Commodore announces Linux-based flip phone with ‘no social media, no browser’ — the Callback 8020 will be available in five retro colorways starting at $499, runs 99% of Android apps
1d 4h ago by mander.xyz/u/cm0002 in linux@programming.dev from www.tomshardware.com
Linux-based phone still ‘runs 99% of Android apps’ so you can do more with it, if you wish
- $500
- Runs 99% of Android apps
- Blocks work and social apps
- Blocks browser installs
Who is this for?
Yeah, I get wanting it to be for disconnecting from social media and doomscroll but to actually block the apps? What if someone changes their mind and legitimately needs to access if for some reason? Buy a new phone? No way. My phone is a tool and I should be able to use it how I want. This is no different than Google blocking 3rd party apps. Let me run what I want on my own phone.
Shouldn't it be possible to override this? Can we not root it?
It should, but at that point why block them in the first place? Just don't install them by default or create any integrations for them.
They can't be installed from the app store, but you can sideload the apk to install them.
Who is this for? Me. If it didn't cost $500, I'd get it. I don't have any social apps and I have a work phone (that I leave in the office when my shift ends). I would simply install a firefox fork apk and be done with it. No socials (aside lemmy), and no need for work apps. This phone would be for me if the price were something in the 200-300 area.
Sounds like you want the sidephone then maybe. I think this is a cool idea but there's like 8 other implementations for hundreds less. Unless the main draw is Linux, but if it's pushing to run android apps then why not stick with degoogled android like all the others?
I have a pixel with grapheneOS. I'm already degoogled, but this one looks like a cool nostalgia gadget that would be cool to have for a less outrageous price. I like the design and the idea (and the linux part), but I don't think $500 is the price they should be asking.
Same here
I believe that the Linux phone part comes from Android being a fork of Linux. That means that you can’t take advantage of the modern Linux kernel and thus have to maintain a parallel kernel, which is probably absurdly inefficient.
The $500 price tag is the hardest part of this to swallow.
Not me. I really want a Linux phone but one that is artificially hobbled? No thanks.
Parents for kids.
It's for nostalgic idiots I guess.
Shipping with WhatsApp but blocking browser installs even by APK, what the hell?
From the FAQ:
“Callback allows any Android APK to be sideloaded, except for social media and browsers which are proven to have negative mental health effects.”
“WhatsApp comes preinstalled.”
Their reasoning for this is even flimsier:
“Because the browser is the back door. Most social media, feeds, video sites, news spirals, and endless searches are still available through the web. Blocking only the apps would leave the main temptation intact.”
Imagine using social media apps on 3,25” 640x480 screen. Now imagine using simple text heavy web pages, like Wikipedia on that screen. One is possible, even useful the other pure bullshit.
To anyone wondering, it runs SailfishOS.
$500?!?!
Fine idea. Stupid price.
Includes spyware from Meta. That's a deal breaker.
That's also the main selling point of the phone. In many European and South American countries, Whatsapp is basically a necessity (I'm not exaggerating). Anywhere else you can just get a real dumbphone for a tenth of the price
Well, if Meta gets to read my messages, the least they can do is comp me the phone. I'm not paying twice (with my money and with my privacy). I'm realistically never using a phone with Meta spyware in the first place, though.
What are you referring to? I read the article and saw no mention of meta
WhatsApp is owned by Meta and it ships with the phone. WhatsApp is basically Signal or Telegram, but monitored by Meta.
$500! My god! You had me until there.
Yeah that's wild, I imagine most of the cost is in the arbitrarily high chip manufacturing.
I like that they opted for Sailfish instead of Android (despite having my own qualms about Sailfish), but $500 for what is likely just a customized OEM phone is excessive. This really needs to be $200 at most, IMO.
I gotta hand it to new commodore: they are at least trying some fun stuff. I wish them well!
Blocks 99% from running but allows 99% of the remaining 1%.
But 99% of android apps are social media or browsers.
One problem: Jolla still relies on a proprietary frontend, unfortunately. Another problem: the Callback can't possibly be worth $500 in materials (unless the RAM crisis hit them extra-hard)