HMD is making the anti-smartphone, a device that’s designed to curb screen time and reduce the amount of time spent on social media, and it’s doing so with the help of parents. HMD has been leaning heavily into the concept of “digital detox,” and it even recently announced the HMD Skyline, which has a dedicated detox mode built into the software.
But what it has in mind next seems to go far beyond this. It’s called The Better Phone Project, and at the moment, there’s no actual phone to see, but there is some research to consider. Most of us will have read about or even experienced the negative impact social media can have on mental health, and some of us will have, at some point, considered or even acted upon a wish to reduce screen time.
HMD’s own research on the subject targeted 10,000 parents around the world for a slightly different viewpoint. More than half said they regretted giving a smartphone to their child, often from around age 11, and 70% of them said they “engaged more with their family” due to a smartphone-free childhood. Almost half think smartphones have changed their child’s personality, while 75% think a smartphone exposes children to “internet dangers,” and other similarly high numbers think phones affect sleep and activity levels too.
Armed with its research, HMD — which stands for Human Mobile Devices and replaces the old HMD Global name — says it’s coming up with a “suite of new devices, including a new phone,” to tackle the problem and wants parents to be part of creating a solution that works for them. It’s not just parents that HMD hopes the Better Phone Project will resonate with, as it claims those born between around 1997 to 2012 (or Generation Z) are also keen to embrace an online-free lifestyle.
HMD says it wants to create a phone with a “better balance,” meaning it will likely fit somewhere in between feature phones like the Nokia 3210 and the digital detox mode on the new HMD Skyline. The Better Phone Project isn’t only about phones either, and it seems likely to include other devices too. If you want to get involved with the project, HMD will be holding virtual forums where you can have your say, and you can sign up on the company’s website.
