Gen Z are ditching iPhones for $100 ‘feature phones,’ and the numbers don’t lie

Earlier this 12 months, it was reported that Gen Z and millennials have been placing down their smartphones and selecting up flip telephones as an alternative. By shutting out the algorithmic social feeds and endless wall of movies and embracing the common-or-garden, bodily T9 keyboard, digital detoxing was achieved.

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What sprouted from a video of TikTok person Sammy Okay advocating for the digital well-being of the youthful technology has apparently tugged simply sufficient heartstrings to uplift a as soon as fading and undervalued cellphone market, in response to analyst agency Counterpoint Analysis.

The market of characteristic telephones can greatest be described as retro handsets; suppose old-school flip and slider telephones. By nature, the restricted performance signifies that characteristic telephones are cheaper than the usual iPhone or Android system, with pay as you go choices going for as little as $20 and unlocked choices simply scratching the $100 mark. 

They’re reasonably priced they usually get the job performed. Counterpoint now forecasts the product class, which at present makes up simply 2% of the general cellphone market, to achieve $2.8 million in gross sales by the tip of 2023, with steady gross sales persevering with within the quick time period.

In accordance with Counterpoint, the most important purpose for the rise is the inflow of customers supporting minimalist and digital detox actions, adopted by potential B2B gross sales (with companies choosing a cheaper cellphone distribution), and vacationers and informal customers who simply need an affordable and useful system.

How the gross sales numbers will maintain up over time is unknown, however what’s sure is that Gen Z and millennials are TikToking the Tok and strolling the stroll. I will see myself out.