My interest in basic phones is not recent. I’ve had quite a few smartphones since 2007, or even before. But I then switched back to dumb phones, followed by the LightPhone 2, which unfortunately ended up in a washing machine. I had pre-ordered the LightPhone 3 from the first day, while loosely following the development of the Kompakt, but I was a bit wary due to the issues with the Pure. Nevertheless, I ended up canceling the pre-order for the LightPhone 3 and waited for the release of the Kompakt before ordering it, to get feedback from the first users.
It’s my only phone, thanks to sideloading. The mandatory app for my bank works (no 2FA via SMS), and unfortunately, WhatsApp is essential in France. Even schools communicate via WhatsApp.
Overall, I’ve had some of the same issues as everyone else, and I’ve been experiencing the SMS problem since the latest update.
This has never prevented me from using the phone on a daily basis. I’ve had a few accidental unlocks in my pocket, but the phone has never called anyone by itself. I understand that North American users may be more frustrated due to the lacking of group SMS, a feature that is not (or rarely?) deployed by carriers in Europe. Hence the success of WhatsApp, I guess.
I am particularly thrilled with the addition of navigation, especially for cycling, as it’s a feature I use extensively.
Everyone would like to have a phone that perfectly meets their needs, which is understandable, and that’s why I think simplifying sideloading is a good idea. However, I wouldn’t want the basic Kompakt to cater to all use cases. I would never ask for the native addition of WhatsApp and notifications, for example. I manage with what is provided, and I accept the limitations to avoid cluttering the phone with a ton of features that not everyone needs or wants.
I believe it’s important for Mudita to stay focused on its vision for the Kompakt and not to add everything that is requested. It’s impossible to please everyone. Many have asked for the removal of the branding on the lock screen; now, some want just the logo, others want to choose from several images provided by Mudita, and some even want extensive customization with their own images. At some point, it just doesn’t matter; it’s just a lock screen.
I still hope that Mudita will get into the habit of releasing a bug-fix version, without new features, that corrects any regressions introduced by new major OS updates, if necessary. For example, fixing the SMS issue within the next few weeks.
In conclusion, I am thrilled with the phone as it currently is. In addition to sideloading my banking app and WhatsApp, I have also sideloaded QuickWeather for the rain radar and E-Tube to manage my ebike, But I could easily do without it.
If the SMS bug is fixed in the coming weeks, and if in 3 months we get the voicemail indicator, the list of previously connected Bluetooth devices, and a few refinements here and there, I would also be delighted with how Mudita handles this phone updates.
We have two quotes in France, which would fit quite well with the vision that I would like Mudita to have of this phone
Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away
and
If you need anything, give me a call. I’ll tell you how to do without it
