Thanks for saying “tool is right”. Maybe it should be part of advanced hidden (developer tools) on K-OS as easy sideloader
1 Like
Hi,
Just to add one angle to what Urszula wrote. We were pretty sure that despite what we gonna do with Kompakt (trying to keep it as a super closed eco-system, or making it totally open) there will be a group of users trying to jailbreak it anyway. No matter how hard we try to protect against that. We’ve just decided to choose middle patch. Not to try close it (as we think this effort would be fruitless anyway) nor keeping it totally open. In that approach (theoretically, we will see how it goes real life) most of the users won’t go beyond “fences” we put, but those ones who have technical knowledge and dare to go beyond what we designed can go there without risks of being anyhow “blocked” by us or threaten that they do something “wrong” with our product.
As Urszula wrote, we are behind flexibility and openess, We believe that we are here to show the direction, but we don’t wanna be ones who forcefully enforce certain solutions.
And to be honest, I don’t believe that phone alone, can be sufficient solution for people with severe tech addiction. It may support in healing that, but I think in that case there is a need to get help from somebody / organisation dedicated to support in such situations.
7 Likes
That is right decision, that satisfies both sides.
Official sideloader or option to enable play store a bit hidden, plus easy otg file access to non os memory of the phone, advanced users will be most satisfied.
At the same time, everyone will start with optimized and nice basic apps, feeling no need to replace them, but also being able to add per one needs, with eink 800x res limits.
If long term new optimized features improve, users will be less inclined to experiment.
My salute. It isn’t easy modding android for eink, nor replacing thousands and more android apps.
Better approach them e.g iOS or google pixel newest android
Could also beat small eink smart competition on software level and with good optimizations for one targetted hardware.
With good developer support and user feedback can improve its own ecosystem.
Mind that to lesser level and functional demakes, similar approach was, is and will be possible for older muditaOS
3 Likes
Very well said Michal, and I agree, after some reflection I thought this through and Mudita has decided on the middle way and that is the best way, I have supported the Kompakt and I am excited to start using it. Currently using the Pure again and have loved my experience
2 Likes
Agreed, give people the option, the only app I can see myself sideloading is spotify because its not addictive and gives you ability to listen to podcasts, although to be honest I have not missed listening to podcasts that much since using the Pure as my daily driver, I feel like even podcast can become a distraction, I use to listen to them before bed and now I just want to focus on getting to sleep lol
3 Likes
Thank you, @Michal_Kicinski and the Mudita team, for creating the Kompakt!
I now use:
- a Sunbeam Wireless F1 Orchid (no longer sold) as my everyday cellphone (i.e., it contains my SIM card);
- a CalyxOS-deGoogled Google Pixel 6 for podcasts, the Audible app, etc., that I update at home via an Ethernet-to-USB dongle (as it contains no SIM card).
While considering eventually replacing my F1 Orchid with one of the new Sunbeam Wireless F1 flip phones, Mudita announced the Kompakt, which beat any F1 flip phone in many ways.
After considering Rob Braxman’s BraX3, which also is on Indiegogo now and is effectively a deGoogled smartphone, I decided that its features are quite similar to my deGoogled Pixel 6 and therefore not to order the BraX3.
Here is how I score the Mudita Kompakt versus any deGoogled smartphone (“dGS”) and any F1 flip phone (“F1”) in everyday-cellphone categories that are important to me:
- Privacy: Kompakt wins over dGS and F1, thanks to its Offline+ mode.
- Usability in Daylight: Kompakt wins over dGS and F1, thanks to its E Ink display.
- Usability without Reading Glasses: Kompakt and dGS win over F1, due to the latter’s flip-phone-size display.
- Minimalism: Kompakt and F1 win over dGS, thanks to a minimal collection of handy apps (including Weather and Navigation).
- Real-Time Local-Traffic Awareness: dGS and F1 win over Kompakt, due to Kompakt’s lack of this feature in its Navigation app (from what I could learn).
- Usability for Texting: F1 wins over Kompakt and dGS, thanks to the superbly fast, anonymized speech-to-text feature of Sunbeam’s Premium Service.
Tallying the wins across the these everyday-cellphone categories:
- 4 wins for Mudita Kompakt;
- 3 wins for any F1 flip phone;
- 2 wins for any deGoogled Smartphone.
The North-America-optimized Mudita Kompakt will replace my F1 Orchid as my everyday cellphone here in the USA. The Offline+ mode, E Ink display, and display size of the Kompakt beat the F1 Orchid as well as any current F1 model.
But, I will keep using my deGoogled Pixel 6 in two ways:
- In the USA without a SIM card as a way to use AOSP-compatible apps that “make more sense” or only work on a traditional smartphone versus the Kompakt;
- Outside the USA with a SIM card as a way to have international-travel access…
- to many more “Global” 4G/LTE bands,
- to email and websites without a computer, and
- to a high-megapixel camera for “tourism” photos and videos without a DSLR.
4 Likes
What is your current personal phone?
2 Likes
Current personal phone is the Light Phone 2
3 Likes
Interesting device, e-ink too but smaller?
I have opted for nothing 2a plus as scaled smart with great UI for job, and hisense a5 as eink private one
1 Like
One quick question, can you bookmark or save location on the maps app?
3 Likes
In general, it would be great to have some more feats of installed apps explained in depth
Like we see with e-book reader and hereby maps, small feats matter, even for basic apps.
Being both simple and usable should be clear goal.
2 Likes
Great question! I will be switching in May to the Mudita Kompakt from my Sunbeam Wireless F1 Orchid, whose Navigation application has a “Favorites” feature, which I use for handy ‘re-navigation’ to the same location (such as a retailer).
I assumed that the Kompakt’s Maps app would have a Favorites/Bookmarks feature, but now I am concerned that Mudita has said nothing so far about this. @urszula, can you please address this?
4 Likes
Kompakt Maps App: Bookmarks? Unknown. Advertising? Unlikely!
I have not seen whether the Kompakt Maps app will allow users to bookmark favorite destinations, but I am fairly certain that the Kompakt Maps app will NOT have advertising, unlike what may happen to the iPhone Maps app!
4 Likes
@kirkmahoneyphd Monetization is totally off the table. That’s not part of our business plan, but the bookmarks, that’s an interesting idea. I will ask the team.
I’m sure you already know, Google already monetizes maps.
4 Likes
Very sad to see even Maps get monetized, and most of phone apps have subscription model. I prefer old shareware and buy once models. At that time, even public domain existed 
Now you pay pricey for HW and still get adverts all over software systemwide. I prefer Muditas approach and ad free software should be point of advertisement too
2 Likes
If both Google maps and Apple maps get advertisements, I will gladly never use them again. It’s great that the people at Mudita have values and stick to them.
At the end of the day, monetization is what keeps us glued to our phones. Apps themselves have now become ads, and I will gladly pay a premium just to not be a target of them.
2 Likes
Well said yup this is the main reason I choose this company over others in this market because they are the only true company with digital minimalism ethos, even Sunbeam I did not like how they allowed email on their newest phone to me once you venture into allowing email on a phone its not a minimalist phone anymore.
2 Likes
Same here. If I ever decide that I will need access to email while traveling without a computer, then I will put an email app on my deGoogled Google Pixel 6 to take with me on the trip.
When I am not traveling, I access email through a computer and do NOT want email access on my cellphone (now an email-app-free Sunbeam Wireless F1, to be replaced by the Mudita Kompakt).
3 Likes