Time for a dumb phone? Time to be really social?

Do you ever wish for a mobile or technology detox? Does your smartphone overwhelm you? Would you like your friends/business associates/loved one to stop browsing their smart phone while they are having dinner with you? If so, it may be time for a change.

Punkt mobile have been having amazing success with a "dumb phone". It literally makes calls, send texts and, um, that's it! It's been catching on because it has a cool design but it also tapping into the growing desire for people not to be bombarded every second of every day and night from every direction from their smart phone. And to pay attention to the pother person at dinner......

Personally I switch off by cycling. Nothing beats it. I can listen to my Armin Van Buuren, burning rubber, scaring tourists/locals alike and not be touched for 30 minutes by LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Skype, WeChat, Slack, Email business and personal, text, etc etc. Bliss!

Punkt has really caught on in Europe but I'm not sure how it would catch on in Asia where locals tend to be even more obsessed than Westerners with their smartphones. The art of conversation at the dinner table table really has been abandoned by many an Asian couple or family in my view.

I heard of one Singapore couple last week who agreed to get a divorce because all they did when they went out for a romantic meal was bring up their smartphones and play with them, terrfied of missing out on something better when they should have been enjoying the person that they were with.

I see it all the time in some of the best restaurants in Singapore and really do wonder what impression they think they are giving to the people around them and the person/people that they are with when all they can focus on is their phone. But if they're both doing it, who's to blame?

Don't get me wrong I used my Huawei smartphone almost all the time, but never at dinner/lunch at a nice restaurant when I am with someone while they are there. If I felt like that then why would I be with the person that I am with at all? Whether it's personal or business it's just obnoxious behaviour in my view.

I was out for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners in Singapore and I was horrified to see (on both occasions) in this very nice, pretty expensive restaurant a local couple both with their smart phones out, not talking but browsing. This continued throughout the meal, they literally ate while browsing facebook, they may as well have been at home watching TV eating a ready made dinner. Such a dispiriting thing to see on what should be happy nights enjoying friends, family and loved ones. Where are their relationships headed if they can't even wait (on these two nights of all nights) to check their social media?

I know that people say that it's a cultural thing here in the East more than the West but I don't buy it. It's just plain rude and anti-social. Why bother being out at all if all you're going to do is play/browse on your phone looking for something to like/share? Why don't you to stay inside your house/condo/HDB/black hole, it's much cheaper and you don't annoy the hell out of people.

Punkt solves this problem. You can't browse, you can't download, you can't view. You can only phone and text. Bringing social back to the real world!

What do you think? Would you swap your "smart" phone for a "dumb" phone?

Headquartered in Switzerland, Punkt. was established by Petter Neby in 2008 with the idea of bringing a breath of fresh air into the consumer electronics market with outstanding, timeless products designed to do their job, without intruding on their owner's time and attention. From the very beginning, renowned British industrial designer Jasper Morrison was on board as the company’s art director.

The name Punkt. is taken from the Germanic word for ‘point’ or ‘full stop/period’, and was chosen to symbolise the way the company’s products are built around simplicity, clarity and focus.

Punkt. launched its debut product, the DP 01 Cordless Phone, in January 2011 at Maison et Objet in Paris. Since then, the company has continued to develop stylish, carefully designed and elegantly crafted electronics products aimed at people who want to be in charge of the technology they buy, and who understand the importance of subtle beauty in everyday life.

According to Petter “Today’s world is consumed with technology and I think we are too distracted by it in day-to-day life. I founded Punkt. to offer a viable alternative for those feeling overwhelmed by the advanced technologies that have pervaded modern lifestyles. Punkt. is about using technology to help us adopt good habits for less distracted lives.”