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Blloc – minimalist smartphone

blloc.com

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Re: Blloc – minimalist smartphone

#52

Post by thinkxl »

So, I'll give some unsolicited recommendations for your website, regarding accessibility:

- The contrast between the body text and background is to low; it makes it difficult for people with visual impairments to use the website.

- Font size and font weight, the font is too thin and adding this to the low color contrast, it makes it even more difficult to read.

- Images that don't add meaning (textually) to the page, e.g., the logos you use on the "Agile and precise" section. It's a good idea to add `aria-hidden="true"` so they don't "distract" screen readers.

- Also, several images don't have their alt tag, which describes the image to screen readers.

- I can't navigate your website with my keyword.

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but your company builds assistive technology--yes, a phone is an assistive device--so it makes sense that you take care of your primary point of sales, your website, and make it accessible to everybody.

Re: Blloc – minimalist smartphone

#53

Post by makmanalp »

nine_k wrote: post #17
michaelmior wrote: post #7

Devices like this intrigue me but the price always seems way too high. I wonder if anyone will actually come up with a minimalist phone that has a minimalist price to match.

It will involve minimalist features, like minimalist horsepower and screen size. Quite minimal phone-only phones do exist, like Punkt MP 101, or more conventional phones, especially kids-oriented.

I had a Moto F3 for a while and the battery lasted forever but the lack of features was sort of brutal: the screen was e-ink but only an 8-segment display one so it was impossible to see things like unicode characters and even distinguish between capital and regular case sometimes. This seems a nice balance between that and a smartphone.

Edit: I got my Moto F3 for 20 bucks, the Punkt is 229. Nope.

Re: Blloc – minimalist smartphone

#54

Post by swyx »

pobo wrote: post #46
reaperducer wrote: post #35

It would be pretty funny if the phone's camera only took black-and-white pictures, to match its web page. There's your minimalist right there. (Also, what is that, a font for ants?)

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. I don't get if the grey scale is only for the web design or the phone is all black and white. Is gray the color color i can pick for the phone? What if I want a red phone? Is it gonna be a darker black phone?

no lie i would pay good money for an eink monochrome phone with an insane battery life

Re: Blloc – minimalist smartphone

#55

Post by [deleted] »

adhambadr wrote: post #49
pepelepuanteur wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was initially very excited about this device until I read that any app can be downloaded from the Play Store. I doubt my willpower is strong enough to stop me from eventually downloading a browser, Reddit, Instagram, etc... Therefore, to me, this phone is really no different than the iPhone that I already own. What I'd prefer is a device with no ability to download social apps, a browser, games or even news apps (w…

mmm. that was more or less our initial concept in 2016 : https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ5hmZqhkNU/?taken-by=bllocphone . But the main feedback and learning was: you can't do without apps. Theres an app for everything and little things and you need it. (like the metro app for a tiny village somewhere) However overall UI design & flow matters, and currently everything is designed to make u more addicted. Try switching f…

[deleted]

Re: Blloc – minimalist smartphone

#57

Post by coldtea »

aidenn0 wrote: post #34
adhambadr wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this reallly depends on usage, we wanted to send it to the real benchmarking websites when we release. I charge mine every 2 days which was a personal goal (to not get punished if I forgot to charge last night)

I don't think I've ever had a phone I needed to charge daily.

Yeah, but they're not talking about bakelite models.

Re: Blloc – minimalist smartphone

#58

Post by michaelmior »

adhambadr wrote: post #36
michaelmior wrote: post #7

Devices like this intrigue me but the price always seems way too high. I wonder if anyone will actually come up with a minimalist phone that has a minimalist price to match.

honestly its the lowest thats technically possible to sell. Good components just cost that much. After vat our margin is around 35 (pre-retail) which is lower than most vendors, meaning if we sell to retail we wont make a cent. it just costs that much to get tested, working components with decent manufacturing. If you find good specs cheaper trust me they used B-grade components that will break down sooner or later.

I've had good smart phones (e.g. Moto G) in the recent past for less than half that price. Maybe I'm just not in the target market.
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