Comment by 🌙 skyebound
Re: "The Perfect Phone is a Midwit Phone"
Agreed with jsreed5.
Does anyone know if the Unihertz Jelly Star has an unlocked bootloader? That might meet OP's goals if it is - tiny footprint, essential functionality, and still supported by manufacturers and OS devs.
— https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-star
Jan 20 · 4 months ago
6 Later Comments ↓
👻 darkghost · Jan 20 at 17:06:
LuneOS feels like a kind of decent fit, if it had better support. Has a minimal Android layer for hardware support and a reimplemented WebOS feel (from the days of the cell phones, not the TVs.) On the hardware side I don't have a clue.
🗡️ The_Jackal · Jan 20 at 17:28:
Oh, I'm inclined to agree with jsreed too. I'd love to see something like he mentioned, but so far most linux phones look like borderline scams. At least if more Android privacy phones would have physical killswitches for the camera and mic it would eliminate two big concerns.
👻 darkghost · Jan 20 at 17:32:
Purism isn't a scam as far as I can tell. But who wants to pay $800-$2000 for a 2018 spec'd phone?!
🗡️ The_Jackal · Jan 20 at 17:37:
@darkghost That's why I said borderline. Yes, it's not an actual scam or doesn't actually classify as one, but like you said you're paying hundreds for this when you can find a similarly specced refurbished phone for far less than half of that and it ends up feeling like it. I'd like to see something with physical killswitches and the ability to watch youtube, use a browser for searching, have a note taking app like Joplin.
🌙 skyebound · Jan 21 at 18:25:
Another option for OP (that I might also look into someday) - the Mecha Comet handheld Linux computer is launching on Kickstarter in a few days, and it supposedly supports 4G and 5G M.2 key routers. I'm not sure what the software support for SMS/RCS or calling would be, though.
🗡️ The_Jackal · Jan 21 at 18:30:
@skyebound I forgot about that. I'd love to see it take off and be a viable phone replacement.
Original Post
The Perfect Phone is a Midwit Phone — 'Smart' phones: Comically oversized. Digital locks. Usage restrictions. Advertising surveillance hell. E-waste on tap. 'Dumb' phones: Save a few bucks to be twenty years behind expected modern functionality, or pay a premium to be ten years behind expected modern functionality. Gimmicks. App support hell. Hope you like SMS! Break out the hardware GPS. And the hardware MP3 player. And the hardware camera. The Chad Midwit Phone: Size of an iPhone SE....