A day by day review of the Kompakt

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

Hello! I just received my kompakt and am going to daily drive it for 10 days or so to see if it suits me.

I am not a person who necessarily struggles with smartphone addiction but could definitely see how it was often an unnecessary distraction. I often wonder about how easily technology and distractions had entered my life without intentionality and how easily one finds oneself engaging with these things without a reason or a goal. All this distraction/mindlessness was taking a lot of time away from the things I would like to do. I felt like this could be a step towards reclaiming some free time that was often lost browsing/surfing the web.

At the same time, I am someone who lives a life that requires a smartphone. Unfortunately, I need a smartphone to a degree: banking, gym/fitness, post service, transit, taxis, todos/reminders, secure password management, and in particular, for mapping/routing on the go.

I am also someone who works a large part of the day on a computer, so throughout the day I have all the communication functionality and power I need at my fingertips from my computer for most of the day.

For me, an ideal device would have clear utility and act as a tool that supports me in my daily life when away from the computer, but does not act as a constant distractor, and I am sincerely hoping that the Kompakt could be such a device.

I already know that without sideloading, it would be impossible. I am coming from a large iPhone Pro Max so for me the compact and e-ink nature of the Kompakt is very appealing.

I also know that just deleting some apps from my iPhone and setting it to black and white would probably be enough, but I like the idea of the compact e-ink and excellent battery life.

Day 0.5 - 1

My first evening with the Kompakt, I sideloaded a good ereader app and a book I was reading. I flicked the ‘Offline+’ switch and felt great reading and going to sleep without distraction - no buzzing through the night and waking up knowing I would not be hit with a barrage of notifications and cortisol inducing news headlines/work emails nor any desire/ability to check the usual distractors.

Biking to work, I absolutely loved how small and compact the phone was in my pocket. I needed to drop off some film for development and realized that I didn’t know what time the shop opened and if I should make the detour or not, and there was no way to find out on the stock Kompakt alone.

Day One Dilemmas

• Not being able to find out if a shop/service is open
  • Oddly enough, could find the location on the built in maps - but no further info (phone number, nor could I even see the full address as it is truncated on the screen and there doesn’t appear to be a way to expand the info panel)
  • Stock Kompakt solution: Look this up before you go out or memorize this information for regular destinations, call or text a friend
  • Sideload solution: Add a basic web browser (EinkBro) or ‘Here/wego’ maps - which does allow me to see the address, route a path and also see the phone number/call, but the opening hours were incorrect.

Day 1 Notes

• I did sincerely wish that the Kompakt had a warm frontlight instead of a cold one.

• I like and appreciate the Offline+ switch but also wish it were configurable to allow bluetooth for example, so I could still listen to music on a speaker/headphones or use my bluetooth keyboard (I am currently typing with a
  keyboard in the notes app and had to turn everything on and connect to use it)

• When using a keyboard, the notes app does not scroll with the cursor, thus if you type below the screen the cursor/text just disappears below the fold and you have to keep manually scrolling to see it.

  • I’ve managed a bit by adding a lot of whitespace to the bottom of this document so l can at least write a paragraph at a time without having to scroll line by line.

• Like many others, I do not understand why the fingerprint sensor activates with a light touch instead of a push thus triggering the vibration. In just the hours of having the Kompakt with me, I’ve found it surprisingly unlocked unintentionally and buzzing/vibrating regularly accidentally.

• Also like others, it would be really nice to customize the lock screen. Honestly, imagine having an iPhone or Android where you were forced to have a giant Apple or Google (or other manufacturer) logo on display at all times when the device was locked.

• I’m a bit disappointed with the low-res e-ink but am okay with it - in fact I appreciate how lofi this device feels but do think it hurts the e-reading experience as the text/ contrast is really not as sharp as even much older e-readers.

• The battery life also drained a bit much surprisingly (around 10% in around 3 hours since this morning - so about 1.25 days of battery life), perhaps due to having Signal running on the phone and working in the background. I’ve tried to remedy this with the commands:

  adb shell cmd appops set org.thoughtcrime.securesms RUN_IN_BACKGROUND ignore
  adb shell cmd appops set org.thoughtcrime.securesms RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND ignore
  

• I applied the screen protector so I could be sure in case the device doesn’t work out for me, that the screen would be well protected. I’m a bit surprised how glossy it is, but it isn’t such a big deal. As I’ve also seen elsewhere in the forum, I am really surprised it doesn’t go flush with the edges/lip of the plastic casing - This also isn’t a huge deal, but it’s definitely a bit visually odd, and I could imagine dust/dirt being trapped in the gaps over time.

• Trying to extract this now to post, I was really blown away that there was no way to get a note out of the phone. I also tried browsing the storage and could not find it anywhere. I had to take many photos of the screen and use Apple’s ability to copy and paste text from images to extract the note. Sure I suppose this phone isn’t intended as a writing device/tool, but not even being able to copy text out of a notes app just seems somewhat half-baked.

See you tomorrow for Day 2

[andrewh]

That is an awesome typing setup! What keyboard and stand is that? Is it mechanical? Are you using the default notes app or did you sideload something for typing?

[urszula]

@jfoigjboiwjefaij Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed, day-by-day review of your experience with Mudita Kompakt. It’s incredibly valuable for us to hear how the phone fits into real everyday use, and your observations help us see where we’re doing well and where there’s room to grow.

Thanks again for being part of the Mudita community. We’re really glad to have you with us.

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

That is the iGO Stowaway foldable keyboard. I was just using the default notes app which, as mentioned, has some serious caveats.

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

Day 2

Another full day with the Kompakt. I sideloaded unlauncher for a clean and simple interface:

I have had the phone mostly in Offline+ mode and realized that I was much more aware of the act of ‘reaching for the phone’ and that I end up picking it up much less - and when I did, I would just end up just opening the book/reader (vs. the normal sequence on my iPhone of messages, email, news/reddit/youtube).

I was way more aware of idle moments and that urge to reach for the phone and also mainly being more conscious of asking myself “do I need to pick up the phone now? Do I really need to look this up etc…”

At the end of Day 2, the battery is at 63% and estimates > 2 days remaining.

Day 2 Notes

• Again, it’s very problematic that the phone buzzes/turns on accidentally - I’ve pulled the phone out of my pocket seeing it in the emergency call mode three times today
• Also, I do love Offline+ and keep the phone in that mode typically, but realized also the camera is off there too. I’m confused what the point of even having Offline+ is since it’s rendered almost useless - basically offline music with wired headphones, reading and the limited notes, or meditation.
  • I still wish I could just disconnect internet connectivity with this switch, I have to keep turning it on and off to take a quick photo, or use wireless headphones etc…

Day 2 Dilemmas

• I had to login to my bank which required the app for 2FA
  • Though some banking apps are possible to sideload, there aren’t trustworthy sources and it seems like it isn’t so ideal to do so
  • Only truly secure solution was to use my iPhone here
• The night before, I wanted to turn off some lights controlled by Apple Home, also had to use the iPhone - though it might be possible to set everything up with a Hue app on android
• I sideloaded my gym app and went to sign in and while the camera opened and was pointed at the QR code, it simply did not work. I had to use my iPhone again.
  • I had to tether my iPhone to the Kompakt over wifi in order to do so and luckily it did work fine.
• I wanted to order some food with friends, and managed to install a delivery app. First, the problem was that it was using login with Apple ID. I changed the account to use an email address but it still wasn’t possible as it sent an email confirmation link

Today, there were four situations where having the Kompakt only would have caused issues, with the bank/gym situation being more problematic. Again, I know it’s not the intent of this device at its core, and a lot of these issues expose dependency and vendor lock-in, but needing to carry two devices around feels like much more of a burden.

See you tomorrow in day 3.

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

Day 3

For some reason, I believe a backgrounded app drained the battery quite heavily through the night, from around 80% to 35% That said, it still claims another day and a half of battery life. At the same time, my iPhone has been little used and on airplane mode and also has 60% battery after a few days, so I think a similar thing could be achieved keeping an iPhone offline.

I force stopped signal, here we go (maps) and Duolingo and it seemed to be fine.

Duolingo works but not well, is quite laggy and unresponsive, perhaps not optimized for the small screen - it seems the lack of space prevents them from showing extra ‘incorrect’ answers, so it’s much easier/almost pointless.

Throughout the day I didn’t need to use a phone much and when I did, I just used the e-reader. I’m realizing I wish I just had an e-reader in this format, it’s a perfect size whereas something like the Boox Palma is a bit big and fragile to carry around.

Today will be interesting as I will be out and away from the office a lot, needing to do things like ordering taxis etc, so let’s see how it goes.

[thurakanda]

I can recommend using Duolingo on the computer, it has more functions and then you have a designated space and time for language learning. I believe it just makes it even harder to learn a language when you can do it anytime on the go. It tries to fool you that you are learning the language, but are you really?

[starvin_fish]

About the screen optimization/ratio, I believe @Jose_Briones mentioned it in the sideloading apps video he made for the MK, for a maps alternative. I don’t think Duolingo was developed with E-ink screens in mind, so that might be why it doesn’t work as well as on a smartphone.
In Jose’s video, he demonstrates clearly (again with a maps app) how much of a difference e-ink optimization makes !

Hope this helps

P.S : When I saw Day 3 coming up, I got so excited ! It’s so much fun and so helpful to follow you on this adventure

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

@thurakanda

I can recommend using Duolingo on the computer, it has more functions and then you have a designated space and time for language learning. I believe it just makes it even harder to learn a language when you can do it anytime on the go. It tries to fool you that you are learning the language, but are you really?

Absolutely, makes sense - there is a lot of habit re-training/rethinking that has to happen when one takes a step back from full fledged smart phones

@starvin_fish

I don’t think Duolingo was developed with E-ink screens in mind, so that might be why it doesn’t work as well as on a smartphone.

For sure, but I have a feeling it’s more the screen size causing issues somehow - in any case, I’m happy to move this activity off of the phone and onto a computer in a more focused session - but it definitely still doesn’t take away from the idea that flashcards in an idle moment like a transit journey or train ride would be useful, in which case Anki is serving very well.

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

Day 4

I had to get somewhere by taxi and managed to download a taxi app - actually I have to say that Aurora Store has been a real eye opener into adding functionality to the Kompakt to make it more feasible as a daily driver.

Glad to report that the taxi app did manage to work and I was able to get to my destination. The map did not display on the app (lack of play services) but I was able to enter the pickup/dropoff addresses.

At some point in the day, a friend wanted to look at the device and see what it was like. I’m not sure why, but maybe due to issues with the fingerprint reader, the phone just wouldn’t unlock and I had to hard restart after which everything was fine again.

Day 4 Dilemmas

Happy to say, there were no blockers today! Except when a friend wanted to see a picture of my pet and I couldn’t show them anything!

Day 4 Notes

• Aurora Store is amazing - it really allowed me to customize my experience and get some more basic functionality onto the phone
  • One example is I set up Standard Notes so that my notes are instantly synchronized to other devices, or as an easy way to move text in and out of the phone
  • I was also able to download the Hue app to control my lights and it works perfectly
• Battery drained down to 17% so I decided to charge the phone again, so all in all, it lasted around 4 days of light/moderate use
• I still find the unintentional fingerprint/unlock function to be incredibly frustrating - it is constantly activating/unlocking inadvertently and this time I found it had opened a messaging app and typed a bunch of text to a friend

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

Day 5

Quick one here, was a nice relaxing Sunday without using a phone at all really, so nothing to report! Phone at about 65%

Again, something -truly- needs to be done with regards to this activation with a light touch - my Kompakt almost dialed emergency services but luckily a few extra symbols were punched in before accidentally pressing the call button just from the phone being in my pocket.

The way things are, it’s not a matter of if but when my phone will pocket dial emergency services, which is really not something I want to do.

[starvin_fish]

Quick suggestion : If you put it in its little cute pouch, maybe it’ll add some protection ? As a solution (or at least a temporary one) ?

[grilledcheesebb]

@jfoigjboiwjefaij I didn’t end up getting the Kompact so this is really great to read all about it in real life circumstances!

One thing I’m confused about is the phone unlocking by itself – how is that possible if it needs a fingerprint to unlock it?

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

@starvin_fish

Quick suggestion : If you put it in its little cute pouch, maybe it’ll add some protection ? As a solution (or at least a temporary one) ?

I suppose, though it’d be a bit annoying to have to then open a tied pouch every time when ideally i could just actually ‘click’ the button.

@grilledcheesebb

@jfoigjboiwjefaij I didn’t end up getting the Kompact so this is really great to read all about it in real life circumstances!

One thing I’m confused about is the phone unlocking by itself – how is that possible if it needs a fingerprint to unlock it?

The issue is if you brush against the button at all, it will open the pin screen where there is also an ‘emergency call’ button, which you can easily also accidentally tap with your hand/finger, then it’s just another short tap to actually dial the emergency number - which can happen without unlocking the phone.
Also, if you just happen to brush against it with a valid fingerprint it will just unlock.

Day 6

Today was also somewhat relaxed with phone use, but was nice that I was able to download an app from Aurora Store which was required to open a package locker and pick it up. My gym app still doesn’t work and in a way, I am somewhat settling with the fact that certain things still just require an iphone (banking, anything secure, gym app…)
Generally speaking, I am ‘getting by’ with the Kompakt. I am happy with it and really adore its form factor, simplicity, battery life, and company ethos. I just really wonder if I am willing to have to carry two devices to manage this - I’ve had to still bring around an iPhone almost every day.
It’s gotten me to read significantly more, scroll significantly less, and each time a point of friction occurs, to question if it’s really an issue. It’s made me a more conscious phone/technology user – the thing is, I could achieve a lot of this with my iPhone and another e-reader (I already have a Palma). At this price point it isn’t such an easy decision to simply keep.

So I think for me, the final decision boils down to how responsive the team will be with updates/fixes, and if some of these greater pain points can be addressed (primarily the unlock sensitivity), notification/background process management, DnD etc…

[kirkmahoneyphd]

@jfoigjboiwjefaij

The issue is if you brush against the button at all, it will open the pin screen where there is also an ‘emergency call’ button, which you can easily also accidentally tap with your hand/finger, then it’s just another short tap to actually dial the emergency number - which can happen without unlocking the phone.
Also, if you just happen to brush against it with a valid fingerprint it will just unlock.

Thank you for putting succinctly what others and I have tried to explain in other posts!

[haleme]

Day 1+ support will make or break the Kompakt for daily usage. I’ve already resigned myself to not getting rid of my smartphone and I don’t even have my device yet!
If the Mudita team can quickly deliver updates and solutions to the shortcomings and complaints, we will have a winner. Otherwise the Kompakt will become another could have been in the unused device drawer.

[minimalist4life]

Yeah for me the phone has to be my daily driver, if you are carry around 2 phones it defeats the purpose, I don’t want to carry around 2 phones that is ridiculous

[nownotlater]

I first moved away from smartphones in 2015, and I imagine it isn’t as easy now. I have had an iphone on and off, but when I do I keep living by the same rules as though I don’t. I recently have had to await a new bank card in the mail and a few people have told me “why don’t you just add the new card to your apple wallet”, but that’s not something I know how to do, nor want to learn to. It’s a lot harder to remove technology from your life than to have never had it. I have never scanned a QR code, never had a video chat, or ordered a cab/food from a phone. I loose out, can’t do certain things, but that is part of living a more relaxed life, it isn’t a loss in the end. Sometimes there are even benefits, in recent times cabs in NYC are cheaper if you call them vs using an app. But it has also come from a moral stance that having a smartphone should not be a requirement in life, so I have refused, even in the times that I had a phone that was capable.

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

Day 7

I’m getting more comfortable with the Kompakt, something I really loved was realizing that super cheap USB-C Earpods from Apple work perfectly with the device along with all the buttons (which I believe should also work in Offline+ mode - will confirm).

I noticed I was getting more comfortable taking little snapshots with the camera like I would with my iPhone, and as always, I’m just reading more - amazingly the low-res screen doesn’t bother me that much, and in fact I kind of enjoy the lo-fi feel, it’s like reading a cheap paperback.

Ultimately, I feel that giving in to the reality of a two-device life just makes it easier to accept the Kompakt - to really let it find its role as a simple primary device rather than expecting it to do everything critical. I feel like I can get by with the Kompakt 95% of the time and in a very enjoyable way which I think is saying a lot.

So, let’s see with my last week if I still feel the same, but so far I am leaning towards sticking with the Kompakt, its form factor, battery life and company ideology/ethos are things I really appreciate. I most certainly want to keep it, I just hope some of the very rough post-launch edges can be ironed out soon. (alarms that don’t go off on time is completely inexcusable)

@nownotlater

I first moved away from smartphones in 2015, and I imagine it isn’t as easy now. I have had an iphone on and off, but when I do I keep living by the same rules as though I don’t. I recently have had to await a new bank card in the mail and a few people have told me “why don’t you just add the new card to your apple wallet”, but that’s not something I know how to do, nor want to learn to. It’s a lot harder to remove technology from your life than to have never had it. I have never scanned a QR code, never had a video chat, or ordered a cab/food from a phone. I loose out, can’t do certain things, but that is part of living a more relaxed life, it isn’t a loss in the end. Sometimes there are even benefits, in recent times cabs in NYC are cheaper if you call them vs using an app. But it has also come from a moral stance that having a smartphone should not be a requirement in life, so I have refused, even in the times that I had a phone that was capable.

Definitely - without questioning things one wanders into the walled garden quite easily. So many tradeoffs are made for the sake of convenience and it’s insane how quickly you find yourself trapped and almost powerless without a smartphone. I feel like life with the Kompakt brought a lot of this thinking into focus while allowing me to take a step back from being permanently online and really asking myself what I’m really missing. (Similar to when I left social media ages ago and Amazon more recently)

[jfoigjboiwjefaij]

Day 8

Again, a simple day and I’m quite used to the Kompakt now - except now I am also experiencing the problem others are having with Antennapod: Audio playback in sideloaded apps on the background stops after 55 seconds

I tried to investigate a bit and will post in the topic to keep the thread aligned. Needless to say this is also a bit annoying.

Also - more concerningly, I received a phone call today and the person simply could not hear me nor could I hear the other person. They called back twice more and it still did not work. I ended up having to call the person back from my iPhone which worked, and then shortly after had a friend give me a test call to my Kompakt which worked. I’m not sure if it makes a difference, but the call that failed to work was from a land-line.

Hopefully it’s an unusual outlier as I don’t receive too many calls, but it’s definitely not a great sign that the very first call I’ve received on this phone did not work!