‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

Minimal Phone 2

328 points · 262 comments · nashashmi

  1. al_borland · · focus · HN ↗
    > Full Android. Every app you already use, there when you need it.

    So it still requires a user to have self-control. If people had that, they could just uninstall the problematic apps from the phone they already have.

    1. SoftTalker · · focus · HN ↗
      Most phones come with a lot of vendor or carrier apps that cannot be uninstalled, at least not by the average user.
      1. al_borland · · focus · HN ↗
        Are those the ones people waste time on? Social media seems to be the biggest culprit, and shouldn’t be shipping with any phone, or require any hoops to remove.
    2. grepex · · focus · HN ↗
      I don't think that is necessarily true. Adding friction to how easy it is to use those apps has helped me.
    3. pixelatedindex · · focus · HN ↗
      > they could just uninstall the problematic apps from the phone they already have.

      … if you have root access with adb (assuming android, I don’t know much about iOS)

    4. IshKebab · · focus · HN ↗
      Yeah this type of "distraction free" device is fundamentally impossible because these days the "not distraction" things cannot be done without full Android apps. If you don't allow apps you have a phone without:

      * Messaging (in 99% of the world)

      * Maps

      * Uber etc.

      Messaging is the really big one.

      1. jazzyjackson · · focus · HN ↗
        Personally I just tell everyone to contact me by email. It’s the only thing that I’m sure will still work in 20 years.

        But of course I have signal for group chats. it works on desktop tho so I can just check messages when I get home like the olden days.

        GPS I like my offline maps built into my car. It’s getting harder to find updates as everyone moves to the cloud.

    5. wraptile · · focus · HN ↗
      If you can't put down your phone your answer can't be a "worse phone". I genuinely don't understand this shape of reasoning - at this point people need to go sit under a waterfall not look for tech solutions.
Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.