iPhones and Androids have all but cornered the cell phone market since they exploded onto the scene in 2007. Pretty much everybody, even very small children, has one.
There are some, though, who cling to the ‘dumbphones’ of yesteryear. Many of those who still use flip phones are wildly successful celebrities. Do they know something we don’t?
When I see somebody who's of noted repute conducting their business with a clunky flip phone, it makes me wonder if I shouldn’t ditch my own Instagram machine in favor of a Nokia. Or maybe the billionaires are the ones who are wrong.
1
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop still uses a flip phone, “because you can drop it a lot and it won’t break.” Maybe leave your phone backstage, and you won’t drop it so much, Iggy.
2
Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, was spotted using a flip phone at the US Open. Well, as we all know, there’s nothing more fashionable than a blocky old cell phone.
3
Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, still uses a flip phone. Even with a net worth of $17 billion, he refuses to buy an iPhone. He says it’s because a flip phone is free of hip dialing.
4
Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale’s cell phone of choice is a Verizon LG flip phone. She’s not a big fan of iPhones– maybe she’s starred in one too many dystopian movies.
5
Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO of private equity powerhouse Blackstone Group, is worth more than $40 billion. He manages this immense business burden using a Nokia 6350, a flip phone from 2009.
Stephen Schwarzman
6
Rihanna
While Rihanna’s presence on social media means she probably uses a smartphone (or her PR team does), she has been photographed taking a call on a flip phone.
7
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson has been spotted using a flip phone. Her email account was hacked some years ago, so it may be a security decision.
8
Andrew Luck
Former quarterback for the Colts, Andrew Luck, used the same Samsung flip phone for years until AT&T stopped making it. He said, "The phone gets the job done. It can text and make calls so I don't need anything beyond that." Can’t argue with that.
9
Bill de Blasio
Former New York City mayor Bill De Blasio used a flip phone to make fundraising calls on the campaign trail. Because nothing says “I need money” like an old and battered Samsung cell phone.
10
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran traded in his smartphone for a flip phone in 2017 as part of a New Year’s Resolution. Talking about his time with a smartphone, he said, “I just spent my whole time just in a very low place.”
11
Chuck Schumer
New York senator Chuck Schumer apparently has a hoard of flip phones. He says he’d probably be addicted to email if he had a smartphone. We like Instagram these days, but I guess email is fun too, Chuck.
12
Dierks Bentley
Singer-songwriter Dierks Bentley ditched his smartphone in favor of a flip phone. He says he asked the salesperson at the Verizon store for the cheapest, lowest-tech phone they had. He claims it only cost him 99 cents, but we think he’s exaggerating.
13
Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett finally upgraded from a $20 flip phone to an iPhone in 2020. The lesson here is that 89 isn’t too old to make a change.
14
Barack Obama
While in office, Barack Obama wasn’t allowed to use an iPhone due to security concerns. Apparently, he had to argue with the Secret Service to even be allowed to use a cell phone at all.
15
Michael Cera
Michael Cera still uses a flip phone. The cast for the recent Barbie film had a group chat, which he says he was excluded from because his phone wasn’t compatible. Whatever you need to tell yourself, Michael.
16
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton takes being a luddite a step further. She only texts using a fax machine. She writes a message, signs it, and faxes it to someone who scans it and puts it into a text message. Maybe someday she’ll upgrade to the flip phone.
17
Chris Pine
Chris Pine used a flip phone for many years, until switching to an iPhone in 2022. But he hated the iPhone and wanted immediately to switch back, saying “I just want to vomit. I hate myself, [I have] such self-loathing about it.” Take a chill pill, Chris!