Gen Z Abandons Smartphones, Opts for Vintage Feature Phones
A unique phenomenon is occurring among young people. Generation Z, or Gen Z, is beginning to abandon smartphones and switch to vintage mobile phones, also known as feature phones or commonly referred to as “dumb phones”.
This trend is not without reason. Some Gen Z individuals are reportedly growing tired of excessive screen exposure from smartphones.
“I think you can see it with certain Gen Z populations. They’re bored with screens (smartphones),” said dumb phone influencer Jose Briones, quoted from CNBC International, Sunday (19/4/2026).
This shift has been developing in the United States (US) over the past few years. Feature phones, once abandoned, are now being eyed again because they offer simple functions without the distractions of apps and social media.
This situation is benefiting several legacy mobile phone manufacturers. HMD Global, the licensee of the Nokia brand, is one of the parties enjoying a surge in demand. The company is known for reselling classic phones popular in the early 2000s era.
Feature phone sales in the US even surged to tens of thousands of units per month in 2022, amid a global trend of declining smartphone sales.
Globally, the feature phone market is still dominated by the Middle East, Africa, and India regions. A Counterpoint Research report noted that these areas contributed around 80% of the market share last year.
In the latest data from Counterpoint Research, feature phones still have a solid user base, particularly in certain segments.
Around 46.5% of low-income users choose feature phones due to price factors, while 38.1% consider the longer battery life as the main advantage over smartphones.
In the US market, for example, feature phone usage is still dominated by the elderly group at 33.2%, as well as users seeking simple technology (minimal-tech users) at 29.6%.
High-End Phone Sales Slump Further
Citing Detik, throughout 2025, total smartphone shipments in Southeast Asia reached 100 million units, down slightly by 1% year-on-year (YoY) compared to the previous year. This decline was caused by weaker performance in the first three quarters.
In Indonesia, the smartphone market has faced pressure in recent years, in line with weakening consumer purchasing power.
An IDC report titled Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker recorded smartphone shipments in Indonesia dropping 14.3% year-on-year in 2023, with a total of only around 35 million units.
However, conditions began to improve in 2024. The national smartphone market grew 15.5% year-on-year (YoY) to nearly 40 million units.
This growth was mainly supported by the ultra low-end segment (below Rp 1.6 million), led by Transsion. Meanwhile, the mid-range segment (Rp 3.2 million to Rp 9.8 million) also recorded strong growth of 24.9% YoY, with OPPO as the market leader.
Nevertheless, 5G technology adoption continues to rise. The 5G smartphone market share increased to 25.8% in 2024, from 17.1% in 2023, driven by more device options and increasingly affordable prices.