Dumb phones in a digital world

In a world where mobile ticketing has finally caught on, a new challenge is faced by those who have decided to go back to the dumb phone, also known as a feature phone. A recent article “The Dumbphone Boom is Real” from The New Yorker suspects, “After almost two decades with iPhones, the public seems to be experiencing a collective ennui with digital life.” I couldn’t agree more. I miss my pink Razr.

I have an immediate family member who is a dumb wireless light phone user and has enjoyed the change overall. He and his friend, a fellow dumb phone user, were attending the NCAA Women’s Final Four last week and were panicking on how they would be able to access their digital tickets in the AXS mobile app. The first plan was to bring an iPad, but that exceeded the bag policy size and would be burdensome to carry around. I looked up the policy and shared it with them:

“If you do not have a smartphone, please take your confirmation of purchase email to the venue box office where they will be able to assist you further. You may also go to your AXS Account on a desktop computer and forward your tickets to a friend with a smartphone and enter with them.”

Ultimately his friend traded phones with his spouse for the evening so they could access their digital tickets and see the game.

The Masters was this past week and my father was in attendance. The Masters is a famously phone-free event but they offer courtesy landline phones. The Masters uses a credential as their ticket as a way to ensure phones are not necessary on the course. The passes are typically shared across a group of patrons who take shifts. This pass was shared across 6 patrons.

Personally, I can see the appeal of a dumb phone, but I can’t imagine getting around without Google Maps, a camera on me at all times, and the answer to any question just a quick Google search away. I broke up with social media 6 months ago and haven’t looked back. I limit my smartphone use with strict app time limits and by keeping the screen grayscale to make it less visually appealing.

As an industry, I hope we remember not to isolate anyone who doesn’t have access to a smartphone or doesn’t have the desire to use one, as we continue to grow mobile ticket access to events everywhere.