I’m currently studying at university and started to struggle with smartphone addiction. I first tried using apps like Opal, Freedom, and Brick to reduce my screen time. However, each of them had weaknesses — for example, it was always possible to revoke their permissions in Apple Screen Time. As a result, I kept wasting time on my phone despite having those apps installed. It became frustrating, and I started looking for a more reliable solution.
That’s when I began researching dumbphones. At the same time, I didn’t want to completely disconnect from friends, family, or university. So I needed access to apps like WhatsApp, email, SMS, phone calls, AI tools like Perplexity, maps (including public transport), and maybe a basic browser.
In the current market, there are three devices that can realistically meet these needs: the Minimal Phone, the Mudita Kompakt, and the Light Phone III.
The Light Phone III was not an option for me because of its OLED screen. If you sideload a browser onto a Light Phone III, the whole idea of having a distraction-free phone disappears — the colorful OLED display makes it feel like just another attractive, high-end smartphone. In my opinion, it becomes an expensive, cool-looking attention machine.
So I first ordered the Minimal Phone. I loved the design immediately, and although the physical keyboard felt worse than a digital one, I thought I could get used to it. Unfortunately, once I started opening installed apps, I realized the phone was not usable in its current state. Almost every app crashed upon opening. In addition, I saw multiple reviews from users reporting missed calls, which was a major red flag. The delivery time was another issue: the website stated 4–5 days, but my phone arrived 2.5 months later and was shipped from China. That experience made me reconsider.
Next, I decided to try the Mudita Kompakt. Initially, I was skeptical because it is a de-Googled device, meaning many banking apps won’t work. I was also unsure about the fact that all third-party apps need to be sideloaded and that Mudita clearly states these apps are not officially supported.
Nevertheless, I decided to give it a chance and customized the phone to fit my needs. I’m currently not using a single native app — I sideloaded everything. I also replaced the native keyboard with the FUTO keyboard, which is significantly better.
Installing InkOS was a real game changer. It allows me to view important notifications and clearly see which app they are coming from. The screen quality is also too limited for watching YouTube comfortably, which actually helps prevent distraction. Another feature I appreciate is that apps must be sideloaded via a PC. This creates a barrier and makes it much harder to impulsively install distracting apps.
WhatsApp works well for me, as do Proton Mail and Proton Calendar.
However, there are also some significant downsides and areas for improvement.
First, the camera is very poor. I don’t understand why a 5 MP camera was installed in a phone released in this day and age. The picture quality is genuinely bad and could be a dealbreaker for many users. Additionally, there is no front-facing camera, which makes taking selfies or capturing memories with friends difficult.
A much bigger issue, in my opinion, is the lack of refresh mode options. It seems like the phone is running at a high refresh setting all the time, which negatively affects screen clarity. Reading can feel less pleasant than it should on an e-ink display, and QR codes are often difficult to scan. For example, I once tried to use a cinema e-ticket with a QR code, and the cashier was unable to scan it because the screen quality was too poor.
Another major limitation is the inability to use many modern banking apps. Many banks now require app-based authentication. I closed my account with an online bank and switched to a traditional bank that does not require an app for everyday banking. However, my credit card still requires authentication through an app. If I need to carry my iPhone as a backup for these situations, the whole purpose of having a dumbphone risks being undermined, as I could easily fall back into distraction.
In conclusion, I believe the Mudita Kompakt is currently the best dumbphone available on the market. However, it has several limitations that I hope will be addressed in a future Mudita Kompakt 2.
