I have had my Kompakt for about a day now and I am leaning towards sending it back. The hardware and design is very nice. I am genuinely impress with the build quality and the screen is much better than I expected. It just feels nice in the hand, fits well in pockets and looks good with the Sage Green case on. My only complaint with the hardware is the phone is thick. Just a bit too thick to fit into the Qi charging cubby in my truck. But that is not the phone’s fault.
Here is why I am thinking about sending it back. The OS implementation is so incomplete, it is just inexcusable that device was shipped in this state.
Like others have mentioned, messages is broken and is missing promised features. But as I go through the apps, more than half of the 14 supplied apps are not finished.
Maps is not useful and cannot provide full information on locations in search results. No directions for getting there. And worst, the maps app is constantly flashing and refreshing to the point it gives me a headache looking at it.
Phone app does not let you delete calls from the call log. And if you block a number, it should remove it from the call log. It is far too easy to dial the blocked number.
I even found the chess app broken. You cannot castle the king! And there is no way to cancel a move except to undo the and previous move.
The calendar app is pretty worthless without a way to sync events. Same with contacts. I frequently add contacts to my phone from a text message. Then as the relationship grows, I add details like email, address and Signal on my PC.
The lock screen needs to have useful details like a clock or notifications. A logo is not useful.
The e-ink screen needs an ability to refresh on demand, and take advantage of the different modes. I know e-ink screens ghost, but we need the ability to refresh on demand.
The fingerprint scanner is way too sensitive.
Outside of loading a CSV of contacts, there is no migration support. You are basically starting from scratch. So I had to look at my old phone to get context of current text conversations, when someone had last called me or if I had a voicemail. Tried using SMS backup/restore, but was unable to reset the default sms app and unable to restore my text messages to the Kompakt.
I’m not going to pile on the music app, e-reader app or alarm/clock apps. Everyone has already made a good case for these needing to be updated to be useful.
I am already on my second try of the OS. When I first started using it, I sideloaded apps to make the phone more usable. I found I was just remaking a smartphone mess with the Kompakt, but with more frustration due to no notifications or a multi tasking function. Ran into issues with setting default apps due to UI dialog elements overlapping buttons and not allowing me to make changes. I factory reset the Kompakt (way too easy, btw. Should have pin protection) and tried to use the Kompakt with no modification. Gave up after a a few hours and put my SIM back in my Motorola. Just too frustrating.
So this leaves me with a phone that I originally wanted to replace my current smartphone, to a phone I planned to use as primary with my smartphone as secondary, and now a phone that I might use as a secondary phone. Maybe.
I could sideload apps and reconfigure the phone to make it more usable, but honestly, I shouldn’t need to do that. Not for a $335 phone.
It just appears almost everyone who received a Kompakt was caught off guard on the OS and delivered apps’ shortcomings and lack of polish.
I wanted to LOVE this phone when I heard about it and pre-ordered it. Now I can’t even find myself liking it.
My daughter says to give it 5 days. We will see…
Today has been an utter nightmare for me, I really had no idea how bad it was until I actually tried setting it up. I thought oh there’s problems with the SMS app, I’ll just sideload another. It took me at least 4 hours to get Quik to work! If the stock apps are going to be buggy, they could have at least made it a bit easier to sideload functional apps. 4 hours trying to figure out how to tap a button to make Quik default, and I also don’t even know how I finally got it to grant permissions, it just happened randomly.
I don’t understand why they were bothering with things like. a weather/chess without the phone functions finalized. Actually I wonder why they were bothering with meditation cards, and just about anything else, without the phone and sms apps completely finalized.
Being driven crazy typing commands into a terminal so I can get this thing to function properly is my first step into a more mindful life?
I’m someone that doesn’t like computers, that’s why I wanted this phone, and yet, it’s making me do computer things more than I have ever done beofore.
I felt like I could sign some relief that I have it set up, but I just received a text message and went I went to respond, the keyboard is frozen, this is the worst.
I agree with all of your points on the shortcomings of the OS and stock apps.
Even for those of us who are willing to use sideloaded apps the Kompakt is not a good option.
For some inexplicable reason, the Mudita team has decided to ship devices with an extremely old and insecure version of Android (Android 12). It’s only a matter of time before sideloaded apps drop support for this OS. And the security risks are pretty high, so apps like banking aren’t safe to use.
The Mudita team has unfortunately created a lose lose situation, where both the stock apps and sideloaded apps are unusable.
I’m most disappointed with how communication has been handled. A public bug tracker, and a clear answer about future OS upgrades should have been there from day 1.
I so agree with you on the struggles its actually been annoying me lately. The super slow speed of the eink screen and lack of eink controls really gets on my nerves. The lack of notifications and overly sensitive fingerprint scanner is also very bothersome. It would be much better if they can make it so the fingerprint unlocks only when pressing the button too. I tried to manually setup the notifcation bar with keymapper but they replaced the “notification shade” in the OS with their lockscreen which is very crappy. My workaround is using the launcher form the mp01 minimal phone and setting a swipe shortcut that opens a notification manager app which is very annoying. I also hate how theres no multi tasker… I get its a phone that is minimal but these are basic things that should exist imo. I really wish I can scroll emails without it being so laggy… I hope they can either give us faster speeds as the panel is capable or if they can start providing more optimized apps like podcast app, email app, etc
I had to download sms import/export on my old phone and the kompakt which let me backup contacts, sms and chatlogs which then I restored to the kompakt. I couldnt get the default app dialogs to work so I manually triggered it with adb. I had to default the sms import app for it to work.
Maps specifically - I frequently see “yes it doesn’t offer A B or C, but it’s optimized for e-ink”. In fact, the Maps app is blinking like a strobe light constantly, even if I’m not typing or moving anything! Every 3rd party map is so much better in every way - even the e-ink optimization which is apparentely the only feature which was so far attempted for the maps app. In particular, I find it baffling how the maps app was included at this point.
100% agree with your wider point: I hope all of the bugs with the phone, SMS app, maps, fingerprint reader, and really core uses of the phone are urgently fixed before there is any talk of development efforts being spent on more optional things. Right now, I am not using the phone in it’s current state.
A sideloaded app like Whatsapp works on Android 5.0 and newer so this phone will last for years with most apps. Banking apps are an absolute no-go on this device and though this has been communicated through a livestream, communication has not been clear on that matter. I personally have a separate phone at home for banking that has the latest security patches and is closed off from Whatsapp etc.
I understand your points and honestly I had some frustrating first few days with the device. After I jumped some hoops I started to enjoy the device and now I love it. However, I have experience in unlocking bootloaders, gaining root access in both ios and Android so I am not the typical user. Frankly, as of right now this phone is not an easy experience. However, I advise you to use this phone as part of a 2 phone setup in which you can use your old phone for critical tasks like banking and the Kompakt for day to day business. If you however expected this phone to be a fully featured smartphone…I think you will be disappointed. This phone is a more hardcore experience and makes decisions that make it great for some but limited to a wide audience.
Sure, I could jump through a lot of hoops to get the Kompakt to work like a smartphone, but I just want it to work as it was advertised and sold. Sideloading apps to replace the builtin basic apps (SMS, Maps, Music, Phone, Alarm, et al) is not a solution I am willing to invest in. It’s my fajitas philosophy. I’m paying more for the privilege of doing the chef’s job. We should not be doing all these workarounds for Mudita’s lack of delivery in the software of the Kompakt.
I’ve developed for Android, iOS and Windows Phone and understand how to root and program phones. I have a background in phone development and it causes me to be frustrated with the Kompakt experience. If I had no engineering background, I’d be totally and completely pissed off.
I started my return this morning after sleeping on my choice. I simply cannot justify any additional time spent on the phone. I fear that Mudita is going to try and simply wait out the 14 day return window with the unhappy customers, while promising updates that don’t arrive for months, if they ever actually do materialize. Browse the forum, you can already see it.
No roadmap with explicate delivery dates = vaporware.
Fair enough, good points. I’m riding it out though, perhaps because I did not have big expectations. I have a lot of experience with non-mainstream phones and they all have issues so I guess I am used to it.
It might be worthwhile to consider whether you bought the phone for what it was supposed to be, or for what you could craft it into.
I should get my Kompakt in a couple of days. If it does calling, it will meet my needs. Messaging - more than meet my needs.
Here in Silicon Valley there is NO public infrastructure like public phones. Anywhere. With the self absorbed perspective most have here, it is a dream to hope they will stop if you need assistance. It seems most folks here are already AI controlled …
This will be our first cell phone. Only because there is no choice. It will likely stay OFF unless we need it for an emergency. Coming from this perspective is the opposite of coming from a smart phone,
Yes, I did work in tech here for a couple of decades. It is not a matter of being unable, but more the decision of whether a smart phone was something that would be useful to us.
I wonder why they didn’t just ship with aosp builtins instead of maintaining their own apps for everything. They are already purposefully simple. Fixing bugs in these apps is just going to spend resources that could otherwise be spent improving system functionality.
A minimum supported version is only about functionality and does not guarantee anything about security.
I think you are vastly underestimating how big of an attack surface Android has. There are hundreds of vulnerabilities found each month (both for the Linux kernel and AOSP). Since the Kompakt is not receiving security patches, individual app security is completely irrelevant.
There are several critical vulnerability types that the Kompakt will forever be at risk for now.
Elevation of Privilege - Malicious code that is able to exploit a vulnerability and gain root access, which compromises every single app on the device.
Remote Code Execution - Bluetooth and network connections, or even websites that are able to run malicious code on your device without any user interaction or permissions granted.
Take a look at the monthly Android Security Bulletin. Almost every bulletin has dozens of critical vulnerabilities of both types.
This phone will not last for years. It’s already accumulating unpatched kernel level exploits each month. It’s dangerously irresponsible to use any app with sensitive data (including whatsapp) on a device like this.
My answer only related to the functionality of the phone. Security is always an issue with a brand with an unknown update policy. My jellystar also did not receive updates. I have my sensitive info on an updated device and use the Kompakt for a barebone smartphone experience. I think it will last 3 years doing that, despite vulnerabilities.
What would the circumstance be for an attack like this though? Are there enough phones running such an outdated android version that an attack is fiscally attractive or even justifiable? Obviously a sophisticated adversary like a government would have a field day with a single target, but that is true even with modern android versions.
You do not need to be targeted to stumble into an Android vulnerability. Like I mentioned there are hundreds published each month, and that number will accumulate throughout the Kompakt’s lifespan.
Here are some examples: WebView - Accidentally opening on a link in the unpatched built-in webview browser can hand over control of your device to a compromised website. Sideloading - Sources like F-Droid or APK mirror hosts have negligent security checks, making it easier for malicious apps to slip through. F-Droid has critical security issues. Public WiFi - Connecting to public wifi networks with an unpatched device allows attackers to push malware directly to your device via vectors like wifi chip vulnerabilities. Bluetooth - Walking into public areas with Bluetooth enabled allows attackers to take over your device without any interaction. Malicious files - Opening media or documents with hidden code designed to exploit outdated file handling systems. SMS/MMS - Message payload attachments can be delivered that install malware.
Just to add on top - maybe for worse, or for better - even if a phone gets all possible up to date patches, there are zero-day attacks emerging from time to time. So it is justified to say, you can never trust a phone - it’s matter of ease of getting access to it, not about possibility per se.
Similarily to posting stuff anywhere on the Internet - it’s healthy to assume it’s going to become available forever, to everyone.
I also believe my approach should be considered justified since we have governments that love to snoop on whatever’s possible. Here, the EU wants to be able to monitor all messaging apps’ conversations (I wonder how they are going to do it, but I also believe WhatsApp’s E2EE doesn’t mean, they can’t simply read plain text from a screen that’s being displayed lol).
Isn’t it also true that phishing is the most widespread business among “cybercriminals”?