I'm not so in-demand that I couldn't rely on the desktop versions of all those channels of communication. We'll see, though. I've definitely been in binds where a smartphone saved my ass. But those moments of uber-productivity have been outweighed by everything else for some time now. I'll report the results if and when I get it (the "Light Phone 2" should be out in April).

The developers say they're working hard on carrier support: Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T should all be work on this phone in the States.

The impetus for my looking for a dumbphone is that my iPhone was stolen about three weeks ago. It took me two days to get over the raw FML-feeling of it, but then I experienced three of the most serene weeks of my life. Granted, I was in a veritable paradise that no doubt improved my affect. But I noticed I was less distracted, less triggered to smother every pang of momentary boredom with a stimulating dose of smartphone, and less tempted to document every part of my day. I didn't suck on a firehose of social media newsfeeds--something I seemingly can't prevent myself from doing. The very act of opening an app to share something ineluctably leads to minutes/hours of scrolling with the associated emotional up-and-down reactions. If my phone wasn't involuntarily stripped from me, I don't think I would've grokked the extent of my smartphone conditioning and then planned a semester-long experiment in dumbphoning.

Not trying to preach. A fraught relationship with my smartphone is hardly unique. Just was looking for solutions besides "delete the Facebook app."