Overview

• White revealed on Instagram that wife Olivia Jean gave him his first-ever cell phone as a 50th birthday present on July 9.
• He posted photos holding the device with a quizzical expression and quipped that joining the smartphone era might be “all over for me now or just the beginning.”
• The former White Stripes frontman banned phones at his concerts in 2018 to foster live audience engagement, calling smartphone addiction a product of “competition, voyeurism and jealousy.”
• He cited practical hurdles—such as inability to stream music in his car and reliance on QR codes for parking—as the final push toward ownership.
• Earlier reports noted that he streamed music via iPhone and iPad in 2022, underscoring a nuanced stance on digital tools despite his no-phone principle.