Interest in older technology has been resurfacing in small but noticeable ways, particularly among younger consumers trying to reduce smartphone use. In Los Angeles, 29-year-old founder Cat Goetze has built a business around that shift. Her company, Physical Phones, sells Bluetooth-enabled landline-style devices that connect to modern smartphones. In 2025, the company recorded more than $789,000 in sales, according to documents reviewed by CNBC. The devices look like traditional home phones but function through a mobile connection. What began as a personal experiment during the pandemic has developed into a small hardware company with thousands of customers across the United States. The growth reflects a wider interest in digital boundaries rather than a full rejection of mobile technology.
