this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2026
161 points (97.1% liked)

DeGoogle Yourself

17060 readers
265 users here now

A community for those that would like to get away from Google.

Here you may post anything related to DeGoogling, why we should do it or good software alternatives!

Rules

  1. Be respectful even in disagreement

  2. No advertising unless it is very relevent and justified. Do not do this excessively.

  3. No low value posts / memes. We or you need to learn, or discuss something.

Related communities

!privacyguides@lemmy.one !privacy@lemmy.ml !privatelife@lemmy.ml !linuxphones@lemmy.ml !fossdroid@social.fossware.space !fdroid@lemmy.ml

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
CrypticCoffee@lemmy.ml
CrypticCoffee@lemm.ee
Byereddithellolemmy@lemmy.world
chevy9294@monero.town
161
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
47 comments fedilink hide all child comments
top 47 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Xerxos@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

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 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 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!

[–] ITGuyLevi@programming.dev 3 points 16 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!

[–] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 22 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] muhyb@programming.dev 8 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

[–] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 5 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] regedit@lemmy.zip 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] unitedwithme@lemmy.today 2 points 3 hours ago

I'll check that out

[–] jnod4@lemmy.ca 18 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

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 1 points 11 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 8 points 21 hours 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.

[–] clmbmb@lemmy.dbzer0.com 30 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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 20 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] chisel@piefed.social 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 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 23 hours 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

[–] MxRemy@piefed.social 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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 1 day ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

~~"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 20 hours ago (1 children)

Commodore’s patent-pending technology blocks social media

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

[–] XLE@piefed.social 2 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours 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 give you not AI or cryptocurrency wallets, then maybe Commodore can charge you an extra $400 (vs a similar KaiOS phone) to give you not a web browser.

[–] banazir@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

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

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

maybe i can put my nokia 7110 to rest

[–] pennomi@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] vatlark@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Some feature phones had browsers

[–] pennomi@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 2 points 23 hours ago

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

[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

WAP/WML browsers, not web browsers.

[–] Chee_Koala@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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 (1 children)

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 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

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 0 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

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 21 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 1 points 21 hours 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”

[–] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

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 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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 4 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours 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 0 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

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 14 hours ago

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

[–] placebo@lemmy.zip 5 points 19 hours 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 (1 children)

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) (1 children)

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 (2 children)

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

Social media is NOT foundational communication.

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

If I’m expecting an immediate response, an email would be the second to last thing I would I 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 23 hours ago (1 children)

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 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours 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 0 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.