Why Gen Z is suddenly buying flip phones — and why telecom carriers are scrambling

Sales of so-called “dumb phones” — devices that can call and text but cannot run social media applications — grew 37 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from market research firm IDC. The growth is concentrated almost entirely in the 18–26 demographic. The same cohort that was supposed to drive smartphone premium upgrade cycles for the next decade.