Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

wsj.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 144 posts

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

#61

Post by srswtf123 »

throwawaygh wrote: post #26
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…

> However, I don't need Facebook, Twitter or TikTok or any social app. So... don't install those apps? I guess that's easier said than done. I keep an `/etc/hosts` list of distracting websites (includes HN) and route them all back to my hobby trello task board. Message to myself being, "hey, distractions from work are fine, but wouldn't you rather be working on one of these things than screwing around in a comments s…

This reason is why I personally would like separate app stores. I'd _really_ like to see an iOS app store, curated by the FOSS community, focused on privacy and productivity -- actual productivity, not mind-numbing dopamine fix loops!

Running a local "pihole" equivalent might be possible then; really the sky is the limit if we regain control of our devices.

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

#62

Post by gpas »

My Xiaomi note has a super eco mode. One home screen, up to 9 apps (I opted for Vivaldi, telegram, whatsapp, camera, newpipe, maps. Obviously phone, contacts, sms). When I found the feature I used it on when my battery was about to die, now it's my default productive mode. Battery is super happy to see the charger once or twice a week. It's a feature phone? No. But it's my camera, gps nav, notebook, mp3 player. All things I had in my backpack when feature phones were the only option.

I don't get this new trend of stupidly expensive, badly designed, health-conscious phones. Modern feature phones already exist. I've bought a couple clamshells with big display and big buttons to my elderly parents, less than 20eur each.

Browsing mudita website I see they are developing a minimal app launcher for Android, a more sensible way to embrace digital minimalism. Ready to pivot.

edit grammar

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

#63

Post by perihelions »

dang wrote: post #59

Recent and (somewhat) related: Dumb Phone - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28246636 - Aug 2021 (150 comments) The Light Phone: Minimal Smartphone - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28184006 - Aug 2021 (157 comments)

Also (172 comments)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18255904 [2018] ("Business card-sized Japanese phone bucks the giant-phone trend")

It's not in the title but that one was also a no-apps/e-ink minimal phone.

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

#64

Post by 908087 »

How can anyone possibly market this as some kind of new innovation with a straight face?

Are they just relying on their audience to mostly be made up of people who are too young to know that devices like this were the norm for decades, or that you can still find other phones with this "functionality" for a fraction of the cost today?

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

#65

Post by jpmoral »

gpas wrote: post #62

My Xiaomi note has a super eco mode. One home screen, up to 9 apps (I opted for Vivaldi, telegram, whatsapp, camera, newpipe, maps. Obviously phone, contacts, sms). When I found the feature I used it on when my battery was about to die, now it's my default productive mode. Battery is super happy to see the charger once or twice a week. It's a feature phone? No. But it's my camera, gps nav, notebook, mp3 player. All t…

That's amazing. And here I was impressed by my Nokia smartphone's 2-3 day battery life. How does the home screen app count restriction work to preserve charge?

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

#66

Post by 8jef »

The perfect phone, to me:

* Wifi only * GPS * Square e-ink touchscreen, 3 inches across * QWERTY hardware keyboard * Thin foldable a la razor * Latest LTE tech worldwide bands for future proof network compatibility * Micro SDXC slot * USB-C with host and audio capabilities * Removable battery * De-googlized AOSP with F-Droid * Some good hardware hi-def DAC * 3.5mm audio out * Decent camera for photos, don't care about videos on a phone

Like in calls, text, music, Tutanota and Organic Maps apps, some offline games, and occasional pic taking.

That's it. Ready to pay about US$500 for it. I've used old BB's for a long time, it worked, until I needed newer network capabilities...

Getting an AOSP os on a newish LG or Samsung does it, but I do prefer the square screen with physical keyboard form factor, and I'm a big fan of e-ink for eye strain and battery life.

Is it too niche for your taste ?

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

#68

Post by FridayoLeary »

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…

Modern Nokias are user hostile. (edit: try one out)

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

#69

Post by elliekelly »

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.

I don’t have Facebook, Twitter, etc. on my phone either. But if we have a group of people saying “help! I’d really like a product that can do $thing for me because I struggle to do it alone” it would seem there’s clearly a market/opportunity.

Just because we don’t struggle with or need the product being described doesn’t mean there’s no need for it.

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

#70

Post by somehnacct3757 »

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.

The USP of dumbphones is that they provide internet access to a curated subset of apps.

There's no easy way to tell an Android that you do want data going to maps and chat apps, but not to your web browser or social media app. You have to jiggle dozens of permissions sliders every time you switch 'modes'.

Dumbphones are that toggle. Is it going to find a $200-$300 enthusiast market? Not sure... I could see myself buying a Light Phone, but I also wonder if it's only a software problem, and subtracting features from Android will get you to the sweet spot quicker than building them up from feature phones.

Post reply on HN