I thought I am a consumer buying an ordinary product that will be my normal everyday phone.
But now after some time I am asking myself:
Have I joined a cult?
Have I joined a new hobby?
Did I embark on a new skill learning adventure just to have ability to time boiling an egg with timer on a cell phone?
Is my new goal in life reporting bugs I’m finding everyday?
Maybe I should share some of my groundbreaking ideas like: writing text messages while holding a phone horizontally?
Do I need to learn product development/programming and finish the product I just bought @gezimos style.
Did I just become Unpaid Mudita Employee?
Yes, I am pissed off (mostly at myself) because I really like (the idea) of this phone and don’t want to give up on it yet…
Maybe I need to take a holiday brake just NOW (which recently I learned means next week, maybe).
@UME_1138 I have to admit, your post made me smile with its humor, but I also hear the frustration behind your words. Thank you for expressing it so candidly.
You’re absolutely right, when you choose a phone, it should feel like a reliable everyday tool, not like you’ve suddenly enrolled in a crash course on product development.
We know it can sometimes feel like being part of an “insider project,” and while we deeply appreciate the feedback and creativity from our community, your main role should simply be to use and enjoy the phone.
The fact that you like the idea of Mudita Kompakt means a lot to us, and it’s exactly why we’re working hard to improve the reality of using it every day. Your suggestions and reports are not taken for granted, they help us prioritize and make the phone better, step by step.
We hope you do take that holiday break (phones included!) and return with fresh energy. And please know: you are not an unpaid Mudita employee, you’re a valued member of this community, and your voice truly matters in shaping the future of Kompakt.
@ploum As long it’s a cult with a sense of humor – we’ll be fine. @urszula Happy to report that I figured out how to make a soft-boiled egg with my Kompakt – I played a song from Music app and used it as a timer. (Love, Peace Forgiveness – was an obvious choice).
But seriously: adding timer to Alarm app and adding funcionality for texting while holding the phone horizontally would be great for MuditaOS 1.4.0
Exactly, I am very happy I finally gave up, sold my Kompakt, and bought a Sunbeam Flip Phone, as much as I would like an e-ink screen, having a phone that just works is a much higher priority.
Interesting you say that. Every time I say it finally works! Something critical fails. Like the ability to make calls. I would love to just be able to make calls. It would be so great. Maybe the networks suddenly changed. Who knows.
@UME_1138 To be fair, my question for you is: Is setting a timer for boiling an egg an intrinsic function of a phone? If it is, then shame on Mudita for not including it in the inital release. If not, then what has Mudita done wrong?
I love the dialogue on this forum, but I want to make sure @urszula and the team know that there is a great divide between what the Kompakt was made for and what people expected the Kompakt to be able to do for them. So next time we complain about the Kompakt missing this or that feature, can we just first ask ourselves the question, “Is this feature intrinsic to a phone?” If not, why do I want my phone to be able to do it and can I rely on something else for that function?
Just to be sure you know I mean well, I wanted to end with a bit of good humor. Every true minimalist knows there’s only one kind of timer worth having:
PS. The built in AOSP “Clock” app does have a timer, you would just need a way to open it (like a launcher or my favorite File Manager). Once you do access it, though, it will become clear why Mudita designed their own Alarm app, as the dark theme of the original app makes it difficult to see on the eInk screen.
Yes, it is.
The first phone I have ever owned was a Sony CMD-J70 back it the early 2000s.
It did have a reliable alarm, stopwatch and a timer… All basic features that the Kompakt lacks 25 years later…
And yes, I can get a kitchen timer, use a Casio watch or even an hourglass or whatnot… but that really isn’t a minimalistic approach…
That’s such a great point, @UME_1138 and I think what we’re seeing here on the forum really reflects three distinct groups of users:
Those who simply want a minimalist phone and appreciate Kompakt as it is.
Those who, after years of using smartphones, expect their phone to connect to everything from a Tesla to a toaster.
And finally, those who understand what Kompakt is about, but still value the flexibility to sideload a few essential apps without feeling overwhelmed by technology again.
All three perspectives are completely valid & honestly, that diversity of expectations is what makes these conversations so interesting. It shows just how personal our relationships with technology have become.
Well… Since since you’ve been the first to throw an , here’s the answer:
“intrinsic function of a phone” really depends of what century you were born in.
So if you started using mobile phone in the beginning of current one there is an expectation that even a “minimalist phone” should have all pre-smartphone functions that we used to have in our old Nokias and Ericssons etc.
@Urszula Sorry but the term “minimalism” gets really old when it’s thrown here as an excuse.
I always ONLY used computer for computer things because from the start I recognized smartphones for mind-eroding Trojan horses, that now more people recognize them to be.
For the addicts using Kompakt as an rehab tool - congrats (but that’s just not me).
Actually my first time connecting to internet with a phone in 10 years was to update Kompakt (oh irony!)
To answer with a question: which picture would you describe as minimalism:
or: + + + + + + + +
I think I’m group 1B:
I don’t need anything internet wise - if I occasionally manage to get away from computer I don’t want another one with me , no sideloading, no banking, no music (I got audiophile curse so I rather use my DAP).
So I want a minimalist phone, but think that, while Kompakt is great, it’s just not fully there yet (as a minimalist device).
@UME_1138 I couldn’t agree with you more. The Kompakt is my first-ever smartphone-like phone, I’ve always avoided smartphones so far, and the more issues are being discovered (but not fixed), the more I wish I hadn’t ordered this phone. NO smartphone can ever be minimalistic. And the Kompakt has given me more stress than any THING (I’m not even saying any “device”) I ever bought. It’s just not stable, not secure, not private (especially with Sentry running in the background), and certainly not as “calm” as advertised.
One of the few REAL minimalist phones was this one, the Nokia 1208.
Unfortunately it runs on 2G which is being phased out within the next 2 years, and they won’t build a new one with 4G. Otherwise this would be the only phone I need. It can only make calls and write SMS, and that’s all a phone needs. Everything else only causes problems. “Mind-eroding trojan horse” is the perfect description.
I fall squarely under Cat I - vanilla Kompakt. Not sure I would call it minimalist as the word itself has different meanings to different people and many drawn to minimalist phones want more than the company initially intended - more so in the light community than Mudita.
My draw to the Kompakt isn’t about having less—it’s about having exactly what aligns with my values and rhythm, no more, no less. I am, I think, an “intentionalist.” Here’s why “intentionalist” fits better:
Purpose Over Aesthetics
Minimalism often focuses on how things look (clean lines, neutral colors). My appreciation is about how things work—privacy, offline capability, and a tool that serves me, not the other way around.
Trust and Control
The Kompakt’s hardware switch, offline maps, and E Ink aren’t just “minimal”; they’re deliberate choices that prioritize my agency. It’s not about subtraction for its own sake, but about curating an experience that feels authentic and empowering.
Freedom Over Restriction
I am not denying myself features out of discipline; I am choosing a tool that liberates me from distractions, corporate overreach, and the mental load of modern tech. It’s not deprivation—it’s reclaiming attention and autonomy.
Quiet Rebellion
There’s a subtle defiance in preferring a device that rejects the status quo. It’s not just “less phone”; it’s a statement of independence from the attention economy.
Maybe I am thinking a little too highly of myself but that sums up my draw to the MK - intentionality.
(edit) PS: The aesthetics of the Kompakt are pretty nice. No question. I feel it is a lot warmer than the Light.
@astratev and @UME_1138 Interstingly enough, I had a different experience with my Nokia and Ericsson (having owned both in the early 2000s). I remember both having an alarm, but neither having a stopwatch nor timer. In fact, I also had a Garmin watch in the 2000s that had neither alarm, stopwatch, nor timer. Meanwhile, now they are all considered a standard function on both phones and smartwatches.
Let’s get philosophical here. I think you both seem to be conflating minimalism with its actual opposite. A minimalist device by it’s principle would be designed with a clarity of purpose in mind: to be a phone and nothing more. A phone is deisigned for communication, hence it needs basic modern communication features: calling and texting. GPS, calendar, notes, alarms are already all surplus to that function. However, I think Mudita, perceiving failure of the Pure phone (also consider the Lightphone) as being “too minimal,” have created the Kompakt as a middle ground. However, that does not mean it should now become the multipurpose tool that phones have become for us. Idealy, a minimalist phone should have us using analog maps and address books instead of digital on the phone. However, it is easy to understand the difficulty for this and why people don’t want that.
I’m squarely in category 3. I find the idealic nature of a minimal phone attractive, however I know that I am not ready to give up the ease of digital calendars and contact books. I will therefore continue to support the device as is but also do what I need to make it work for my purposes. @YYZ Speaking of the Lightphone, that may be up your alley. But I’m not sure you can expect more improvement on the “stable,” “secure,” and “private” from them. On another note, do you have any knowledge about how “secure” or “private” your Nokia was? Certainly, 2G is neither.
Sure, but such a phone is a completely different category, and since no encrypted messenger can be installed, the risk of becoming a “suspect” is next to zero. Plus it doesn’t run on Android, hence the usual attack methods won’t work. I need my phone only for emergencies, otherwise I wouldn’t even carry one with me. If anyone hacks my Nokia, they will find nothing. In the past 20 years, no attack has taken place, I doubt it will ever happen. If police wants to check my 3 calls a year, they are welcome to do so.
So I was totally sober until I got the Kompakt. Now I’m a phone addict and bug hunter
Your are talking about a minimalist device.
I am talking about minimalist way of life.
If I need a watch, a timer, a stopwatch, a calculator, a book, a map etc. - the minimalist approach is to have a single item that can do everything and not needing to carry 10 different items in my bag. Sadly here comes the addiction part… I for one am more addicted to the convenience, rather than the digital content.
Anyway, I am not here to discuss philosophy. I am here because I bought this “project” believing it is an actual working phone. And now I am stuck with that… and I really hope the device will evolve.
I really am having a hard time understanding other users that force their “ethos” onto people that disagree with them.
If I need a timer on my device to boil an egg, I need a timer on my device to boil an egg. My phone did that a quarter century ago, the Kompakt should be able to do it too.
, here’s the answer:
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