Now, don’t take this the wrong way .. but nobody does dumb phones better than Nokia Mobile. An updated Nokia 2660 Flip phone is due to arrive in Australia late June/early July. The original Nokia 2660 Flip launched in 2007, and the first ever Nokia Flip phone launched in 1998.
The classic flip comes in two new in-your-face colours (Pop Pink and Lush Green) following a surge of interest in ‘dumb phones’ from Gen Z and Millennials who are choosing Flip phones to limit their smartphone screen time for their own mental wellbeing.
According to research from HMD Global, 42 percent of Aussies have done a digital detox for an average of 26 days at a time, while as many as 56 percent would also consider doing a digital detox in the future.
“There’s been a surge of interest in Flip phones, and we believe that the interest is coming from a need to take a break from the constant flow of incoming digital notifications, social media posts and more,” said Lars Silberbauer Chief Marketing Officer HMD Global.
“That’s why we are re-introducing the Nokia 2660 Flip, to give people these important beautiful life moments back.”
One third (31 percent) of Aussies are planning to refrain from their devices because they feel that doom scrolling is having a negative impact on their mental health, the pressure of being in constant contact is too much (29 percent) and the constant pinging of emails and messages makes them feel anxious (24 percent). One in five (21 percent) say they are less sociable and feel like they are losing themselves online (20 percent). However, 20 percent admit they couldn’t do a detox because they can’t live without their devices.
- ‘Dumb phones’ are on the rise as Gen Z and Millennials choose to limit screen time
- Self-named ‘Screenagers’ take to TikTok with #bringbackfliphones garnering 49 million views
- 16 years on from the release of the original Nokia 2660 flip phone, it’s back with an updated look
- Millions of Nokia feature phones sold monthly, globally as people crave going back to basics
- 4 in 10 Aussies digital detox for as long as 26 days a year
“The connection Australians have with the iconic Nokia Flip phones of the late 1990s and early 2000s carry a lot of nostalgia for Australian consumers and especially Millennials who might have had one back in the day,” said Brenden Folitarik, HMD Global’s Country Manager for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
“We’re proud to be reinventing these great phones to support the resurgence amongst young Australians to help them connect more meaningfully with one another.”