Although smartphones continue to grow in popularity, "dumb phones" still make up a large part of the mobile phone industry. According to CheatSheet.com, 590 million dumb phones are expected to be sold this year. Here are some reasons why people still opt for these types of phones:
- Work. If a company is supplying their employees with phones and only require them to talk and text, they usually opt for these devices. It's cheaper and keeps employees more focused on their jobs.
- Durability. How many times have you seen a smartphone with a smashed screen? The glass front of the phone is very susceptible to damage. Dumb phones don't have this problem and are, generally, more durable and reliable.
- Texting. Sending a text message is simple with these kinds of phones, free of the distractions that many modern messaging apps come with today. Some of them even come with full physical QWERTY keyboards, making texting even easier.
- Battery life. There are so many features on smartphones that very quickly drain their battery life. Dumb phones lack many of these features, making the battery last for days on end.
- Maintenance. As smartphones race to become sleeker, one feature that suffers is its ability to be repaired. One of the more problematic examples of this is a battery that can't be removed. With dumb phones, not only are the batteries easily replaceable, but many other aspects of the phones are simple to fix, further extending the life of the device.
- Cost. With contracts and phone subsidies quickly becoming a thing of the past, the full price of smartphones can range anywhere from $500 for a low-end device to $800 or more for a top-of-the-line model. Dumb phones are considerably cheaper, with some costing as low as $30. The plans for dumb phones are typically less expensive as well.
- Distractions. One of the main reasons people get dumb phones is the lack of distractions. With no internet, the likes of Twitter, Facebook and other apps are nonexistent, allowing users to get through their day distraction free.
- Reliability. Dumb phone just work. There's no freezing or software updates or any of the glitches that come with having a more complicated device. The phones just work when you need them to.
One key aspect of text message marketing is that it is universal, so it will not exclude the 590 million dumb phones that are on the market. Swift SMS Gateway offers the tools needed to construct simple yet effective text message marketing campaigns that can leverage your business for further growth.
