Ask HN: Who has ditched their phone and what is your replacement?
40 comments
I have no cellphone. Not since ~2003 when I finally cancelled my cellphone subscription altogether. That was GSM/flip-phone. Never got a smartphone. I have a fancy business landline phone on my desk with an address book, different ringtones (VIP/client, friends etc.) and an answering machine.
I am a freelance consultant for 20 years. I never lost a client or a job over not being reachable by cellphone 24/7. I return emails and calls asap when I get home. When I make appointments to meet someone, I always arrange a plan-b. No phone-call-micro-managing needed, like "where are you standing..?". I arrange beforehand a main meeting spot and an alternate spot. I am patient and can wait 15 minutes, no problem. I print out bus & train time tables, maps of the area with routes marked and have an offline map viewer (Cruiser) on my laptop if needed. That, and a sense of direction is all I need to get around.
The main reason for dropping cellphones is that they give me headaches and other neurological symptoms. Yes, its the RF and I don't care what people think of that. Its the RF.
The other reason for never getting a smartphone is that I had a PalmPilot once (a non-wireless handheld computer), and I would load websites onto it for offline browsing while commuting. Soon I realized that the constant context-switching had fragmented my attention so by the time I reached the office, I could hardly concentrate. Now I carry books and a notepad in my backpack. Much better for my brain.
I am a freelance consultant for 20 years. I never lost a client or a job over not being reachable by cellphone 24/7. I return emails and calls asap when I get home. When I make appointments to meet someone, I always arrange a plan-b. No phone-call-micro-managing needed, like "where are you standing..?". I arrange beforehand a main meeting spot and an alternate spot. I am patient and can wait 15 minutes, no problem. I print out bus & train time tables, maps of the area with routes marked and have an offline map viewer (Cruiser) on my laptop if needed. That, and a sense of direction is all I need to get around.
The main reason for dropping cellphones is that they give me headaches and other neurological symptoms. Yes, its the RF and I don't care what people think of that. Its the RF.
The other reason for never getting a smartphone is that I had a PalmPilot once (a non-wireless handheld computer), and I would load websites onto it for offline browsing while commuting. Soon I realized that the constant context-switching had fragmented my attention so by the time I reached the office, I could hardly concentrate. Now I carry books and a notepad in my backpack. Much better for my brain.
I just want to note here: There is no evidence that there is such a thing as electromagnetic hypersensitivity. In double blind trials people would experience the same symptoms (headaches etc.) independent of if a router in the room was turned on or not.
The issue was settled in 1991 in a series of double-blind session where participants could detect exposure with 100% accuracy (link below). What you are quoting is a widespread myth perpetuated through particularly bad science where shrinks (!) exposed different participants to the same frequency/modulation for short periods and expected them to all react in the same way. And when not all reacted equally, they wrote it off as non-significant. Electromagnetic sensitivity doesn't work like that. Reactions are highly individual.
In one famously bad study (Rubin et al. 2006), participants had a GSM phone transmitter strapped to their heads and the "sham" exposure was the transmitter signal diverted to a resistor load instead of the antenna - so "sham" was ALSO emitting EMR, although probably less, but apparently detectable by participants. Again, it was written off as participants being unable to distinguish exposure from sham, when both were actual exposure! That's the level of "scientific" idiocy we're up against.
See "Electromagnetic Field Sensitivity", Rea W. et al. 1991: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/1536837910903141...
See "Electromagnetic Field Sensitivity", Rea W. et al. 1991: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/1536837910903141...
ThERe iS nO EvidEnCe… my wife has the same problem
It's not just the lack of evidence, the air around your wife is saturated with electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths and powers, so unless you live far away from civilization or in a sheltered room or bunker than it is probably not radiation sensitivity, otherwise she would have suffered all the time.
when my wife uses her cellphone she can feel it in her head even when she is just holding the phone in her hands. she has no issues otherwise.
And indeed, that doesn't really mean anything to anyone and it's amusing that you assert an anecdote in response to requests for data but I guess I expect too much from people these days. Just whatever sounds good and plausible to them is enough.
this is not a PhD defence, sorry
Counterpoint: phones have been shown to warm up brains (1), and it is hardly surprising that amongst the billions of phone users some experience pain/headache from heat (perhaps also indirectly from blood vessel dilation?). So it is hardly surprising for OP to have such an experience.
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5952570/#:~:tex.... (Quickly googled result, I'm sure there are better results)
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5952570/#:~:tex.... (Quickly googled result, I'm sure there are better results)
There is a big causal step between "phones slightly warm brains" and "that causes headaches".
Fortunately we don't need to rely on the fact that it would be “hardly surprising” because there is good quality empirical evidence disproving the relationship.
Fortunately we don't need to rely on the fact that it would be “hardly surprising” because there is good quality empirical evidence disproving the relationship.
> There is a big causal step between "phones slightly warm brains" and "that causes headaches".
> Fortunately we don't need to rely on the fact that it would be “hardly surprising” because there is good quality empirical evidence disproving the relationship.
I wish people/you would either be more open minded or at least do a quick Google search. Literally searching for "brain heating headache" got these results which suggest that there is evidence showing a possible relationship. I am not even sure if this conversation is in good faith anymore.
https://www.healthline.com/health/heat-headache https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24581675/
> Fortunately we don't need to rely on the fact that it would be “hardly surprising” because there is good quality empirical evidence disproving the relationship.
I wish people/you would either be more open minded or at least do a quick Google search. Literally searching for "brain heating headache" got these results which suggest that there is evidence showing a possible relationship. I am not even sure if this conversation is in good faith anymore.
https://www.healthline.com/health/heat-headache https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24581675/
Seems like a useful belief anyway. Even if the RF itself doesn't do anything to his brain, the phone does cause all kinds of attention and addiction problems, so staying away from it is probably good. Say you had some kind of conditioned/psychosomatic thing where you'd throw up whenever you'd drink alcohol. Maybe it's "all in your head" and it could be cured? But it'll keep you from becoming an alcoholic, so why fight it.
What’s that saying? Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence?
That was probably a mistake on their part, considering that he points to such evidence in the phrase that follows.
this man is a fucking legend. learn from him kids.
Maybe, not the answer you are you are looking for, but I replaced the phone, with a... phone, but without a SIM card.
So much peace now. I use VOIP through Telegram and Signal. I use email.
I get extremely fine-grained control over who can reach me, and when can I be reached.
I made this switch since February, 2020, and my life became better by 10-15% better automatically.
My phone hasn’t rang and I hadn't answered in the last 2.5 years. I love this.
So much better for mental health and wellbeing.
Now, I talk, but only with prior notice.
So much peace now. I use VOIP through Telegram and Signal. I use email.
I get extremely fine-grained control over who can reach me, and when can I be reached.
I made this switch since February, 2020, and my life became better by 10-15% better automatically.
My phone hasn’t rang and I hadn't answered in the last 2.5 years. I love this.
So much better for mental health and wellbeing.
Now, I talk, but only with prior notice.
I've done similar, except I still have a phone with sim card (and a number I don't even know) for the odd chance I need to make a call when out and about and for things like mapping walking/driving routes, etc. I'll probably get rid of the sim, like you, in the coming months.
I used the recent spat of telemarketers bombarding myself, friends and family all day to finally make the move. It's been really amazing because of all the benefits you listed. Now I communicate when I'm ready, keeping my phone on DND 24/7, not at the behest of other's whims.
I ported the number most people have to Voip.ms. All calls now go directly to voicemail, where the message says that due to telemarketers, I no longer answer, so leave a VM or message me on a messenger app if we know each other.
If I need to make or return calls for business or services, I either use VOIP.ms SIP settings on GS Wave for my old number when I'm on wifi or use the number my sim has attached to it, which I don't know or give out.
All calls to or from family or friends are either done through Telegram, Signal or Facetime. 99% of the time though, I communicate through text on those apps. 1% of the time someomeone will send an sms, which I see in my email app and reply at my leisure.
There's only been 2 issues so far:
- One of my friends is oldschool and prefers to call my number eventhough I've trained him to use Telegram. However, I don't get back to his calls quickly since I only check email twice a day, where his transcribed voicemails now go. Like training a puppy, I reinforce him messaging me on Telegram with quicker answers, so as of a few a weeks ago, he's started to solely message or voice/video call me through Telegram.
- My partner was at the grocery store and was annoyed they couldn't call and have me pick up instantly for a quick question. They brought up the, "What would happen in an emergency?" I told them that since there's a .01% that a call to me in the moment would make a lick of difference, it's not worth keeping the floodgates open for that one, minute edgecase. They actually agreed after thinking it over a few minutes.
I used the recent spat of telemarketers bombarding myself, friends and family all day to finally make the move. It's been really amazing because of all the benefits you listed. Now I communicate when I'm ready, keeping my phone on DND 24/7, not at the behest of other's whims.
I ported the number most people have to Voip.ms. All calls now go directly to voicemail, where the message says that due to telemarketers, I no longer answer, so leave a VM or message me on a messenger app if we know each other.
If I need to make or return calls for business or services, I either use VOIP.ms SIP settings on GS Wave for my old number when I'm on wifi or use the number my sim has attached to it, which I don't know or give out.
All calls to or from family or friends are either done through Telegram, Signal or Facetime. 99% of the time though, I communicate through text on those apps. 1% of the time someomeone will send an sms, which I see in my email app and reply at my leisure.
There's only been 2 issues so far:
- One of my friends is oldschool and prefers to call my number eventhough I've trained him to use Telegram. However, I don't get back to his calls quickly since I only check email twice a day, where his transcribed voicemails now go. Like training a puppy, I reinforce him messaging me on Telegram with quicker answers, so as of a few a weeks ago, he's started to solely message or voice/video call me through Telegram.
- My partner was at the grocery store and was annoyed they couldn't call and have me pick up instantly for a quick question. They brought up the, "What would happen in an emergency?" I told them that since there's a .01% that a call to me in the moment would make a lick of difference, it's not worth keeping the floodgates open for that one, minute edgecase. They actually agreed after thinking it over a few minutes.
I ported my number to Telnyx and then wrote 75 lines or less of JS. Now I have an Allowlist that rings straight through to my phone, a way to allow all calls during a time slot, and a menu that allows random callers to connect to me ONLY if they know the first letter of my last name.
Spam calls stopped very quickly, and moreover, have not really returned even after disabling it. I got off "the list" finally.
Spam calls stopped very quickly, and moreover, have not really returned even after disabling it. I got off "the list" finally.
Interesting! I am loving no calls across the board right now.
How did you route VOIP through Telegram and Signal? Don't you need a real phone number to sign-up?
I signed up for both by using my voip number without issue.
I signed up with a number, and then got rid of it.
I haven't ditched my iPhone, it's too useful and it's more secure than any dumb phone I've peeked under the hood at.
Instead, I've just invested in my own willpower and worked on not spending all my time on it -- albeit sometimes this involves deleting apps.
Instead, I've just invested in my own willpower and worked on not spending all my time on it -- albeit sometimes this involves deleting apps.
For years I've used Skype on a PC. With Skype you can create and fund an account with a credit card than it takes to wait in line to wait in line at the AT&T store. Microsoft looks positively customer-centric compared to the wireless industry.
The minus is that some services will accept and send SMS to Skype and others won't. If you want to register on, say, OkCupid, Skype won't work.
I have looked into services you can connect a SIP phone to and the story is depressing. There are numerous vendors who are beyond sketchy who are priced similarly to Skype, but the reputable vendors are $20 a month or more.
I’ve also used Skype on numerous tablets, both android and iOS. The experience is a lot like using a phone but better. For one thing upstate NY has cell phone dead spots bigger than some European countries, my farm is in one of them. Since every gas station has free WiFi I get better phone coverage with my tablet than with a cell phone.
The minus is that some services will accept and send SMS to Skype and others won't. If you want to register on, say, OkCupid, Skype won't work.
I have looked into services you can connect a SIP phone to and the story is depressing. There are numerous vendors who are beyond sketchy who are priced similarly to Skype, but the reputable vendors are $20 a month or more.
I’ve also used Skype on numerous tablets, both android and iOS. The experience is a lot like using a phone but better. For one thing upstate NY has cell phone dead spots bigger than some European countries, my farm is in one of them. Since every gas station has free WiFi I get better phone coverage with my tablet than with a cell phone.
What about Twilio?
While I haven't ditched my smartphone, I rarely use it as a smartphone. I generally use it as a plain old phone (audio only) and a camera. You could probably remove everything else from my phone and I wouldn't notice it.
For everything else I use a desktop computer. That has a resolution of 1920x1080 on a 27" screen, which will be upgraded in a week or so to 2840x2160 on a 43" screen.
I dislike intensely using those tiny little phone screens for anything serious. I liken those as being the same as restricting yourself to performing "keyhole surgery". Sure you can do it, but why would you put yourself through the hassle?
For everything else I use a desktop computer. That has a resolution of 1920x1080 on a 27" screen, which will be upgraded in a week or so to 2840x2160 on a 43" screen.
I dislike intensely using those tiny little phone screens for anything serious. I liken those as being the same as restricting yourself to performing "keyhole surgery". Sure you can do it, but why would you put yourself through the hassle?
I wish what you say were true - a voice only phone, and nothing else.
Over the years I have been gently kettled ('coerced') into using it more and more.
If you do any online banking you will know that the mobile phone has become and indispensable part of online proof of ID. Yes, I do the banking on my desktop, but the only way I can login now is via an SMS message sent to my smartphone. No verification code, no login.
I have several electronic banking security tokens. These produce a random number that has to match a random number generated at the bank for your account at the same time. I have used used these very successfully when travelling overseas. They obviate the need for an SMS code to be sent to the phone.
http://myanmargazette.net/167029/commonwealth-bank-3-net-cod...
http://myanmargazette.net/167029/commonwealth-bank-3-net-cod...
A smart watch actually works quite well for communication - urgent messages and calls. It's not a full replacement, but I've been able to keep my phone away without worrying that I'm missing out on anything important.
Google maps is hard to replace for me, being out with friends and someone says “here’s my address” and we just map it, too easy.
I can do this on my cellular Apple Watch. Not quite as easy to fiddle with, but for straight forward stuff in my own city it's quite nice.
2-factor-authentication is the biggest hurdle. I need the smartphone to do anything bank related and work related
idk but ios is much better ui than any desktop os.
I used ipod touch for ditching mobile surveillance for good since 2012, about 6 years ago i started using ipad mini. At some point I thought about getting iphone max modded to remove lte modem, but I heard they might not activate, and ipad mini is even better for video calls and actual work.
The good thing is apple does no want your phone or card for services if you not buying anything and top notch privacy browser is just enough to have access to any app possible, if built in/free apps are not enough.
I still have phone number registered to my flat and have voip redirection / recordings sent to my self hosted mail.
I used ipod touch for ditching mobile surveillance for good since 2012, about 6 years ago i started using ipad mini. At some point I thought about getting iphone max modded to remove lte modem, but I heard they might not activate, and ipad mini is even better for video calls and actual work.
The good thing is apple does no want your phone or card for services if you not buying anything and top notch privacy browser is just enough to have access to any app possible, if built in/free apps are not enough.
I still have phone number registered to my flat and have voip redirection / recordings sent to my self hosted mail.
I haven't ditched my phone, but ever since I started using a Macbook, I have been only using my iPhone maybe 10 minutes a day (mostly in the bathroom). I read/write SMS, browse photos, toggle hotspot etc. from the Macbook.
I got a nice Casio PRO-TREK watch with all the fixins (sans wireless) for hiking.
Am in the market for an enthusiast mirrorless camera, but haven't yet pulled the trigger. Some of them have wifi, which I'm trying to avoid.
Am in the market for an enthusiast mirrorless camera, but haven't yet pulled the trigger. Some of them have wifi, which I'm trying to avoid.
Ditched my cell phone over a year ago. I have a landline hanging on the wall.
I "get by without a cell phone" just fine. People who want / need to speak to me call.
I "get by without a cell phone" just fine. People who want / need to speak to me call.
I've been using my phone less and less these days, and it feels like a chore to use a modern phone now. Touch interface is slow and imprecise, apps and webapps are slow, bloated, and keep removing useful features, adblock on some systems are clunky or non-existent, VoIP and SMS are basically dead, the interface changes nearly every year (on android at least), and many other small grievances. I can get things done so much quicker on a computer with a keyboard compared to the touch interface on a phone, using a keyboard and a full desktop environment is so precise, quick, and just enjoyable to use.
However, I am still hanging onto my phone for a few legacy uses, what are some good replacements for these:
* Mobile wifi * VoIP * SMS
Also, I am still interested in mobile computing as a concept, I've looked into the pinephone and that may be a good replacement for me in the future (keyboard attachment, linux apps), but am fine completely ditching mobile computing and just carrying around a small, light laptop if I can't find an ergonomic mobile replacement.
Anyone ditch their phone, how do you get by without it?