> You can't escape this

You can. Use a "dumb"phone.

Funny how "dumb"phones are better at reliability. No need for updates, and battery lasts for more than a week.

Funny how they still offer replaceable batteries, even though they cost a fraction of "smart"phones.

To avoid financing the software-planned-obsolescence empire, you can use a combination of cheap second-hand "smart"phones for maps and chat apps that are important for you, and a dumb phone for reliable stuff like alarms, calls, and SMS.

Oh, you mean the ones that come with spyware preinstalled?

https://www.zdnet.com/article/unremovable-malware-found-prei...

It is irrelevant if they have a touchscreen or are 'cheap second hand', it has a processor and it runs software.

You want dumb phones, use analogue ones that plug into a socket with a rotary dial and use a paper map for navigation.

I doubt the restyled Nokia 3310 comes with spyware https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_gb/nokia-3310

Now when dumb phones also have internet connectivity, is this really sound advice? Having no updates only means that vulnerabilities are not getting fixed. Since 4G connectivity and WhatsApp have become the minimum requirement for the bulk of the market, dumb phones have become Linux pcs with always-on internet, too.

I've been curious about the KaiOS phones for a few years now... the OS is derived from the old Firefox mobile OS, but most KaiOS devices seem to be candybar/flip-phones; the OS is "smart"ish, but the hardware looks "dumb".

It's kind of hard to find information about them, but if I could get a basic flip-phone that has a maps app, I'd be reasonably happy. I used to get by with a dumb phone and just write down directions before I left the house, but now that I'm married, plans tend to change more often.

I have the Nokia 8110 4G bananaphone, it has what's app and maps, and syncs with your google account, thr battery lasts about 2x as long as thay of a smartphone. It imagined using it on trips or hikes, but its just collecting dust in the drawer

Unfortunately, it seems that modern "dumb" (or feature) phones now are being required (or only) to support LTE and their stand-by battery life has declined quite dramatically. Many now seem to advertise battery life of quite a bit less than a week.

It's unclear to me why LTE appears to consume much more power to "do nothing." But I recall easily getting a week or so of actual battery life being completely normal a decade ago.