Dumbphones like the lightphone

Questions
1

Has anyone here used the light phone before? The light phone 3 looks promising! The Light Phone

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2

From a privacy POV, this doesn’t offer anything practical as we can’t download any privacy and security related Android apps for minimal use for what the device exists.

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3

I’m just skimming the website, but based on what I’ve seen it doesn’t look like a great option. Their website seems to claim to not collect user data but that’d need to be verified. Still, there are many issues.

  1. You cannot communicate securely or anonymously.
  2. No other Android phone matches the Pixel’s security to my knowledge.
  3. How long will it receive updates? “As long as we can” is difficult to compare to the Pixel’s guarantee of 7+ years.
7 Likes
4

Honestly, the price alone makes the Light Phone hard to justify.
For the estimated $799 retail price, you can find a perfectly fine Pixel 8. If you’re able to wait a bit, I expect Pixel 9a to be priced similarly.
Add to this:

  • a very limited set of base features;
  • lack of any privacy features/apps, without an ability to add existing ones;
  • no accessibility features;
  • interface available only in English;

and I can’t see the reason to use it instead of a Pixel privacy-wise.

3 Likes
5

honestly if you still need a dumb phone, LIght Phone isn’t worth it, still using cellular and SMS Call.
If you honestly need a dumbphone, get one with signal support:
https://josebriones.org/dumbphone-finder
click on Add filter -> Signal App Support -> Make sure value is Yes

I will have to agree with others however, you might be better off with a pixel with a minimal launcher or minimalistic setup or something.

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6

Get a modern, secure phone like the Pixel 8a and use it as a minimalist phone without a SIM. Wanting a dumbphone or minimal experience is not a good reason to get a chronically insecure device.

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7

yea that makes sense

8

regardless of all the legit issues people have pointed out, paying $600 for a phone to lack features and hardware seems like a bad call.

if this is the route you want to go, buy a crappy $30 tracfone from BestBuy.

3 Likes
9

There is the Punkt but since their dumb phone model does not have a camera, you can’t sync the Punkt’s signal client with your preexisting account.

You might be better off installing a minimalist launcher on a Pixel and downloading less apps

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10

So, it looks like the best option would be a pixel with GOS and maybe a very basic launcher and only apps that I truly need?

11

yeah if that’s in your budget. OOTB GrapheneOS is very minimalist for a smartphone, has major privacy and security benefits, and has 99% (thats a guess but its a high number) of the compatibility of a stock Pixel.

12

Yes 100%. I can recommend using an icon pack like Lawnicons with whatever launcher you end up choosing. Having entirely uniform icons goes a long ways to making your phone cleaner and reducing the temptation to click on random apps you may not want to use.

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13

800$ for an e-ink phone :rofl:

If you want private dumbphone, chose the Punkt MP02, with Signal built-in. And it’s even more minimalist. And “only” 300 bucks

Note: Signal syncing is now working

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14

or literally anything from my list at this point but punkt may do, but idk I would also question their security maybe.
or get a pixel 7a for the price. These work either way.

15

Is there any dumbphone that is actually minimalistic and with stripped down spying capabilities, e.g. no microphones or speakers builtin (external headphones required), removable batteries, (maybe) unable to connect to the internet?

16

If thats what you are looking phone, GOS is probably still the answer.

Third party companies like NitroKey do it. They re-sell Pixels with GrapheneOS, as NitroPhones, with the option to have microphone sensors and cameras removed.

Not worth it, unless you have an extreme threat model. There may be other cheaper options that I am not aware of, so its worth researching if its a need.

17

You should keep in mind that the only way an adversary could gain unauthorised access to your microphone / camera is by compromising the OS. If they can achieve that level of compromise they already have access to all the sensitive information you store on your device. I’m not saying removing cameras / mics / sensors is completely useless, just that it’s a protection which very much serves as a last resort. If you believe your device is secretly recording / photographing you, then you shouldn’t trust it with sensitive data either.

I’ll reiterate that you are much better off getting a secure, modern device like a Pixel with GrapheneOS to use as a minimalist device than a dumbphone which is the exact opposite of secure.

2 Likes
18

Gonna goahead and strongly agree with this, to add one more thing adding icon pack like Arcticon (also available on Accrescent) or using a dead simple launcher already has that dumbphone effect you’re looking for

1 Like
19

I think that the entire point of a dumbphone is to simply use it as a phone, no? Calls/text are not private anyway so the worst it can do is snooping when not in use. Removable batteries and speakers/mics defeat this threat

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20

yeah more or less but with the insecurities of like, SMS and Cellular Calls at this point it’s just what I said, get an android cellular phone or anything that supports Signal or SimpleX etc. as I quoted as an example here:

It would be better than a dumbphone that only supports SMS and Cellular Calls. But nothing beats doing a minimal pixel setup though for all itent and purposes I get why people may want a dumbphone but if so get the Punkt MP02 or those. But it’s that