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It's the notifications, stupid! Many phone apps have completely abused the notification system, transforming it into a slot machine of dopamine. Between this a
by nunez 2y ago
It's the notifications, stupid!
Many phone apps have completely abused the notification system, transforming it into a slot machine of dopamine. Between this and "engagement" being metric number one in developing mobile apps, this outcome isn't surprising.
(I am militant about what gets to notify me. Most of my apps are denied notification permissions. Any apps that begin to spam me get denied as well. I also do inbox zero, so any emails I get are either dealt with in the moment or are treated as a todo for later.)
Ironically, as much as I loved smartphones and the iPhone in their prime, I'm thinking about going back to separate simple devices.
I've always been a "simple" phone user (email, reading stuff online, camera/video, no social media, no games,no YouTube). Phones and tablets are becoming even more consumption focused, and it's clear that market forces are leaving people like me in the dust. (I'm typing this on an eInk Boox Go that I rooted, debloated and firewalled; sucks for "typical phone shit" but is amazing for reading.)
- bdangubic 2y agogood luck trying to find a simple device - it is not possible anymore. and with the proliferation of eSIMs it is now hard to go buy a dumb-phone on eBay and get it “connected” to some carrier. I tried to resurrect my old RAZR and had a helluva time trying to get it working. your best bet is a smartphone with everything removed from it except messages and phone apps and the shutting everything off except cellular
- nunez 2y agoI know. It bums me out. Small phones are all but extinct (unless you count the iPhone 13 mini that Apple discontinued, which I had and I absolutely LOVED). Again, market forces leave us simple folk behind. I'm broken for NOT wanting a 6.3" slate that can hit 2000 lumens on a bright day that requires a case because the titanium is too slippery. What I would LOVE is a small Kaleido eInk phone that runs Android on a mid-tier SoC. Rooted and debloated; no assistants or AI (like you described). I would use eLauncher to make a really simple launcher with the names of the apps I use (like I do on my BOOX) and Tasker to automate common tasks. (I want a simple interface so I can move around quickly and move on with my lifem, but have no problem with complexity so long as it's within my control. I'm a heavy user of Shortcuts, as terrible as that software is.) Since I already carry a fanny pack around everyday, I would just use a small mirror less SLR for point and shoot stuff like the Canon EOS M300.