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Commodore is back with a de-Googled feature phone for the anti-doomscrolling crowd (www.androidcentral.com)
submitted 3 weeks ago by WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world to c/degoogle@lemmy.ml
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[-] clmbmb@lemmy.dbzer0.com 49 points 3 weeks 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 29 points 3 weeks 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).

[-] JayGray91@piefed.social 7 points 3 weeks 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

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

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

[-] chisel@piefed.social 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks 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.

[-] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 27 points 3 weeks ago

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

[-] jnod4@lemmy.ca 22 points 3 weeks 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

[-] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 14 points 3 weeks 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.

[-] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 weeks 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.

[-] Red5@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago

Does it say in the article where it’s manufactured? I assume that extra cost is mainly to ensure the profit is still there

[-] muhyb@programming.dev 12 points 3 weeks ago

[-] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 7 points 3 weeks ago

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

[-] regedit@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 weeks ago

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

[-] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 2 points 3 weeks ago

I'll check that out

[-] cardfire@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks 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.

[-] MxRemy@piefed.social 11 points 3 weeks 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 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks 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 3 weeks 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 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks 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 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

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

[-] ITGuyLevi@programming.dev 4 points 3 weeks 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!

[-] Twongo@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago

maybe i can put my nokia 7110 to rest

[-] akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 weeks ago

If it's customizable enough to allow users to remove any and all unwanted user and system apps - through ADB or otherwise - I'm all in. But if I'm stuck with a $500 phone with unremovable Big Tech affiliated apps, it goes into the trash can.

Also, in my country, electronic identification is a must have, so I hope that works too...

[-] brickfrog@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 weeks 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
238 points (98.0% liked)

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