Mindfulness Phone Takes An Old Concept And Gives It A New Spin

The more smartphones become the center of our universe, offering access to information, to a camera, contacts and means to express ourselves, the more we tend to forget about the rest of the world. It’s easy to get addicted to our mobile phones, a fact that not just the older generations are aware of today. That’s why some designers and developers are starting to retaliate. London-based design firm Blond came up with Mindfulness, a concept phone that will keep you grounded in your analog reality #mobilemagic

Blond designed the Mindfulness Phone, an extremely minimalist gadget that gives a new spin to an old concept. The two-toned gadget is basically the cellphone of the 90s – able to make and take calls, send and receive texts and… nothing more. Well, to be fair, Blond says their phone can connect you to the Internet in short bursts so you’re not completely cut off from the online world.

But it doesn’t have a camera, so it’s no good for selfies and social media updates. The idea is to make a super simple handset so users won’t be tempted to watch the world through a lens. Unlike a normal cellphone, this one comes with an opaque screen (e-ink display), though. So, there’s no digital temptation.

Designers hope they’ll help users be less addicted to notifications and less subjected to FOMO. That said, it’s pretty hard to find a reason to buy this gadget and not a simple cellphone with no Internet connection. Especially since Blond hasn’t put it on the market yet.

The Mindfulness Phone is just one of the latest examples of tech detox. Prosthetic phones (that help with the urge of checking out your phone) and cell signal pouches are other options if you want to take a step back from all the digital noise.