NAIROBI, Kenya, April 22 – Heineken, an international brewer in partnership with Bodega, has launched ‘The Boring Phone’ produced by Human Mobile Devices (HMD) to help people discover more about their social lives while away from their smartphones.
The European mobile innovator phone is specifically designed with reduced tech capabilities to enable people to enjoy better real-life connections particularly on nights out, by disconnecting from their smartphones.
Nabil Nasser, the Global Head of Heineken, revealed that the phone has no internet access, social media, or other apps.
“At Heineken, we want to foster moments of genuine connection and help people experience the joy of true togetherness. In creating The Boring Phone we have gone back to basics, we have dialled down the tech to help people truly connect over a beer, without any distraction from the constant buzzing and dings,” said Nasser, the Global Head of Heineken.
According to Lars Silberbauer, CMO of Human Mobile Devices (HMD), the phone strips back the distractions associated with smartphones and is specifically designed to deliver the basic phone’s primary functions, including the ability to send and receive calls and text messages.
“Early in 2023, we spotted something cool with Gen Z in the US. They started cutting down their screen time to feel better mentally, swapping their smartphones for simpler phones. As big fans of unplugging from the digital buzz, we’re super excited about launching The Boring Phone with Heineken and Bodega. It’s definitely going to get people talking when they’re out and about,” said Silberbauer, CMO of HMD.
The phone’s transparent casing and holographic stickers draw inspiration from Gen Z’s love of Newtro fashion and design and are reminiscent of mobile phones of the early 2000s.
With modern-day frills removed, the phone is unable to download social media or other apps that take away from being present.
It also has a handy week of standby time and up to 20 hours of talk time.
Oliver Mak, co-founder of Bodega, stated that the phone will help Gen z interact well away from social media platforms.
“Despite having grown up surrounded by technology, us Gen Z and Millennials are now recognising that our dependence on our phones is impacting our ability to make actual, real-life connections. This in turn impacts our ability to have fun, and on a macro level, the development of culture,” added Mak, co-founder of Bodega.
New research by Heineken revealed that 90 percent of Zillennials across the UK and US confessed to doom scrolling while socializing with friends and family, checking their devices seven times each night out on average.
62 percent of them admitted to checking social media when hanging out with others, while 36 percent confessed to checking work emails.
30 percent also revealed they sneakily play games instead of engaging with their family and friends in the moment.
