Looking at the discussion between some of us about a browser on the Kompakt, I was wondering what others interested in the Kompakt think about it. Would you buy the Kompakt if it were possible to install a browser and other apps on it?
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Iām not sure! Is the browser limited on certain distracting apps? Then maybe. I have an onyx boox, which is an eink tablet and going on the browser isnāt the best experience. It works but thereās ghosting. That alone makes me reach for my laptop. I would prefer for the kompakt to not have a browser, but it would be nice if they did something similar to light where they have a directory tool that I can search local shop hours and directions.
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Faster refresh is possible on the Boox Palma. I am not sure if you have seen the reviews. It looks similar on the Kompakt, but we have yet to see a video of the device.
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To me its like people who are addicted to their smartphones arenāt buying a device like this. This one review I watched, this girl switched from an iPhone to a Lightphone and her end result was that it was so limited and almost useless. she ended up getting a Nokia 3310 which has a simple browser and found herself way more mindful and only needing it when she needed it.
Like you said Eink already has you reaching for your laptop. To me a simple browser app is a must on a device like this. I can travel with it, I can check my flight information. Wipe out social media for sure, but you have to have more then text and calls. They scan my ticket from my phone when I enter the plane. Like I would need a tablet something brought along like an iPad. Its just absurd. Make a useful but simple and private device thatās worth buying.
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A browser is a versatile app. You can check email, access online banking and maps, find travel information and listen to music among other things.
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Exactly all simple things that would make it useful. It would allow it to be the only device in my pocket. I read they only sold a couple thousand Pure phones world wide. Iām not a saying it should be a full blown smart phone, but at least some basic functionality. This device will be extremely niche with only calls and texts. It also would undermine the idea of minimal because everyone will need a second device with this.
Like how can I travel to Disney World 
or fly without a way to access my tickets???
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Agreed, I have the light phone and the directory tool is PERFECT. Very smart idea and probably the biggest reason I will stick with my preorder of the LP3. Unless the kopakt surprises me with having directions and a podcast tool. I really do love the look of Mudita products and all I ever wanted 2 years ago was the Mudita pure to work for me in Canada but it was never in the cards. So we will see what happens. Decisions decisionsā¦
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If you want more than text and calls then get a smartphone lol
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Definitely I will for sure and then Mudita can sell 2000-3000 of these devices in total (just like they did the Pure) to people like you who would like a ādeviceā that pretty much does nothing or have any of the basic functionality needed to travel or operate in society today.
LOL Iām going to go meditate and ask the universe to bring back Blackberry devices
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Letās see which of us is going to be disappointed in a few weeks. You have the Light Phone as an option. I will have to stick to my iPhone SE.
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Yeah I miss blackberry lol
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Iām very sad to see that the LPIII will have an OLED screen instead of E-ink. But I have ordered it instead of the Kompakt due to a better reputation / software support from Light. Mudita may convince me though, when the phone is released.
A web browser is not necessary for me on the go. If it was to be included, it would have to be severely limited. I would not want access to social media, news sites, games, ads, shopping, videos etc. But I can see it being useful in certain situations. The world has āevolvedā since the announcement of Pure. It can be simply impossible to travel, access restaurant menus or attend concerts.
So my proposal would be something like this:
- Ability to whitelist websites through Mudita Centre. By default, you would not be able to access any websites. Maybe even have Mudita allow only websites requested by users and aligning with their ethos.
- The whitelisted sites could be available only for a limited amount of time per day.
- They could be set to automatically disappear after a certain amount of days.
- Websites should load in a pure text form by default, hiding pictures or videos.
- Adblocking should be the norm to avoid distractions.
I could see it being useful, personally for buying transit tickets and looking at departure tables. But a browser is currently unnecessary for me (in central Europe). Menus are still in paper form (with QR code as an option) and paper tickets can still be bought. Most things can be comfortably achieved using a PC in a dedicated space.
If I personally wanted a browser and an E-ink screen, I would get a Bigme HiBreak smartphone or a Boox Palma e-reader combined with a simple dumbphone.
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I also really hope this phone has a WORKING calendar, that would be a deal breaker for me I need a calendar. Although I am sure Mudita has learned their lesson from the pure. They also better have group text messaging. Group text messaging is not a deal breaker for me but the calendar is for sure.
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I absolutely agree. Having an browser with no restrictions whatsoever would be extremely antithetical to the purpose of a true ādumbphoneā. I do recognize though, that many people in the smartphone alternative space have different goals for their device usage than I do, so I wouldnāt be opposed to Mudita offering a browser WITH a comprehensive set of settings/options. That way the user is the one who ultimately determine how the browser is used. (I currently use an android with a minimalist launcher and my biggest struggle right now is that it is difficult for me not only to avoid wasting time on my browser, but also actually finding software or methods to lock down the browser)
I have definitely noticed that as this demand for smartphone alternatives has grown, that the supply of dumbphones that are able to fit everyoneās exact use-case has become more limited, simply because many people are asking or expecting things of dumbphones that they were never intended to provide and that would be better suited for a āfeature phoneā or simply a paired down smartphone. I recently filled out the Mudita Kompakt survey and I couldnāt help but laugh at the āyoga exercise appā feature (and roll my eyes at the āmusic streaming featureā). Now a yoga app would definitely be more fitting for a Mudita product than say a Light Phone because Mudita is generally focused on promoting overall wellness while LP to me is more focused on specific digital minimalism (which Iām not denying that Mudita supplies as well) but that is such a specific feature, that in my opinion should be postponed until Mudita fully develops much more essential and general features like MMS and calendar integration. Additionally, regarding Music Streaming, why not just use downloaded music? Does anyone really need access to a near infinitely amount of songs instantly at any time? Genuinely, I think that music streaming is a similar level of distracting as an endless social media page because the point of any streaming service is to keep its users on their service for as long as possible, even to the detriment of its users, not just to use a portion of the service for only the amount of time and content that is necessary.
I hope eventually thereās a way for userās to flash their own versions of MuditoOS onto their devices because that would remedy a lot of what I mentioned here. but I know that urszula has mentioned that that may not be possible due to some proprietary hardware for the e-ink screen that Mudita uses.
TL;DR: A browser would be bad for the Kompakt unless there are ways to restrict it. Too many people are wanting dumbphones to do things that featurephones and reduced smartphones already do. And I wish evetually to edit my own software on Mudita products.
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We only have two kinds of phones - feature phones and smartphones. Once a browser or camera is added to a phone, it is still a smartphone albeit a hamstrung one.
Listening to music while doing something else (say working or walking on street) is a distraction. Not having to look at a screen does not make it any different. Whether the music is downloaded or streamed is irrelevant.
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@gmahale We only have two kinds of phones - feature phones and smartphones. Once a browser or camera is added to a phone, it is still a smartphone albeit a hamstrung one.
Fair enough point, my semantics were imprecise. My main point was that if someone wants a feature phone to do everything a smartphone can do, then they donāt really want a feature phone, they want boundaries on their smartphone. Of course, I think that is a valid goal to have for your device, but it defeats the purpose to make a featurephone be a smartphone in everything but name. You mention earlier in the thread that you consider a browser a āversatile app. You can check email, access online banking and maps, find travel information and listen to music among other thingsā. I agree with you that those are all useful things that a browser can provide. The issue I have with browsers is how easily they can be become gateways into harmful, addictive, or distracting behaviors if restrictions are not available to limit it. Essentially I agree that a browser is useful but I disagree in that I think itās uneccessary because it can be harmful. for example: You canāt misuse a notes app or a calendar app, but you can misuse a browser.
@gmahale Listening to music while doing something else (say working or walking on street) is a distraction. Not having to look at a screen does not make it any different. Whether the music is downloaded or streamed is irrelevant.
I donāt think I made my point correctly. Iām not opposed to listening to music, or using music as a distraction. I think that having access to unlimited music is more harmful than helpful because it plays into the āinfinite scrollā psychology that other more harmful software uses such as social media, content aggregation sites, and other intentionally addictive websites/apps in order to control the attention of their users/customers as long as possible even if use of the software is damaging to the user. Choosing to use downloaded music, even though it may be distracting, is better IMO because it is intentional by the user and not subconsciously suggested, therefore putting the userās time under the userās control.
Overall, Iām not saying that you yourself canāt or shouldnāt use a browser or music streaming service with your phone. Iām saying that I personally donāt want it for the reasons listed above and I donāt want Mudita to make either of those things a priority in their development process for the Kompakt when there are other more essential apps that need attention and that are more inline with their stated design philosophy.
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Iām sorry. Iām note sure how to fix my previous post so that it isnāt duplicated.
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I agree. Downloaded music is more likely to be consciously chosen.
I agree and have already commented under another topic that downloading the browser and other apps could be left to the user.
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Have you looked at the Light Phone III or LoFone? They do not have a browser.
Was there are a lot of choice in the first place?
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