All reviews on this site are based on extended real-world use rather than quick impressions or manufacturer specifications. I purchase devices with my own money, run this site at my own expense, and make no income from affiliate links or sponsorships. I don’t answer to manufacturers, chase clicks, or soften criticism.

My focus here is practical: what actually works after sustained use, and whether a device’s design and capabilities facilitate or hinder a modern, positively connected, smartphone-free life.

Browse Reviews by Category

  • Dumbphones: phones without browsers, app stores, or social media
  • Companion Devices: tablets, laptops, and devices for intentional internet access
  • Auxiliary Devices: single-purpose tools like e-readers, GPS units, and music players
  • Analog Tools: paper notebooks, pens, planning systems, and calendars
  • Software: apps and services that facilitate focused work without constant connectivity

What Informs My Reviews

I’ve been smartphone-free for nearly two years while working as a small business counselor with the Alaska Small Business Developer Center, a high-school cross country ski coach at Bettye Davis East School, and sailing instructor at the Alaska Sailing Club. I’m a parent, spouse, and active community volunteer. I also compete in local bike, xc ski, and running races, as well as dinghy regattas in Alaska and the Lower 48. I mention all of this only by way of illustrating that I’m a busy person living without a smartphone, and this lifestyle informs my reviews. I need tools and systems that enable an active, engaged life. And for what it’s worth, ditching my smartphone made my busy life both less stressful and a lot more fun.

Prior to that, I was a heavy smartphone user and have lived an online life longer than most people. I’ve been engaged with the internet since its earliest days: I was a Usenet junkie before HTTP existed as a protocol, and as a kid I ran active BBSs. I had mobile phones and pagers as soon as they were available, used the iPhone from its fist release, and maintained active social media followings across most platforms. I also owned a technology consulting firm for over two decades. This experience also informs my reviews. I’m not anti-technology — it’s been both my livelihood and passion for decades. I just want technology to serve my needs rather than the business models of technology-giants like Google, Apple, and Meta.

Review Categories

Dumbphones

Phones that provide calls and texts without browsers, app stores, social media, or email. I evaluate whether devices meet minimum standards for group texting and hotspot capability, how they perform in daily use across different contexts, and who they serve best. Each phone receives three reviews over at least three months of use as my daily driver. See the detailed review process below.

Companion Devices

Tablets, laptops, and SIM-less smartphones handle necessary digital functions (email, banking, work systems) without constant availability. I evaluate how well these devices support intentional internet use through factors like build quality, software experience, battery life, portability, and whether they create effective boundaries between impulse and action.

Auxiliary Devices

Single-purpose tools that excel at specific functions without the distraction of multipurpose devices. This includes e-readers with E-ink displays, standalone music players, handheld GPS units, dedicated cameras, audio recorders, fitness trackers without smartphone dependency, and alarm clocks that keep phones out of the bedroom. Reviews assess whether devices genuinely serve a single purpose or introduce unnecessary complexity, durability for regular use, and integration with smartphone-free systems.

Analog Tools

Paper-based tools for notes, planning, thinking, and organizing life without digital devices. This includes notebooks, writing instruments, planning systems, paper calendars, timers, and other physical tools that support focused work and intentional living. Reviews examine build quality, practical usability, and whether tools genuinely enhance productivity or introduce unnecessary friction.

Software & Services

Digital tools accessed through companion devices that support thoughtful engagement rather than constant connectivity; this includes calendar systems, email clients, authoring tools, music applications, and productivity software. Reviews focus on how well tools facilitate focused work and intentional use, whether they respect attention or harvest it, and how they integrate with smartphone-free systems.

Dumbphone Review Process

Dumbphones receive the most structured review process because they’re foundational to smartphone-free life. Each phone serves as my daily driver for at least three months before I publish a final verdict.

Three-Stage Review Structure

Week 1: First Impressions

Initial observations after a week of use; format is personal and free-form, covering setup experience, immediate strengths and frustrations, and early integration into daily routines.

Month 1: In-Depth Impressions

Extended observations after a month; still personal and exploratory, addressing how the phone performs across different contexts and what patterns emerge with sustained use.

Month 3: Final Verdict

Comprehensive evaluation after living with the phone for at least three months; uses a structured format covering build quality, feature assessment, use cases, and clear recommendations about who the phone serves best.

Throughout each review period, I respond to reader questions in the comments. If you’re considering a phone I’m currently testing, ask. I’ll do my best to answer based on what I’m learning.

Minimum Standards for Dumbphones

There is a whole sea of dumbphones out there, but I’m not planning to review most of them. To make the cut, a phone must include:

  • Calls (obviously)
  • Group text support (SMS/MMS)
  • Hotspot capability

And they must exclude:

  • Browser
  • App store
  • AI assistants
  • Social media
  • Email

Why I Draw These Lines

These criteria reflect a practical philosophy: I’m not a Luddite, anti-digital, or trying to return to a pre-internet world. Smartphones harm quality of life and arguably damage our social fabric, but modern communication tools (texting, online banking, media players, email, even social media) aren’t inherently bad. They need moderation and intentional context, relegated to specific times and places rather than constant availability.

The minimum standards aren’t arbitrary. Group texting prevents social isolation from family coordination, work teams, and friend groups; many people abandon smartphone-free life because they can’t participate in group conversations. Hotspot capability enables companion device use when needed, accessing banking, reading email, or handling tasks that require internet connectivity without carrying a smartphone.

I want to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater by promoting tools that make smartphone-free life sustainable and realistic rather than performative or ascetic.

Why Browsers, App Stores, and AI Assistants Are Disqualifying

The exclusion of social media and email is straightforward, but browsers, app stores, and AI assistants merit explanation since they might seem like useful tools rather than sources of distraction.

Browsers eliminate the intentional friction that makes smartphone-free life work. A browser is effectively a “super-app” that provides access to everything: social media through web interfaces, news sites, streaming services, online shopping, and infinite content. Every compulsive reach opens the door to algorithmic feeds and the same attention fragmentation you’re trying to escape. The issue isn’t that browsers are inherently harmful; it’s that having one in your pocket removes the barrier between impulse and action.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

App stores (Google Play, Apple App Store) open the door to reinstalling the exact applications (social media, news, games) that made smartphones problematic in the first place. However, curated app repositories with pre-selected, low-harm applications (like the Wisephone’s approach) can work within these constraints. The distinction is whether the store enables unlimited installation of attention-harvesting apps or provides access only to specific, intentionally-chosen tools.

AI assistants (Siri, Google Assistant, ChatGPT, Claude) provide another route back to the open internet and infinite engagement. These assistants connect to cloud services that can search the web, answer questions, generate content, and handle increasingly complex queries. This bypasses the intentional friction of using a companion device for specific tasks. The issue is that AI assistants are designed to be always-available gateways to unlimited information and interaction, recreating the “ask anything, anytime” convenience that smartphones provided.