The future depends on you
I’ve been a Mudita Kompakt owner since day one, and I genuinely love what this phone does for me. It’s helped me become much more intentional with how I spend my time—that alone makes it worthwhile.
Here’s where I see opportunity for you: the e-ink smartphone competition of 2025 is quieting down. Minimal is stepping back. BigMe isn’t trustworthy for privacy-focused users. Hisense stays locked in the Chinese market. That leaves a genuine opening for Mudita to establish itself as the go-to choice in this space.
But to be fair —the window of opportunity doesn’t mean everything is perfect. There’s still important work ahead to truly capture this moment.
Issue No.1: What are your core strengths?
I get what you’re trying to do with your phone — you focus on the minimal and privacy niche. But here’s the thing: the companies doing well in this space tend to specialize. Either they nail the OS (think e/oS, LineageOS, GrapheneOS), or they build solid e-ink hardware (like Dasung or Modos). Your OS has character and feels intentional, but I wonder if you can keep pace with competitors who focus exclusively on one side of this equation. The phone itself looks great, honestly—sleek and distinctive—but it’s operating power is only designed for the limited software experience.
Issue No.2: Your carved niche is too restrictive.
Here’s my concern: the current phone targets a small group of people who want extreme minimalism AND struggle with open environments. But what about everyone else who’s fine with Android but just wants the e-ink friction added in? Making users jump through loops to install an app store, sideloading apps, sync contacts, get their essential apps working—that’s the opposite of minimal. It shouldn’t be this complicated.
Software: Give People Choice
I think you should offer both options
Option A: Standard Android
Just vanilla Android. Nothing added, nothing removed. Honestly, lots of users would trust you more than BigMe or Boox if you offered this.
Option B: Mudita OS (or Another Degoogled Alternative)
Keep developing your own OS, but also leave doors open for e/oS, LineageOS, and similar options. This appeals to people worried about Big Tech privacy or who cannot manage more open environments. There are many improvement ideas for the Mudita OS, but I will not go there now.
Hardware: Make it a comfortable and unique experience
Cameras
You need strong front and back cameras with a good quality, comparable to other non-flagship smartphones. Otherwise, people will keep carrying a separate camera anyway. Front camera is non-negotiable for online banking setup and video calls. For privacy-focused users, maybe design an integrated physical cover or work with cases that have shutters. Something physical.
5G Connectivity
Include it. Users who worry about EMF can turn it off themselves. Don’t preemptively exclude features people might actually want.
Eink Screen
The eink screen is great and a must. But current display is just too small and really only fits the ultra-minimalist crowd. I’d push for something slightly bigger. It should have black/white and color options. Have you considered collaborating with Modos? Their experience could help you build something unique.
Offline Switch (This One Annoys Me Personally)
The phone frequently goes offline when in my pocket. I would realize it much later and have missed calls because of this. Two fixes come to mind:
• Limit what gets blocked (camera, Bluetooth, mic, Wi-Fi) but keep cellular network active
• Move the switch somewhere it won’t accidentally flip.
Bottom line:
I want Mudita to succeed here. The vision is compelling. But right now it feels like the product is solving for a tiny fraction of users while creating frustration for everyone else. Make it easier, give people real choices, and the market will be wider than you think.