5 devices to facilitate dependence on your smartphone

The disadvantages of Doomscrolling and screen dependence are well documentedBut although many of us want to spend less time stuck to a smartphone, it’s easier to say than to do.

Many have been written on the so-called Revival DumbphoneOr Individuals find A respite from pings and push notifications by demoting to a basic phone. But the reality for the most part is that it is not a viable permanent solution, simply because a large part of the company is built today around tools and services on the Internet.

It could therefore be more logical to find common ground, where we do not completely give up our smartphones and tablets, and we rather find ways to withdraw when we do not want the constant distractions of Tiktok, Youtube, news alerts and everything else.

Although it is true that iPhone and Android devices have integrated digital well-being toolsNot to mention a painting of Third -party applicationsThey are often too easy to replace. Techcrunch organized some of the best materials that physically separate people from their 24 -hour connected life – without cutting them completely from the outside world. The balance, after all, is the name of the game.

Although these devices have different approaches to indirectly approach the dependence on smartphones, they each do it from a very similar point of view: it is the user adding friction to their digital life. And pay to do it.

Get by

There are many third -party launchers and blocker applications that provide determined friction to your smartphone, but Get by makes things physical.

Dutch company has developed an NFC compatible FOBOr a “tag”, which acts as a “digital key” to temporarily unlock certain applications on your phone.

In relation to this, Unpluq offers a mobile application It works independently of the physical FOB. You can block your two most entertaining applications on a predefined calendar (for example, for a specific period every day) for free, or you can pay a Annual subscription of $ 61 To unlock premium features, including an unlimited number of applications to block on Android and up to 49 on iOS. It also provides more granular controls on the blocking calendar (for example, limiting it to certain days and certain days), among other additional modules.

However, the real value of apluq is undoubtedly in the FOB, which costs $ 74 with a group of one year grouped, or $ 22 For the device alone (you need a premium subscription to use the FOB, so it will have a limited value without that).

Without the FOB, users can unlock applications by bypassing what UNPLUQ calls “distraction barriers”, which means having to perform specific actions to access a given application. This might have to shake the phone for five seconds, press several buttons, among other actions.

The FOB adds an additional layer of friction, forcing users to press the FOB on the phone to access the applications they have deliberately blocked. Unpluq says that his product is based on the theory of behavioral design known as Rational replacementwhich consists in introducing deliberate interruptions in a user experience to disrupt the usual behavior. It makes people reflect on their actions.

The idea is that if you want to block Instagram, X or New York Times alerts while trying to study for an exam, you can define the FOB as a unblock method and leave the FOB on the other side of the house. This should, in theory, make you think twice about the conviction and rather focus on your revision.

It should be noted that there are other physical devices that serve similar purposes, such as Brick And 4.

Boox Palma 2

If you literally want to leave your smartphone behind or lock it in a box to reduce you to all the temptations it brings, there are other devices that could help.

BooxA brand of the Chinese company Onyx, Les Mondes jersey Epaper and Android technology to create original devices that overlap the notebook, compressedAnd electronic reader spheres. Above all, they pack additional connectivity features, including a full range of applications via the Google Play Store which is preinstalled.

Released last yearTHE Boox Palma 2 is the most recent member of the Boox family, and although it is mainly as an electronic reader, it has dimensions of the smartphone type which make it very Pochable.

With access to a full range of Android applications, this could overcome the objective of what Boox has a “device without distraction”. However, given that it is a willed device, the minimalist screen does not have the same attraction to consume content online. But perhaps even more important, it also has no cellular functionality, which means that connectivity is limited to Wi-Fi-so if you only want to be able to consume offline content during movement, it could work for your ends.

In terms of messaging, it should also be noted that WhatsApp now allows users to access their messages on Several devices at the same time. This means that you can lock your smartphone while making up your social life via the Boox Palma 2 (although on a Wi-Fi connection only).

The Boox Palma 2 is Available now For $ 279.99.

Daylight DC-1

Similar to Boox Palma 2, the Daylight DC-1 is a device based on Android mainly designed to read and write on; It is a “space without distraction for learning and creativity”, according to the company. It also offers Google Play, which means that you can access all the usual applications, although it lacks cell connectivity.

HAS $ 729The DC-1 is not cheap, but this device is Everything on the display of 60 quality IPSWho promises sweetness and clarity – the technology of “live paper” is “like e -ink, but faster,” said society.

It is also a little larger than the Palma 2 box, which could appeal to some.

So, if you want a device for reading, work and research, with the possibility of diving into some of the salty delights of the Internet, the DC-1 could be for you.

Ttfone titan tt950

Ok, not everyone wants to buy an expensive e-liset or tablet when everything they want is to go to places without the temptation of social media or news from the latest news at hand.

While the basic style of the 1990s “Characteristic phones“Are certainly an option for those who seek to keep their smartphones remotely, for most people, they lack a key ingredient: WhatsApp.

There are various so-called Dumbpphones that support WhatsAppDue to the fact that they run Android under the hood. And because WhatsApp now offers a multi-apparent support, you can synchronize all your messages from your smartphone with one of these other devices.

Among the cheapest phones is the Titan TT950the manufacturer of phone-based phones and water Ttfone. It costs around $ 106 or your equivalent in local currencies and is a fairly basic rocking phone for the elderly. He has no applications to speak, but he comes with a handful of preinstalled applications, including Facebook Lite, YouTube, a browser and Whatsapp.

The inclusion of such applications is not ideal for those looking to minimize the distractions, but the 2.8 -inch touch screen and the accompaniment keyboard are probably too delicate to be very useful for an appropriate user.

Unihertz: Star Jelly

Everyone has different compromises that they are ready to do in their digital detoxification efforts. For some, it could mean buying a secondary smartphone which is so small that it is completely impracticable for Tiktoking or Youtubing.

THE Jelly star China Unihertz Probably suits this support.

The star Jelly manages Android 13 of the box and, as such, is a smartphone in its own right. But with a 3 -inch touch screen, it’s just not something you would like to spend too much time taking off.

At $ 220, the Jelly Star is not extraordinarily cheap for a secondary device. But if that means that you can disappear for the weekend and leave your pocket rocket at home, while being able to access essential “Life” applications such as WhatsApp, Spotify, Uber and Google Maps, then this could be a valid investment for some.