Feedback on newly received NA phone

Received my new device yesterday and fell in love with the design. It feels intentional and it feels natural to want to be intentional about using it. The screen is also so much more pleasant to look at (or not) than my iPhone.

I won’t speak to the built-in apps yet, as I’d like some time with them, but three early pieces of feedback:

  1. Please find a way of including google services or microg in a firmware update. I know people will argue the other side of this, but this device seems to intentionally not be a Lightphone. It allows for sideloading. So why discriminate between types of sideloaded apps? I need an app that lets me remotely monitor the blood sugar of my diabetic children (Dexcom Follow). It requires google services. Not sure why the firmware should discriminate when I can sideload Netflix. This doesn’t take away from the intentionality of the device.
  2. WiFi keeps cutting in and out. I’m going to mess around with this to try and troubleshoot, but I haven’t experienced issues like this on my home network before
  3. Verizon would not activate the device, I wound up activating on the T-Mobile network using U.S. Mobile instead as a temporary fix.

If the top two issues can be addressed, I’ll go through the physical sim swap with Verizon. Otherwise might need to return it. And that would be with some regret, as I would love for this to be my daily device if it let me install the one app I really need.

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It is specifically marketed as de-googled, which is unfortunate given your specific needs.

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I agree, it’s marketed as “de-googled”….but what does that mean? No google apps and play store vs. no google services architecture that’s required for a ton of non-google apps. The challenge is that you have no way of knowing which apps relying on google services until you install them and get an error message.

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It means no google services. There is a site you can check app compatability, but I dont remember it at the moment. I dont think all apps are on it either.

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I appreciate having a privacy oriented phone that is degoogled. Not everyone wants a phone with google services. There’s tons of phones that have google play including HiBreak Pro - Have you looked at other options that are eink and more suitable?

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That will never happen and for good reason!

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Thank you for your feedback- I have passed it on to our team, but I can address this part right away. Mudita Kompakt is intentionally intentionally ‘de-googled.’ When a phone is de-Googled, it means that Google’s proprietary apps, services, and trackers have been removed or are not used on the device. This is typically done to improve privacy, reduce data collection, and increase control over the phone’s software.

Why do people want ‘de-Googled’ devices??

  • To reduce tracking and surveillance.
  • To increase data privacy.
  • To avoid being locked into the Google ecosystem.
  • To use technology more intentionally and mindfully.
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“Verizon would not activate the device…”

Ugh, that’s been my concern for a few weeks, and I couldn’t get a concrete answer when asking… Both of my phones are coming today, and now I don’t know what I’m going to do as Verizon is the only service with decent coverage in the area.

For a phone I ordered to increase the amount of peace in my life, this has been a bit of an anxienty-inducing journey lol.

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Thank you, @urszula!

  • I bought the F1 Orchid three years ago for the reasons that you listed.
  • I deGoogled my refurbished Pixel 6 with CalyxOS for the same reasons.
  • I bought the Kompakt for those same reasons – plus many others!

If the Kompakt were not this way, then I likely would have stuck with my F1 Orchid for daily use and with my deGoogled Pixel 6 for international (outside-the-USA) travel.

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Yup and hopefully it always stays this way because the minute it does, you are going to have a LARGE volume of people leaving the Kompakt device, but I am confident it will never happen :metal:

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Follow-up: Yep, Verizon could not activate either device (I only say ‘could’ as the in-store rep was great and went above and beyond trying different methods).

So as my old phone broke I’ve gone over a month with no phone, and now have two phones with cases and protectors on that I can’t use. Really hard to maintain my excitement for any of this at the moment.

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Like others here have said, many of us specifically chose this phone because it is completely de-Googled, something that’s difficult to get away from in this day and age. The extra security and peace of mind of not having Google on my Kompakt is well worth the compromises in my own lifestyle.

If Google is something you do need, a device like the Minimal Phone or Bigme HiBreak series are probably a better fit.

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@jim_s I replied to you in another thread. Maybe my suggestion will help:

Please let me know.