Minimalist phone for smart people

[fr0xk]

Handbook for getting out of smartphone garden!

View attachment Minimalist phone.jpg

 

[Spartrekus]

If it is not BSD, don't get a phone, maybe that you can live without a phone.

 

[aragats]

It's not something new: LineageOS is the same as CyanogenMod, which exists for 10 years.
You may also consider F-Droid.

 

[Sevendogsbsd]

Didn't Microsoft buy Cyanogenmod? That's probably a case of "embrace, extend, extinguish" since Microsoft utterly failed in the phone market.

 

[aragats]

I remember that, however, according to Wikipedia:
«In January 2015, it was reported that Microsoft had invested in Cyanogen, and that this might be part of a strategy to create an Android version that worked well with Microsoft platforms.[79][80] In April 2015, Cyanogen announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft, to integrate Microsoft apps and services into Cyanogen OS.[81] In January 2016, Cyanogen rolled out an update that started presenting Microsoft applications when a user attempts to open certain file types on Cyanogen OS phones.»

 

[Sevendogsbsd]

Yeah, which probably drove any Cyanogen users away, lol.

 

[Deleted member 30996]

I consider my flip-phone with 128MB RAM and no internet service a minimalist phone.

 

[Vull]

Likewise I have a minimal flip phone which lives in my travel bag. I use the alarm clock, contact list, and telephone features only. Internet access is done only through my Dell minitower or a laptop.

 

[Deleted member 9563]

I'm in Canada where cell phone service is so highly priced that I won't go near it. Bring it down to three bucks a month and I'll consider it. Because only then will it be competitive with the service I've got now and on par with the price charged in places like India.

 

[Spartrekus]

To be constantly ONLINE, with web services, may impact significantly on your stress level.
E.g. Android smartphone.

 

[Spartrekus]

Smart people do not use smart phones.

There is no relations.

 

[olli@]

Handbook for getting out of smartphone garden!

View attachment 6058

You suggest WhatsApp?!? Seriously? Even if just “optional”, I think that should be removed from your list.

Personally I have no problems using a stock Android. It works fine for me and gets the things done that I need to get done – no more, no less. Specifically I do not use any social media apps (no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram whatsoever). And no WhatsApp, of course, which is an offshoot of Facebook. If you need to use a messaging application, use one that (a) uses strong end-to-end encryption by default, (b) uses an open, standardized protocol and / or is itself open source, (c) doesn't belong to a big company that's abusing your personal data and floods you with ads.

 

[tommiie]

You suggest WhatsApp?!?
...
If you need to use a messaging application, use one that (a) uses strong end-to-end encryption by default, (b) uses an open, standardized protocol and / or is itself open source, (c) doesn't belong to a big company that's abusing your personal data and floods you with ads.

I never noticed any advertisements in WhatsApp. And if not WhatsApp, what would you suggest we use then? Keep in mind that I use WhatsApp and FB Messenger to communicate with people. If everyone uses either one of these two apps, it will be very hard to communicate with all my friends and family using an app like Signal.

 

[ShelLuser]

I'm still using a 1st gen Windows phone but in the mean time I disconnected any network / data services because I didn't see the use anymore. I got the Windows phone years ago because it wasn't Google (Android) nor Apple and I enjoyed something different.

These days phones don't interest me as much anymore so I simply keep using this one Pre-paid, no data, no worries.

 

[tommiie]

PS: I do agree with you though. I dislike FB and WhatsApp but again, the other party needs to be willing to switch app as well.

 

[hukadan]

I have a feature phone for the moment. But I have to confess that I put some (wasted?) money in the Librem 5 project. Waiting to see the final product now.

 

[tommiie]

I put some (wasted?) money in the Librem 5 project.

With a complete "board of directors"and a bunch of CxO's I wouldn't trust my money with them. Too much overhead for such a small project. Overhead in the form of people wanting to cash in.

 

[tommiie]

Most of the projects starting Libre... are deeply necessary and no waste at all.

It is not because the project has "libre" in its name that it's a good project with the best interests of the users in mind & worthy of your money

 

[hukadan]

Too much overhead for such a small project.

Actually, this is just one of their projects, the latest one. As far as I can tell, other projects were successful. But again, it is too soon so say if it is wasted money or not (hence the question mark).

 

[tommiie]

Most of the projects starting Libre... are deeply necessary and no waste at all.

I tried to express that "Libre..." projects most times indicating to free something that is/was not free and has to be freed. And my sentence did start with "Most of the projects ...".

Well, no. Nowhere did you state that the project "is not free and should be freed." You stated the project is "deeply necessary and no waste at all." Those two statements are completley unrelated to each other.

 

[Spartrekus]

Can you make a phone call with NOKIA 9000 with FreeBSD installed on it?

In all cases, NETBSD is possible and highly recommended.
NetBSD is definitely much better suited than FreeBSD for such (BSD) smart-phones.

Another example from the far Unix brother :

 

[hukadan]

When is money wasted?

The Ouya kickstarter comes to mind. But we are going off topic.

 

[fr0xk]

I consider my flip-phone with 128MB RAM and no internet service a minimalist phone.

Exactly, if people can't live without a flip phone, they seriously being controlled by either technology, or capitalism or something else.

 

[fr0xk]

I'm in Canada where cell phone service is so highly priced that I won't go near it. Bring it down to three bucks a month and I'll consider it. Because only then will it be competitive with the service I've got now and on par with the price charged in places like India.

Indian people are mostly xiaomi users, or apple/samsung. No HTC, SONY Xperia etc. UK people aesthetically hate smartphone, US mostly driven by smartphones and yada yada...!

 

[fr0xk]

You suggest WhatsApp?!? Seriously? Even if just “optional”, I think that should be removed from your list.

Personally I have no problems using a stock Android. It works fine for me and gets the things done that I need to get done – no more, no less. Specifically I do not use any social media apps (no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram whatsoever). And no WhatsApp, of course, which is an offshoot of Facebook. If you need to use a messaging application, use one that (a) uses strong end-to-end encryption by default, (b) uses an open, standardized protocol and / or is itself open source, (c) doesn't belong to a big company that's abusing your personal data and floods you with ads.

I can understand, but my list was more/less about avoiding smartphone addiction, rather than privacy oriented. However, I personally don't use WhatsApp, as it is not cross platform (can't use it on *BSD without a smartphone), and desktop telegram client doesn't have end-to-end encryption (I guess). So I don't care. All I need calling, messaging, mail, calculator and that it. I don't let a machine to make me zombie.

 

[fr0xk]

I'm still using a 1st gen Windows phone but in the mean time I disconnected any network / data services because I didn't see the use anymore. I got the Windows phone years ago because it wasn't Google (Android) nor Apple and I enjoyed something different.

These days phones don't interest me as much anymore so I simply keep using this one Pre-paid, no data, no worries.

Yes... good idea. I am still rocking HTC M8 (updated to Android 6.0) since 2014!