alt Hacker News> One immediate problem that comes to mind is that you need a smartphone to take public transit.
In China, Korea and other places, a smartphone is already the required entrance ticket to public life.
It's a little bit like faulting sidewalks for assuming footwear.
In China in particular a smartphone is the primary means to interact with restaurant menus, place orders, and pay for many things. Rentable battery packs are also pretty ubiquitous.
I once asked an in-law what happens if your phone completely runs out of food and you're hungry. He (jokingly) replied "no phone, no eat".