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Commodore Releases Flip Phone

commodore.net

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Re: Commodore Releases Flip Phone

#81

Post by raffael_de »

baggachipz wrote: post #78

I like the idea, but I have major problems with their inclusion of Meta-owned WhatsApp. Any company which cares about privacy should throw WhatsApp into a volcano. That said, I understand why they include it as much of the world uses it as the default for some reason I still can't understand. ~~Anyway, I love the idea and would use something like this if it allowed me to choose a configuration at order time which cou…

> inclusion of Meta-owned WhatsApp

just uninstall it then?

> Any company which cares about privacy

I don't think this phone or Commodore has anything to do with privacy beyond what's legally required. It's a lifestyle product.

The phone is running Sailfish OS.

Re: Commodore Releases Flip Phone

#82

Post by pjmlp »

reedlaw wrote: post #47
st_goliath wrote: post #7

This is really confusing brand/product combination. Who is it trying to appeal to? I'm pretty sure the people who have fond memories of growing up with a C64 or watching ToS are of an entirely different generation than those with fond memories of flip phones and cyber/color-puke ads for transparent plastic gadgets. > BASIC Beige Edition There's a missed opportunity for a better ToS joke here: "Beige... the final fron…

What do you mean? I'm Gen X but remember all those things. It seems like a reasonable mashup of nostalgia.

Same here, I can really see the appeal of such a product.

Re: Commodore Releases Flip Phone

#83

Post by pjmlp »

oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #16
bilekas wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A flip phone with the apps you need: WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram. Music, podcasts, maps Honestly, that sounds appealing to me at least. Those are the only communication channels I have, so it suits. Maps if I get lost somewhere. And some spotify. I pretty much have that now, but just with constant privacy breaches and issues I need to stay on top of. > There's a missed opportunity for a better ToS joke here: "Beige.…

> Honestly, that sounds appealing to me at least. Absolutely, same here—but it has to look good. I know that's subjective, but this thing looks atrocious .

Yeah, it could be a bit more like Razr, and for the youngsters in the audience.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Razr_V3

Re: Commodore Releases Flip Phone

#84

Post by b3lvedere »

nickserv wrote: post #67
ectoloph wrote: post #61

I really like the concept, but I think the restrictions are a double-edged sword. The form factor and Sailfish are a lot more appealing than 'apps blocked at a system level'. Can it run the usual apps like banking apps which can be particular about Android 'trustworthiness'? Unfortunately, a smartphone is a near-necessity for various things like that now.

The restrictions are a good fit for children under 16. As a parent you want to be able to reach them, and they want to reach their friend. And as a parent you not want them waste their minds on YouTube garbage.

As a kid you want what all other kids in your group have and do. That will not be apping via a $500 Commodore flip phone.

Re: Commodore Releases Flip Phone

#85

Post by jonhohle »

Gracana wrote: post #9

Retrocomputing Roundtable has talked about the new Commodore company over the course of a couple episodes, and I thought they brought up a good point about “what is it that people actually want from Commodore,” and the best answer they came up with is “to be 12 again.” A new C64 with modern video output, a disk emulator, a SID chip replacement so you don’t need an original… that’s all good, but beyond that, it’s hard…

Not only that, but this is exactly the kind of phone I get for my 12 yo. I love that it doesn’t even have a browser that I’d need to try to disable via ADB or some other hack. If it’s nicer than KaiOS, and compatible with the right networks, it could be a win for the parents and tweens.

Edit: then I saw the price. Holy crap, I’ll stick with a $25 Blu.

Re: Commodore Releases Flip Phone

#86

Post by tennfown »

b3lvedere wrote: post #84
nickserv wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The restrictions are a good fit for children under 16. As a parent you want to be able to reach them, and they want to reach their friend. And as a parent you not want them waste their minds on YouTube garbage.

As a kid you want what all other kids in your group have and do. That will not be apping via a $500 Commodore flip phone.

And as an adult that kid will thank god their parents did not get them what everyone else had when everyone else is a lobotomized idiot.

Re: Commodore Releases Flip Phone

#87

Post by jonhohle »

nickserv wrote: post #67
ectoloph wrote: post #61

I really like the concept, but I think the restrictions are a double-edged sword. The form factor and Sailfish are a lot more appealing than 'apps blocked at a system level'. Can it run the usual apps like banking apps which can be particular about Android 'trustworthiness'? Unfortunately, a smartphone is a near-necessity for various things like that now.

The restrictions are a good fit for children under 16. As a parent you want to be able to reach them, and they want to reach their friend. And as a parent you not want them waste their minds on YouTube garbage.

I’ve been getting my kids KaiOS flip phones where I can disable the browser via ADB. I get a year of service and a phone for around $35 (TracPhone). There’s enough minutes that they can be used for coordinating pickups and emergencies. I’ve had nearly zero issues with the exception of ADB file transfer for music.

Re: Commodore Releases Flip Phone

#89

Post by baggachipz »

raffael_de wrote: post #81
baggachipz wrote: post #78

I like the idea, but I have major problems with their inclusion of Meta-owned WhatsApp. Any company which cares about privacy should throw WhatsApp into a volcano. That said, I understand why they include it as much of the world uses it as the default for some reason I still can't understand. ~~Anyway, I love the idea and would use something like this if it allowed me to choose a configuration at order time which cou…

> inclusion of Meta-owned WhatsApp just uninstall it then? > Any company which cares about privacy I don't think this phone or Commodore has anything to do with privacy beyond what's legally required. It's a lifestyle product. The phone is running Sailfish OS.

The whole point of the phone is that you don't install or uninstall apps. They're there, and are immutable as far as I can tell.

_EDIT_

raffael_de is absolutely correct, apps can be installed and removed, as they have their own "app store". Apologies for creating confusion and thanks for pointing it out.

Re: Commodore Releases Flip Phone

#90

Post by podlp »

I’ve worked with flip phones for years, and I think this is the first one I’ve seen with Sailfish! I didn’t see the specs, but it’s got to be comparable to a budget Android phone to run that well. I’m curious to see more of the UX, performance, and security. How does it come to an RTOS phone running Mocor, or a smart feature phone running KaiOS?
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