The way I see it is that there is a clear overlap of functionality between phones and tablets. I'm of the opinion that owning a tablet, such as a Nexus 7, makes many of your smartphone's functions redundant. So why have both smart devices? Why not have one device that does the bulk of the work while the other does the few functions that are unique to it as a device?
To clarify, I haven't yet completely made the switch to a "dumbphone", but I'm getting there I think. I currently own the absolutely phenomenal, yet to-the-point, Nokia Lumia 520. Next step is something much more rudimentary.
The reason they have so much overlapping functionality is because they are built with the same general-purpose hardware & operating system. That saves money.
The reason both exist is because a big screen is great but it doesn't fit in your pocket (and it looks dumb when you hold it to your ear)
To clarify, I haven't yet completely made the switch to a "dumbphone", but I'm getting there I think. I currently own the absolutely phenomenal, yet to-the-point, Nokia Lumia 520. Next step is something much more rudimentary.