It's time to upgrade. Telecommunication companies have been shutting down their 2G networks and dismantling the accompanying infrastructure. AT&T led the way in 2017, Verizon followed in 2020, and Sprint soon after in 2021. By the end of this year, T-Mobile will have also sunset their 2G network. And after that, most remaining holdouts have announced plans to kill their 2G networks by 2030.
Most people won't even notice. But I will.
That's because I'm the proud owner of a dumb phone that relies on 2G. It's served me well for over a decade, boasting a fantastic battery life even though I make phone calls and texts on it daily. I can't believe it's finally time to say goodbye.
The hunt for a new phone hasn't been fun. I want something small and simple, and I have no desire to install apps or even use a browser on my phone.
A friend recently showed me her daughter's Light Phone, and I wonder if it might be the right fit for me. It's primarily meant for phone calls and texts, and it's supposed to have a battery that lasts longer than a day. It comes with a headphone jack, support for wi-fi, and an e-ink display. And as an added bonus, the company is environmentally-conscious, with options for carbon offsetting and studies to measure their carbon emissions from production to disposal.
But there are cons too. The phone doesn't support images. It costs nearly $300. I'd have to buy the model with support for bands specific to my region instead of one that works anywhere around the world. Are these features that I care about, or is this phone good enough for me?
Gah! For years, I watched friends upgrade their phones every 1-2 years while I happily sat with my old brick. It was a point of pride keeping the same $50 phone all this time instead of spending thousands of dollars on new ones. Gah. Getting a new phone is hard.