I’ve been looking at phones lately and I’ve seen this company called Enough from their YouTube kickstarter video. It’s them and SLEKE (maker of OdesseyOS) working on building a nice size phone. I’m thinking of supporting their kickstarter because I am tired of these humongous phablets, and I can’t stand on how they feel in my hand when holding them.
The phone has everything I want but I am really wondering if the bootloader will be unlockable.
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Some important edits that should be added; (after looking on Enough’s website and kickstarter)
- No unlockable bootloader
- No sideloading
- On Enough’s website, storage is expandable by MicroSD or that same space is using a physical SIM card and you have the option for eSIM
- No headphone jack, but a USBC to 3.5mm converter is given if you do the kickstarter
- Stock android or OdessyOS only (from SLEKE); no flashing capabilities at all
- Replaceable battery
- Price of phone from kickstarter:
- Super Early bird price: $399 USD (sold out)
- Early bird: $449 USD
- Kickstarter special; $499 USD
- Retail price after campaign: $599 USD
Hey you might like this while you wait
https://cubot.net/phones/smartphones/pocket3-specs/88?l=en-us
About $250 on eBay etc
It dosent support most of the US 4g bands, unfortunatly.
Locked bootloader is a no-go for me, I’m 100% on the GrapheneOS train now. But I do hope that smaller phones make some kind of comeback, I also hate how big they’ve gotten over the years.
What’s the smallest graphene phone one can get ?
A non-XL pixel, unfortunately. They’re not huge, but they’re certainly not small.
if anyone here is fine with Android 8 then i can reccomend https://shop.shift.eco/shift5me as a small repairable phone with replaceable battery and headphone jack for like 200€.
The ressources are quite limited and it does not have NFC but if its just a phone for simple tasks it can be enough (check if your banking app supports Android 8!)I got an OG Pixel Fold refurb for tree fiddy last year. Folded up it’s smaller than most modern phones but is still not a one-hander. Until then I’d use a pixel A phone and tether an ipad mini to it. The Fold’s inner screen is good for reading but meh for content consumption. I’ve ordered the new OLED ipad mini and am open to using anything as a new hotspot once my Fold conks out.
Locked bootloader, no headphone jack, dealing with a kickstarter. I’d absolutely risk the last one for the first two.
Locked bootloader means it’s a pass, unfortunately.
They don’t seem to understand what people actually want from phones.
God I hope not.
One of the reasons I went with a Samsung Fold 7 instead of a Fold 6 was because the the screen was bigger. Bigger, higher resolution display = more screen real estate. Honestly I wish the inner screen was 1-2" bigger. (But no I don’t want a tri-fold cause I’ll break it).
FWIW, I use a 65" LG OLED as a monitor and I regret not going with an 80" instead. Screens can never be big enough for me. I used to own a projector for a giant 120" image, but once you go OLED, you don’t go back.
This phone is just for people who dont want those big screens, i get it, you do you, and everyone has their own preferences, but i really hate carrying these phones in my pocket and i gotta worry about it falling out or getting stolen.
Why don’t you just carry around your 65" TV instead?
Don’t be a jackass. You know the reason why.
I don’t understand. Bigger, higher resolution display = more screen real estate?
You’re annoying. Go away.
😅
It’s not for everyone but I’ve switched to a Keyphone Hybrid. It has a removable battery, headphone jack, physical keyboard and de-googled OS.
It’s a “dumb phone” but they’re continuing to develop for it and are responsive to feedback. I love it because it’s the size of an iPhone Mini and it does what I need it to do without the distractions.
I have my old smartphone still that I use around the house or on WiFi similar to how many use a full size tablet.
Ive looked at that phone before and seriously considered it but at its price point of 400 USD, plus extra for a better camera and different keyboard plus you cant download apps (yes i know its a dumbphone) i decided to pass on that one.
I get that. I was weighing the Keyphone, Sidephone and Clicks Communicator. I’d have maybe gone with the Clicks but I waited too long and the price jumped up quite a bit.
I liked the Sidephone but the battery was smaller and non-replaceable, no headphone jack and no eSIM.
For me, since I was craving the phone style of my youth, the Keyphone was the clear winner but it’s just nice to see these alternative phone types in the market.
I like the innovation but theyre just not pratical to me. I looked at the others too that you mentioned but the price is a big no for me; Clicks just looks hella cheap (with how many more qwerty phones are coming out now, it dosent look like a superior product) and Sidephone really pissed me off with how they sell the phone in parts.
I was thinking of the Brax Wink but Brax is another figure that recieves alot of mixed messages and his qwerty phone is like $700 USD😑😑
As soon as parts became astronomically expensive, suddenly they’re all interested in scaling their phones down. Just a coincidence I’m sure
If your talking about the specs, thats defitinely purposeful but the phone is being advertised towards the digital minimalism community, hence where SLEKE comes in. The phone is loosing so much potential and customers by making it too niche.
This device has banned sideloading. Wouldn’t go anywhere near it.
sideloadinginstalling applications from any source in a device you own.Yes, thank you for using 10 words to describe what I did in 1.
I think he meant “installing” but kept going.
This device has banned
sideloadinginstalling. Wouldn’t go anywhere near it.Doesn’t make much sense, does it?
Sure doesn’t.
Their point is that “sideloading” is a PR framing device to relabel a complete reasonable action i.e. “to install any Software on your device” to something which is not intended, advised and should not be desired.
Yes, the term “sideloading” is more distinct but it carries baggage
You’re adding negative connotations to words that have none. That’s like saying that we should rename piracy to “downloading media from alternative sources” or whatever just because corpos are anti-piracy. We use these words because they are precise and concise. Big tech is anti those words. We are pro those words. The word itself is neutral. “Sideloading” is a meaningful category because big tech makes it so by forbidding it, or making users have to use workarounds to do them. “It’s not sideloading; it’s just installing apps onto the phone you own”—well, that would be lovely, but that’s not currently the case.
Sideloading has been a word for installing apps that aren’t from a store at least since I started using Android in early 2010. There was never any negative connotation, aside from the acknowledgment that you wouldn’t get automatic updates.
I’m fully aware of what their point is. My point is it’s a senseless boogeyman distinction that someone made up about a word that precedes Google, and replaces it with a much longer phrase.
Then use “Installing an app”
This device has banned
sideloadinginstalling an app. Wouldn’t go anywhere near it.Surely you can see how that wouldn’t have conveyed the message I was sending in my comment?
“Installing an app from 3rd parties”; cmon I don’t have to hold your hand :/
Dam i just realized that, and now reading no unlockable bootloader either.
TL;DR: a stock Android option is available where you still can sideload
that’s only if you choose the “anti-distraction” OS where nearly no apps are available. stock android is also an option (on which sideloading is still very much possible but harder with a waiting period after the restrictions you’ve probably heard of).
i think this feature of the anti-distraction OS is probably a misstep if it can’t be overridden, but you do not have to use the anti-distraction OS at all.
Edit: Added TL;DR
It just says “Android OS”, which can mean a lot of different things. No one would actually want “stock Android”. But whatever it is is probably better than their own OS.
Android OS is just another word for Google and Oddessy Os is for someone who wants minimalistic features. I’ve seen a lot of phones pushing that lately but then they don’t have features or capabilities that they should have.
Google is not an OS.
They do have they own OS called Chrome OS (for computers) but for these phones, especially now sideloading is going to be difficult or not happen at all, you can basically call stock android, Google, cause that is all Google is gonna want you to use.
They do have they own OS called Chrome OS
Yes and they have another one called Android. Google is a search engine. And a company. Again, not an OS.
And Fuchsia! RIP Fuchsia.
What do you mean “no one would want stock android”?
That’s the whole selling point of the Pixel serie phones. No 3rd party bloat or unwanted features, quick updates, etc.
They’re much closer than e.g. Samsung OneUI, though.
WIRED says it’s stock Android..
“Stock Android” is pretty well-defined. what do you think it means?
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I might have simply missed it, but I didn’t see mention of expandable storage, and the provided storage is quite small. I also specifically noted the lack of 3.5mm (they will provide a USB adapter, but those are frail and prone to failure). Bluetooth is nifty and all, but when I’m on mile 7 of a marathon or even a half and my headphones die, I will be filled with a supernova-class rage that a reliable wired option was never provided (an inevitability). All that, mixed with the low specs, is completely a nonstarter. If there was a headphone jack I might feel differently, but this ain’t it.
Slightly related concern, did anyone see that extremely condescending video from Nothing that was basically like “small phones are for nerds, and only idiots want phones thick enough for headphone jacks. Want to debloat your software? How about no OS at ALL so this expensive gadget does not function!” Talk about rage baiting. Fuck those guys.
I remember that video. I was in full support of Nothing until that came out, I lost complete respect of them after that. Just another company that went completely against their motive and a wanna be Apple😒😒
Nothing is so weird, adding AI buttons that can’t be remapped and adding lots of new unasked features to their OS.
They had a niche and botched it completely.
I’m starting to think that Carl Pei gets off on making good but somewhat unfinished phones for a few generations and then following them up with bloated, confusing garbage. OnePlus did the same thing.
Their phones used to look unique too. I used to really like how they look.
They do have MicroSD
Oh sick. That’s definitely a pretty big positive, then. Good lookin out
Tbh I originally thought that video was serious and got excited :(
Yeah, same. And I was not prepared for the level of outright contempt they showed toward their fans with that one. “These are our most requested features by our customers,” proceeds to call them nerds and laughs as they brag about not building said features.
Literally every feature was something that sounded good to me. Even no OS I can work with as long as I can install one. Just save me a few extra bucks that way
when I’m on mile 7 of a marathon or even a half and my headphones die
That’s a user error though, and only your own fault. Most BT headphones will outlast even slow marathon runners these days, so if yours die at mile 7, you’re the cause because you came unprepared by not charging your gear.
Having a wire dangling down your body for a HM or marathon would be absolute hell for me though.
In theory there are a number of “true wireless” buds that claim 4+ hours. In practice battery degradation is real. Charging can also be inconsistent. Even Apple’s own Airpods have failed to recharge inside their case for me and virtually everyone that I know that has them. Not Airpods, but my BT pair doesn’t last 1.5 hours on a full charge, anymore, and charging has become incredibly inconsistent. But you know what doesn’t need recharging? You know what doesn’t experience battery degradation and forced obsolescence? Just gimme my goddamn headphone jack. “User error” gtfoohwt
Indeed. Batteries are the reason I haven’t embraced TWS.
Check out the Fairbuds 2, then. The batteries still degrade, obviously, but you can reasonably replace them.
Not checking and double checking, and/or knowingly choosing gear with issues (low battery life or inconsistent performance) are great examples of user error. These are nothing but examples of you making the wrong decisions leading up to something (presumably) important. It’s the equivalent of complaining that wired earbuds are shit because you chose a pair with a bad wire/mini jack.
The iPhone 5/5s was probably the perfect phone for me in terms of comfortable one handed use. Something like that again would be perfect.
Yeah… that size is perfect. I remember having the 6s plus ( my first iPhone) it was 5.5 in, so only .2 inches taller than the Enough Phone. When that phone was done, I struggled with finding a phone I was comfortable with ever since.
Company: I don’t wanna make a big phone. Waste of resources, engineers say no difference.
Older users: I want a big phone. I can’t see shit on the existing models
Company: ok I’ll make one, but it’ll cost ya. Markets small and all that, plus old users are not in line with our brand.
Older users: ok done.
Fomo users: zomg! More expensive phone must be good! Buys them. Does the exact same thing on the gigaphone
Company: hey, we might be on to something here. Proceeds to add useless features no one wants or uses whole jacking up the prices.
Older users: wtf is this phone asking me for my satellite launch codes?
Capitalism sucks.
I think it’s simply that there’s a balance between the usability of a small screen vs the clarity/added real estate of a big screen, and the line between those is different for everyone. The bigger devices tend to have better battery performance too.
Older user here: My iPhone 12 mini is plenty big enough for me. I was happy with the iPhone 4, really.
I always bought the smallest smartphone I could get my hands on until I hit my late 40s and my eyes weren’t so good anymore, now I get the biggest. Don’t know why companies don’t just cater to both. Different people got different needs.
I loved the 4. I dropped it while looking for a lost dog, and ran it over with a car, which finally broke it for good. I tried to get my account transferred to a friend’s old iPhone 4, but the guy at the store (this was before SIMs in iPhones, I think, so they needed to transfer your phone service over in store) said he literally couldn’t do it and tried to sell me the 8. No idea if that was correct, but I didn’t buy it.
If the solution presented at an Apple store is “buy new product” it’s likely just fishing for a sale. Use a 3rd party and they’ll do the work and not gaslight you.
Oh god, I didn’t go to an Apple Store! I went to T-Mobile (iirc, but maybe it was Cingular?). Probably not significantly better, but nobody looking at me with two iPhones 4, one smashed to smithereens, and one just most of a decade old, thought they were getting a sale, lol
This was before I was able to go outside of my provider (I had been a T-Mobile customer and I brought in a sprint iPhone, back when they were still locked and I didn’t have a SIM card yet- after that, I could switch to whatever). I eventually brought the guy a 5s and he could switch it over, but it was 2019, to be fair, and the 8 was the oldest option they had available in store.
The greatest lie with the customer demand…
I don’t need a new phone anytime soon but if I needed one, my dream phone would be the build of the iPod Touch 5 (I love the small reachable screen and thin body) but with a good set of cameras, long battery, and modern features, and without risking bending or anything. Not possible I don’t think, at least good battery in such a small package, but that would be my dream.
Funny enough I have a large phone right now. I love the battery life but the size does really bother me. I like to use my phone with one hand but it’s incredibly inconvenient with a large phone. I don’t have tiny hands but barely reaching the opposite edge of the screen isn’t the most comfortable.
