Announced a short time ago, the Callback 8020 is seen as a means of combating the addictive lure of the modern-day smartphone. While it supports Android apps via its SailfishOS, it disables features like web browsing and social media by default.
However, despite the noble quest for a ‘digital detox’, the phone met with a somewhat frosty reception online (no pun intended), with many comparing it to an elderly relative’s flip phone. In our poll, 70 percent of you said you wouldn’t be buying one.
How about a phone for people who aren’t addicted to them, but want the basics without being spied on?
Things I want in a phone:
I don’t do anything else. Mostly my phone sits on my desk, ignored unless it makes a noise at me. I take it with me sometimes when I leave the house, but sometimes I don’t bother--not addicted.
This can easily be achieved with most any Android phone.
Most Android phones nowadays fail at
either because they’re not unlockable or because neither OS supports that specific brand and model.
Not saying the rest isn’t correct, it’s just that “most” in there that in my experience is wildly optimistic.
lots of phones are not supported even by lineage. it does not help that manufacturers are continuously farting out the same mediocre models just with slightly different hardware, so that drivers need to be figured out again
Yes, by “most any” of course I mean that you can find a device with almost any spec or form factor you choose. If you like pixel, you can choose lineage or graphene. If you have an old phone lying around - with hundreds supported by lineage - there’s a good chance it works.
right. what I wanted to say, is most people can’t just convert a phone they already have. though tbh, that might not be a great idea either, in case there’s a fuckup or some unexpected regression.
doing this with a used pixel 8 pro bought off ebay.
I’m personally waiting for the Moto/GrapheneOS collab coming out next year. I’m rocking a slightly older OnePlus with LineageOS now.
this may very well be the phone for you. I think it does all of this
Except for the “A browser on rare occasions”, which sadly is likely the only thing stopping me from buying this at the new far more palatable price. I don’t need to be treated like a baby, but apparently this is considered a core feature of the phone and they won’t back down from it.
I 100% agree with this. This is SO CLOSE to getting it and offering a phone I actually want. But I want to own my devices and decide what I do on them. The thing hard locking me out of a browser (and discord) is unfortunately a deal breaker. I don’t want the hardware mfr to have a say in how I use the device and treat me like a literal child in the process. It’s disappointing.
I was also thinking about buying it, but I want my phone to be my phone.
I actually use my browser from time to time. What is the use of a phone if you need a “backup phone” just to look something up?
Also, their reasoning for blocking the browser is absurd: “you could use the browser to access social media.” I don’t use TikTok, Instagram, X, or the like, so why do I need to be nannied?
Exactly. I can understand them not installing a browser by default as part of their “principled stance against social media”, but blocking the install entirely is WILD. I also do wonder how they actually do that though… Just a list of “known browsers” and blocking their install? It’s Linux - what if we fork a browser and rename it “totally not firefox”, would it even catch it?
Its fine if it doesn’t come with one by default. If it is fully capable of running one but it stops you from doing that, forget it.
Sadly, it is the latter.
A phone with SailfishOS is fine for that. It can get tricky with messengers and banking apps (but I think phones are Not A Good Idea for banking authentication).
Yup.
Although I’d expand texting to “messenger apps” specifically Signal for me.
Fuck SMS.