Seen this recently. Author summarizing his article about the huge treat to privacy that accelerometers create.
I’m not in the market atm, but are there any potential options. The punkt mp02 seems to still have bugs. I don’t love that you can’t replace the battery giving it a shorter e-waste shelf life and in the US I’ve read that it only reliably works with ATT which doesn’t have a great history on privacy (tho I guess none of the big ones do). Awesim (purism phone plan) uses ATT backbone for their network, but I couldn’t find out if it’s compatible.
Are there any other options? Or is that one worth it? Henry said in his review that pigeon was not reliable. Seen on reddit its still having issues.
Main things I’m looking for are:
talk and text (the idea of using signal on punkt seemed very lovely)
Wired (preferred) hotspot
Camera not required but would be nice. I bought a tiny digital camera but it’s just another thing to have in your pocket for that one time you wanted to take a photo in a day.
There is the Light Phone 3 it is not out yet. But it will have a removable battery and a OLED screen. I don’t think it has Signal or WhatsApp. So, no end-to-end encrypted messaging. But it is a Dumbphone and has no invasive apps (browser, social media etc) like a smartphone.
Edit: below is a phone I found that has end-to-end encrypted messaging: but still does not have a removable battery.
This also isn’t out yet. But is available for preorder:
Mudita Kompakt Description
Mudita Kompakt North America Optimized
Mudita Kompakt is a minimalist E Ink® phone designed for focus, privacy, and freedom from digital distractions.
Featuring enhanced connectivity optimized for US and Canadian networks, while still supporting global travel. With a paper-like display, Offline+ Mode for total privacy, and essential tools without unnecessary apps, it helps you stay connected on your terms wherever you go.
Enhance your privacy
Your data stays yours. Mudita Kompakt ensures no tracking, no ads, and no distracting apps. It features a dedicated button for a hardware-level cutoff of microphones and the GSM modem, while also disabling the camera, WiFi, and Bluetooth at the software level, giving you privacy and peace of mind whenever you need.
Does Mudita Kompakt support third-party apps?
While the device does not include an app store, it is technically possible to sideload Android APK files using a computer. However, apps not optimized for the E Ink screen or requiring Google Services may perform inconsistently and could impact the device’s warranty.
Thanks everyone for the replies. Whats app is facebook owned so wouldn’t use it. I currently don’t use signal either, but I like the idea of using it in place of a social media account (that I’m wanting to delete) for group messages. Reading about accelerometers and how they can even finger print you by the way you walk, it seems it’d be nice to have a phone not smart enough to have that data to collect in the first place. I also use a flip phone (which isn’t really private either) so before I even knew about that, I still have an interest in not being super immersed in a lot of technology and an interest in dumber phones (tho I do watch online videos with the flip phone).
So the lightphone III looked very interested. I liked the companies ethos wanting to avoid “planned obsolescence” with a repairable phone that they will continue to support with updates as long as they can. The native apps they use like maps are not just linking to data harvesters like google maps (which they hinted was “paid for” instead in the higher price of the phone). I saw a reddit that linked to an x post from the developed confirming the phone will support (at some point) signal and whatsapp. Its though something called beeper. Which is guess isn’t great for privacy. Someone said it decrypts your messages and then encrypts them again acting as a middleman so idk? I don’t love that its 5g, idk if that can be disabled to just use 4g but I have read a number of things stating that 5g is worse for privacy.
I don’t want to be part of big data where were all the product instead of customer… but I’m also not wanting a life filled with technology either (you need all these extra technology in your life to be able to escape invasive data collecting). Look at the mudita kompakt as well. Thanks again for replies. Not in market probably this year so I guess I can wait and see what evolves.
I would just get something like the Punkt MP02, Honestly there isn’t much of a choice for running signal, especially when you dont want full android if it means it’ll distract you.