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Commodore is back with a de-Googled feature phone for the anti-doomscrolling crowd (www.androidcentral.com)
submitted 1 day ago by WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world to c/degoogle@lemmy.ml
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[-] clmbmb@lemmy.dbzer0.com 45 points 1 day ago

from the article:

Privacy is a core selling point

also from the article: mock-up picture showing WhatsApp running on the phone.

I get it that it would be running Android apps through the compatibility layer on SailfishOS, but that means it's not private. Whatsapp will know lots of things about you.

[-] chisel@piefed.social 26 points 1 day ago

I don't use it, but unfortunately Whatsapp is the de-facto messaging app for a very large percentage of the world population (especially outside of the US) and so the trade-off people are stuck in is use Whatsapp or be cut off from friends/family/anyone else who doesn't care about Zuck peeping their DMs (aka, the vast majority of people).

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 2 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

So? Is this a privacy-oriented phone, or does it wanna do whatsapp? They have to pick one.

[-] chisel@piefed.social 2 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

It's a dumb phone to combat doomscrolling, not a privacy oriented phone. The de-Googling is a side effect, not a selling point.

[-] JayGray91@piefed.social 6 points 1 day ago

WhatsApp entered just at the right time in my country. Despite SMS being the defacto way we text people pre iPhone, somehow WhatsApp captured the market here. May be that because the iPhone was expensive for a lot of us and most people instead went with the touch symbian phones and the likes instead and android phones were also still a bit expensive. And back then we don't have carrier financed phone purchasing culture

[-] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 27 points 1 day ago

Hell yeah! But $500 is a price I'm torn on.. Not terrible, but not great

[-] cardfire@sh.itjust.works 2 points 12 hours ago

Small hardware bat he's and no cash to burn on subsidizing handsets means higher unit cost. I'm not at all surprised the Linux phones and boutique privacy phones are starting at and above $500.

[-] muhyb@programming.dev 10 points 1 day ago

[-] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 6 points 23 hours ago

Lmao love seeing the IT crowd memes still all these years later

[-] regedit@lemmy.zip 2 points 11 hours ago

Weirdest Mighty Boosh spin-off I've ever watched, and I watched The Mighty Boosh!

[-] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 2 points 10 hours ago

I'll check that out

[-] jnod4@lemmy.ca 22 points 1 day ago

Who knew, objects made by paid adults in countries with labor laws costs money. All they need to do is to move production overseas

[-] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 4 points 18 hours ago

There's nothing on their site that indicates it's not being produced in China. Their Commodore 64 Ultimate is produced in China, so I assume the phone is as well.

[-] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 13 points 1 day ago

From another article:

"On the hardware side of things, there seem to be enough modern features to satisfy users who fit the profile of desiring an in-between smart and dumb-phone solution. It supports global LTE cellular connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth wireless, and even GPS. At the heart of the Callback is a MediaTek Helio G81 SoC, with 4GB/64GB on board. A 32GB microSD card is included to get you started, too."

https://www.tomshardware.com/phones/commodore-announces-linux-based-flip-phone-with-no-social-media-no-browser-the-callback-8020-will-be-available-in-five-retro-colorways-starting-at-usd499-runs-99-percent-of-android-apps

To me, that's pretty low spec for $500 all things considered. Now, there is a price to privacy and the fact they're not monetizing data is a pretty huge incentive. So, probably worth the $500 after all.

[-] ITGuyLevi@programming.dev 4 points 22 hours ago

I'd trade all the WhatsApp, etc for a mobile hotspot. I can't pre-order on principal but after this phone it's a strong runner up!

[-] Xerxos@lemmy.ml -2 points 13 hours ago

I would be interested, but the amount of paternalism is disgusting.

No browser? I'm an adult; if I want to search something on the net that I forgot (when was that event?), that's my f'ing right. Don't try to patronize me.

They sabotage themselves by trying to teach you "to be a better person".

No social media or internet browsering for you, young man! Now do your homework. 🙄

And then they add WhatsApp?

[-] manuremy@sopuli.xyz 1 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Yeah, I really fail to see why on earth WhatsApp is there.. Then Signal, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat and idk, OG Wickr should be there too and hey, Instagram has it's DMs and some people use their Instagram DMs as their messenger app so hey, add that shit in too!

[-] MxRemy@piefed.social 11 points 1 day ago

It "blocks" social media? Whether or not you actually want that, I'm not sure how they could possibly implement it in a way that isn't terrible. Jolla is outside my wheelhouse, but it's Linux isn't it? How are they stopping me from installing anything, let alone these specific things?

[-] XLE@piefed.social 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

~~"Blocks" is hyperbolic, but~~ it's definitely going to add friction to the process. The screen is small (although apparently a touchscreen), the keyboard is T9.

Edit: Good Lord, it's not hyperbolic. They're jockeying for selling devices that can be locked down by one party before being handed to another.

[-] ozymandias117@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Commodore’s patent-pending technology blocks social media

Certainly feels like they're claiming more than just journalistic hyperbole

[-] XLE@piefed.social 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Huh. Guess I wasn't paying attention.

Commodore’s patent-pending technology blocks social media platforms and internet browsers at the system level.

An optional feature apparently.

If a web browser can charge you an extra $60 to offer you not AI or cryptocurrency wallets, then maybe Commodore can charge you an extra $400 (vs a similar KaiOS phone) to offer you not a web browser.

[-] banazir@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That actually looks like an interesting phone. I hope it delivers on its promises.

[-] pennomi@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Good idea, it depends on the implementation though - sometimes having a browser on demand is important.

[-] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

How do you think people managed before smart phones?

Nothing’s that important it can’t wait to get home or to a library, or call someone and get them to check if it is THAT important.

[-] whatsisface@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago

So many places now just assume you have a phone. I've been to restaurants that don't have physical menus by default and just have a QR on the table.

[-] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I’ve never been to one that didn’t have a paper menu for the elderly or otherwise less abled. Or they have a tablet for you to use.

[-] Gumbyyy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

From the article (emphasis mine):

The Callback is built to do many everyday things, even without a browser. You get QR codes, maps, home security apps, global cellular bands, predictive text messaging, and popular communication app support.

[-] IMALlama@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago

QR codes in restaurants are usually just links. Without a browser how would you follow them?

[-] placebo@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 day ago

You can scan a QR code, but what's the point if you don't have a browser to follow the link to the menu?

[-] pennomi@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

I’m not saying it’s unmanageable, I’m saying it’s useful to have one.

A web browser is not the problem in most people’s cases, social media is. The point of a dumb smartphone is to keep all the useful tools while banning the harmful ones.

[-] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

No, if people can receive emails, it defeats the entire purpose. Just don’t install those apps then? Lol. A browser allows access to most social media anyways, so providing one is counter to its purpose.

[-] pennomi@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Strongly disagree. Email is foundational communication just like text messaging.

Social media is NOT foundational communication.

[-] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

If I’m expecting an immediate response, an email would be the second to last thing I would do. Emails are different from texts entirely. It’s more akin to sending a letter, it’s even in the name, e”mail”.

[-] pennomi@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Cool in principle, but in practice emails are used as instant verification for all kinds of things. Even if you don’t need email immediately, there are lots of other people who do.

[-] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Instant verification for what without already being on a phone? If you’re already on the computer, just use the computers browser and log in to your email? Why are you making this more complicated than reality.

There’s literally no reason to instantly need your email, and if you do, than these phones aren’t meant for you, you need to be connected.

Also, what 2fa does email but not text messaging…?

[-] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

And an email can wait until you get home, if it’s that important, call, but texts suffice.

A browser allows access to social media, so now you just lost the phones sole purpose, good job.

[-] YexingTudou@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

Not impossible to get by, but a lot more difficult in the modern world. I used a dumb phone for a little while a few years ago and I just ended up carrying a smartphone w/o a SIM to tether when needed bc of how much infrastructure assumes you have a smartphone nowadays (in the US at least). It's infuriating - not impossible, but a lot more difficult than it used to be.

[-] vatlark@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Some feature phones had browsers

[-] pennomi@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago

I’m aware. Browsers have been in phones long before smartphones.

[-] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

I hate to break it to you but smart phones have been around since before the Web.

[-] Hawke@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

WAP/WML browsers, not web browsers.

[-] Chee_Koala@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Just googled to see if I was misremembering because I definitely browsed the regular web on my Nokia N73. It also came out in 2006, and back in the day it was not called a smartphone.

I would say your statement is factually incorrect.

[-] Hawke@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago

I’ll say I’m correct on a technicality. 2006 is not “long before smartphones” only a year or so. The N73 is a sort of proto-smartphone, even if the term wasn’t in use yet.

[-] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I’m really curious what other metric there is for a smart phone than “accessing the web” and/or “downloading apps”. Thats the barebones definition of smart TVs or any other appliance or equipment, why are phones somehow different?

Why are people trying to define it so specifically? So they can feel better about themselves?

[-] Hawke@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

The point where it becomes a general-purpose computing device, I think. Programmability is generally what makes it “smart”, i.e. not having the limitation of predefined “features” which make it a feature phone.

[-] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Isn’t a feature phone a “dumb phone”? A phone meant for calling and texting, with preinstalled programs, and that’s it. So yeah, installable apps and a browser would instantly make it a smart phone.

[-] Hawke@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

It’s all relative but more or less yes.

Dumb phone has no software features (e.g. Nokia 5110 or so — unless you count the snake game), feature phone has software features but limited to the ones that come with the phone (rarely installable at all), smart phone has actual software aka “apps”

[-] Twongo@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago

maybe i can put my nokia 7110 to rest

[-] brickfrog@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago

The Callback is completely de-Googled, but thanks to the compatibility layer, Sailfish OS can run over 99% of Android apps. That means you still have access to essentials like WhatsApp, Google Maps, Spotify, Signal, and iMessage via a third-party solution that needs temporary access to a Mac.

In other words no Android app compatibility unless you already own a Mac. Seems like a strange way to have Android .apk compatibility but I don't know the specifics of how Sailfish OS works, maybe it has other macOS dependencies.

That aside it could be interesting for people not needing anything Android related at all.

this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2026
222 points (97.8% liked)

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