New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media • Hacker News Board

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#31

Post by curiousgal » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:33 PM UTC

potatoman22 wrote: post #23

Raed667 wrote: post #20

I need a connected phone that isn't built for addiction. For example, I need Uber for the rare cases where I'm in a jam at 3 AM and need to get back home. I need maps for when I'm looking for directions. I need a web browser to access my bank and the occasional Google search. I can live with or without Whatsapp or Signal, that depends on how much you use it I guess. However, I don't need Facebook, Twitter or TikTok o…

Perhaps this would be better as an Android ROM than its own phone?

You can probably achieve all of those things with Tasker.

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#32

Post by Gualdrapo » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:34 PM UTC

danirod wrote: post #14

Looking at the official website trying to understand what's the value of this mobile phone over any cheap feature phone from Nokia: https://mudita.com/products/pure/ . The device has an e-ink display and claims to have a very good speaker. The operating system has a meditation app and an "inspirational quotes" app. I'm still curious about which kind of person would purchase a device like this instead of a feature pho…

> The operating system has a meditation app and an "inspirational quotes" app.

> I'm still curious about which kind of person would purchase a device like this instead of a feature phone

At uni we had a teacher that used to brag telling the story about how he bought his phone. Allegedly he went into the store and asked about the most basic phone.

No, not the cheapest phone, but the basic. Because he didn't needed cameras and apps and stuff.

I'm fairly positive that's the kind of people this phone is targeted at.

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#33

Post by Raed667 » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:34 PM UTC

seized wrote: post #29

Raed667 wrote: post #20

I need a connected phone that isn't built for addiction. For example, I need Uber for the rare cases where I'm in a jam at 3 AM and need to get back home. I need maps for when I'm looking for directions. I need a web browser to access my bank and the occasional Google search. I can live with or without Whatsapp or Signal, that depends on how much you use it I guess. However, I don't need Facebook, Twitter or TikTok o…

So don't install those things? At some point it isn't the phones problem to limit a user from those things. I don't have Facebook, Twitter, etc on my phone.

It is like telling an alcoholic "simply don't drink".

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#34

Post by dgarrett » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:35 PM UTC

Rd6n6 wrote: post #15

You have to make minimalist things configurable sometimes so they each persons minimal set can work for them without adding bloat to somebody elses. I’ve been rewriting some logic for a writing prep app right now based on this idea. It’s delaying the launch by about a week but it’s really important. There is no such thing as the average person (Obviously, great defaults are critical too)

I think the trick is to be configurable, but with high friction. Otherwise it's too easy to reconfigure away from the minimalism on the fly.

I've thought about using Parental Controls on iOS to do something similar. Set a very long password that can't be memorized easily, write it down somewhere accessible if needed, and you get a minimal phone that can be reconfigured if needed. Just with high friction (typing in a long password from a paper in your home).

Of course, this assumes your goal is "avoiding a distracting environment" rather than "avoiding a bloated environment". Everyone has different goals with minimalism.

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#35

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:35 PM UTC

Raed667 wrote: post #20

I need a connected phone that isn't built for addiction. For example, I need Uber for the rare cases where I'm in a jam at 3 AM and need to get back home. I need maps for when I'm looking for directions. I need a web browser to access my bank and the occasional Google search. I can live with or without Whatsapp or Signal, that depends on how much you use it I guess. However, I don't need Facebook, Twitter or TikTok o…

[deleted]

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#36

Post by Swizec » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:37 PM UTC

Raed667 wrote: post #20

I need a connected phone that isn't built for addiction. For example, I need Uber for the rare cases where I'm in a jam at 3 AM and need to get back home. I need maps for when I'm looking for directions. I need a web browser to access my bank and the occasional Google search. I can live with or without Whatsapp or Signal, that depends on how much you use it I guess. However, I don't need Facebook, Twitter or TikTok o…

My relationship with my phone greatly improved when I turned on DoNotDisturb mode and hid all of the red county icon widgets … many years ago. It’s the best.

Your phone no longer distracts you. Can’t.

The temptation is still there in your pocket, but if you’re doing stuff and mind isn’t looking for distraction, you won’t even notice your phone exists.

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#37

Post by new_guy » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:39 PM UTC

Raed667 wrote: post #27

neither_color wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I simply dont have facebook, twitter or tiktok installed on my phone.

You have better self-control than me.

This is the ultimate problem. It's a human issue, not a technology issue.

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#38

Post by PenguinCoder » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:39 PM UTC

neom wrote: post #30

Couple other design++ "dumb phones" I've had my eye on: https://www.thelightphone.com/ https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

The light phone looks great and exactly what I want. But it won't work with my provider or choice, and I really don't want to be reliant on light phone the company for my SIM service.

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#39

Post by Raed667 » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:40 PM UTC

new_guy wrote: post #37

Raed667 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have better self-control than me.

This is the ultimate problem. It's a human issue, not a technology issue.

It is a technology issue in the sense that these companies are paying 6 figures to top designers and developers to optimize for eyeball-time.

Re: New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media

#40

Post by crooked-v » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:41 PM UTC

danirod wrote: post #14

Looking at the official website trying to understand what's the value of this mobile phone over any cheap feature phone from Nokia: https://mudita.com/products/pure/ . The device has an e-ink display and claims to have a very good speaker. The operating system has a meditation app and an "inspirational quotes" app. I'm still curious about which kind of person would purchase a device like this instead of a feature pho…

The E-ink display might be good for battery life... but if you're not obsessively using your battery life is going to be much better in the first place, since the majority of the battery drain on modern phones is the screen.