I would love to keep the Kompakt, but the phone runs on Android 12. Android 12 is no longer supported by Google, meaning Android 12 no longer receives security updates. Mudita has been unwilling to state whether they will update the OS to Android 13 or higher, except a guarantee that they will pick and choose how to keep the Kompakt secure, which is incredibly concerning. For a company that boasts about the privacy features of the Kompakt, this is perplexing.
Additionally, because the phone is stuck on Android 12, this makes sideloading unsafe. Mudita has advertised the sideloading capabilities of the Kompakt, and the company knows many of its userbase must sideload apps to gain some basic functionality, yet the company is unwilling to be further transparent about the security of the Kompakt besides picking and choosing which security vulnerabilities to target. Mudita, however, has stated that sideloading is at the risk of the user, without making it clear to the user that Android 12 is a huge reason why; I also don’t believe many Kompakt users know the phone is only on Android 12 since this is not stated on Mudita’s product page for the phone nor have I seen YouTubers mention it.
Here’s a good discussion here about Android 12 on this device and Mudita not being fully transparent about their security updates. Additionally, here’s a good breakdown of Mudita muddying the waters when it comes to security on this device. So, given Mudita’s approach to security, the company could be introducing additionally security issues in the phone on top of the already existing vulnerabilities.
Can Mudita please be transparent about this? Can you please tell us if this phone will or will not receive Android 13 or higher? Please, no flowery/AI language about how Mudita takes privacy concerns seriously and about its mindful approach to digital minimalism. Also, please don’t tell us Offline+ Mode toggle is an option. That’s an impractical solution to a serious problem.