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The Quest for a Dumber Phone

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Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone

#121

Post by extr0pian »

tut-urut-utut wrote: post #95
extr0pian wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had Signal installed for a while, but ultimately removed it because it's mostly friends sending stupid memes, breaking whatever I was concentrating on seemingly at random. I do have it running on my laptop.

You know you can mute notifications and ignore until you decide to look into it?

I'm aware and I have. It's been helpful, but I tend to get into the habit of checking and messaging friends at random when I feel I feel slightly bored. Secondly, they'll often send me links and Youtube videos that I can't open. I'll likely reinstall it again in specific situations, like when I'm traveling abroad. Thirdly, the battery life on my phone lasts a few days without Signal running in the background. I've had the setup I have for about two months and it's working for me, at least right now.

Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone

#122

Post by extr0pian »

at-fates-hands wrote: post #90
extr0pian wrote: post #32

I had researched dumb phones recently only to learn that the two most important functions of a smartphone (for me) is the GPS and having a decent camera, and these things are either crippled or missing entirely from dumb phones. It's simply easier to dumb down your existing smartphone, especially if you have an Android phone. In my case, I have a 2017 Pixel 2 XL running LineageOS, with a text only home screen launche…

Have you looked into any of the Jolla devices? You can get a Sony Experia phone with Linux SailfishOS preinstalled on it for less than $500: https://buy.jolla-devices.com/ Or even installing CalyxOS? You can get a Pixel 5a 5G phone (selling on ebay for under $200) and then install CalyxOS on it. https://calyxos.org/ I'm going to grab one of the Jolla devices and give it a test drive next month. I think there's decent…

I've planned on running the Pixel 2 XL into the ground. I was originally running GrapheneOS but switched to LineageOS after support was dropped. I did look into CalyxOS but I believe support for the Pixel 2 was dropped around the same time that it was dropped by GrapheneOS - likely coinciding when Google stopped releasing security updates.

Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone

#123

Post by jackfischer »

guidoism wrote: post #112
jackfischer wrote: post #105

I tried the Light Phone II but found it too limiting. While they did an admirable job trying to get functionality like maps usable it wasn't practical enough overall. Currently using the Unihertz Titan Pocket with the minimalist phone launcher as my daily driver.

I actually ordered a Light Phone II a few days ago. I'm not looking to completely replace my iPhone 11 — It works great and I use it all the time and I don't feel like I need to limit myself. What sent me on a quest for a dumb(er) phone was to be able to leave the house without my main phone because I didn't want to be contacted unless it was an emergency (by either my wife or my kids). It sucks that the phone has es…

The emphasis on disconnecting resonates. The Light Phone guys discuss it with AIM as an example of the old state of affairs.

https://medium.com/the-light-phone/we-re-not-anti-technology...

>We didn’t always have a small computer with us at all times. In the days of AIM, “away messages” and “signing off”, there was a specific chair and a specific desk with our family computer, and when you sat in that chair and that desk and listened patiently to the modem sounds connecting, then you could be on the internet. Leaving that chair left the internet behind.

Do Not Disturb helps with external, incoming communication but not with outgoing.

Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone

#124

Post by stubish »

andrew-dc wrote: post #69

Having not used a smart phone for ~5 years now, I can say that it is totally a workable solution - however, there are, of course trade-offs, and several persistent annoyances. Rather than get into a list, I will present the one thing that I find the most frustrating: Our society expects you to have and use a smart phone for nearly everything. This might be less annoying if it meant only new functions or supplemented…

As the younger generations stop rolling their eyes at 'old people' and become 'old people' themselves, I think the problem will be corrected. Requiring smart phone apps is discriminatory, unsuitable for for many people due to an array of disabilities. Some of which, like worsening eyesight, will happen to all of us given time.

Supporting these people are one reason why we won't get beyond SMS based two factor authentication for the foreseeable future.

Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone

#125

Post by extr0pian »

stonogo wrote: post #59
extr0pian wrote: post #32

I had researched dumb phones recently only to learn that the two most important functions of a smartphone (for me) is the GPS and having a decent camera, and these things are either crippled or missing entirely from dumb phones. It's simply easier to dumb down your existing smartphone, especially if you have an Android phone. In my case, I have a 2017 Pixel 2 XL running LineageOS, with a text only home screen launche…

I'm sorry, but I don't understand your first sentence. You researched dumbphones and discovered they're not smartphones? I'm struggling to understand what you thought you were going to find.

I had spent time researching dumb phones and thinking about what my needs are with a mobile device (ie GPS and decent camera). What I learned was that a "dumbphone" isn't really an option. Maybe we're getting into semantics here, but can a dumbphone have both GPS and decent camera and still be considered a dumb?

Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone

#126

Post by impendia »

andrew-dc wrote: post #69

Having not used a smart phone for ~5 years now, I can say that it is totally a workable solution - however, there are, of course trade-offs, and several persistent annoyances. Rather than get into a list, I will present the one thing that I find the most frustrating: Our society expects you to have and use a smart phone for nearly everything. This might be less annoying if it meant only new functions or supplemented…

> It's hard to be looked at as 'the person complicating things'

Recently I caved and bought a smartphone, but I remember a time before that when some friends and I went to a bar.

Someone paid the bill and asked everyone to Venmo him their share. Lacking any immediate way to do that, I reached into my wallet and handed him some cash.

He looked a bit perplexed. "Oh, don't worry about it."

Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone

#127

Post by ryan-duve »

marttt wrote: post #83

I've intentionally never owned a smartphone. Dumb phones abandoned by my family have been serving me very well for years (strategy: use them until they stop working; get next one; repeat). My daily work is in forestry, as a brush cutter -- occasionally, GPS would be necessary (unavoidable even). For 95% of the cases, though, I've found a workaround by postponing the map-related tasks (e.g. making sure I understand th…

What is the current Nokia you have that you hate?

Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone

#128

Post by brewdad »

fsflover wrote: post #108
thfuran wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'd rather have something in between a laptop and a smartphone that is designed to be comfortable for carrying around in a small bag or pocket, but that also has a physical keyboard and is designed to be used productively for programming or writing for example. Something like what? A small laptop is little more than a display attached to a thin keyboard. I'm not sure how you'd get something much smaller while retain…

Librem 5 phone runs desktop Linux, and you can connect any bluetooth or usb keyboard to it thus turning it into a laptop for programming.

But you’re still stuck lugging around a keyboard on the go. I guess I don’t see the appeal. If you are in the office just use a real laptop.

Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone

#130

Post by safety1st »

thfuran wrote: post #86
nyx_land wrote: post #81

The problem with trying to replace a smartphone with a dumbphone is that most people (young people at least) don't use calling and texting anymore unless forced to. I'd rather have something in between a laptop and a smartphone that is designed to be comfortable for carrying around in a small bag or pocket, but that also has a physical keyboard and is designed to be used productively for programming or writing for ex…

>I'd rather have something in between a laptop and a smartphone that is designed to be comfortable for carrying around in a small bag or pocket, but that also has a physical keyboard and is designed to be used productively for programming or writing for example. Something like what? A small laptop is little more than a display attached to a thin keyboard. I'm not sure how you'd get something much smaller while retain…

This happened by lucky accident: I bought a 10" Galaxy Tab, a case for it, and a bluetooth keyboard all at different times. All exactly the same size.

The case has a front cover that opens like a book and converts into a stand. There is a weak magnet embedded inside the case so that when you close it, it sticks.

It turns out the bluetooth keyboard will also stick to this magnet! So I just stick it on there when I go out, and carry them around like they're a single unit. When I want to type something I pull it off, convert the tablet case into a stand and have a very serviceable laptop-like experience. Now if only it was running a proper Linux distro instead of Android...

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