Unpopular opinion: you don’t need a mobile phone, let alone a smartphone.
You are using it, because you were told you need it.
You are using it, because you were told you need it.
For me, it is a wonderful mp3 and audiobook player that also acts as a portable harddrive.
Loved ones can send it an emergency txt in a true emergency.
There is a lot you can do with a portable little computer with a nice screen that has nothing to do with the nonsense most people use it for.
Before making blanket statements like that, please always remember HN is an international community, and countries are different.
A cheap smartphone left at home and powered on occasionally to log into the bank's website should be enough for this. No cell plan, just WiFi. If you want to carry a cell phone and actually use it, I would suggest a degoogled Android ROM. By cutting out Google, privacy is significantly increased.
Can you name those banks?
> Or living in a country where access to government services, public transportation and/or the healthcare system is now via smartphone.
Can you name those countries?
> And just try living in China without WeChat at all.
I can't follow.