this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2026
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Who is this for?
Parents for kids.
Yeah, I get wanting it to be for disconnecting from social media and doomscroll but to actually block the apps? What if someone changes their mind and legitimately needs to access if for some reason? Buy a new phone? No way. My phone is a tool and I should be able to use it how I want. This is no different than Google blocking 3rd party apps. Let me run what I want on my own phone.
Shouldn't it be possible to override this? Can we not root it?
It should, but at that point why block them in the first place? Just don't install them by default or create any integrations for them.
The $500 price tag is the hardest part of this to swallow.
They can't be installed from the app store, but you can sideload the apk to install them.
Who is this for? Me. If it didn't cost $500, I'd get it. I don't have any social apps and I have a work phone (that I leave in the office when my shift ends). I would simply install a firefox fork apk and be done with it. No socials (aside lemmy), and no need for work apps. This phone would be for me if the price were something in the 200-300 area.
Sounds like you want the sidephone then maybe. I think this is a cool idea but there's like 8 other implementations for hundreds less. Unless the main draw is Linux, but if it's pushing to run android apps then why not stick with degoogled android like all the others?
I have a pixel with grapheneOS. I'm already degoogled, but this one looks like a cool nostalgia gadget that would be cool to have for a less outrageous price. I like the design and the idea (and the linux part), but I don't think $500 is the price they should be asking.
Same here
Not me. I really want a Linux phone but one that is artificially hobbled? No thanks.
It's for nostalgic idiots I guess.