I understand the appeal, but dumbphones aren't as good as they used to be. These days the typical dumbphone has some version of Android or a web-based OS like KaiOS shoehorned onto a poorly spec'd device with no touch screen.
Dumbphones used to have real time operating systems that were built with the limitations of the device in mind. Many of them were quite snappy and responsive.
This was a problem, but in the last year or two there are some good ones again. Check out the Sunbeam F1, which is actually reasonably snappy.
I have used a dumbphone all along and agree that they were really bad for awhile. The Alcatel Go Flip 2 was a Kai OS device that was one of the worst pieces of a electronics I ever used, and I was stuck on it for 4 years because there were no alternatives on 4G. But now the phones are alright again.
The article highlights the Light Phone, but my impression is its battery life is so bad I wouldn't want it. But it's also custom software on a custom device and has some potential.
Dumbphones used to have real time operating systems that were built with the limitations of the device in mind. Many of them were quite snappy and responsive.