brand Light Phone has been offering for almost 10 years now, providing an alternative for those wishing to step out of the smartphone world.

Going against the grain of the ever-connected world of viral hype and screen-based entertainment, the Light Phone III has been designed to switch users off from notifications of all kinds, not to mention social media and newfangled AI features. It features a minimalist, black-and-white interface on a matte OLED screen, but integrates 128 GB of storage space, a camera, a digital fingerprint sensor, GPS and a contactless chip (NFC). It's even 5G compatible, for video calls, for example.

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