cross-posted from: https://piefed.social/c/hardware/p/2144337/commodore-announces-linux-based-flip-phone-with-no-social-media-no-browser-the-callback
Linux-based phone still ‘runs 99% of Android apps’ so you can do more with it, if you wish.
WhatsApp isn’t a social media app?
500$? and they used to make one of the cheapest computers on the market
no social media, no browser
marketing material: social media in a glorified browserthere is android flip phones actualy?
Who is going to pay $500 for a retro flip phone, when you can get a second-hand iPhone for half that? Or you know, an actual flip phone for $25.
Maybe the same guys who believed in the Purism scam.
Whatsapp preinstalled… hard pass from me. All the other considerations like price, browser block, app emulation implementation; those are all things I could probably get past but preinstalled spyware is unacceptable from the get go.
Edit to add. The app blocking is interesting to me. Instead of thinking about the user being blocked from unstalling and using the app, I’m curious about the technology they will use to block the app (and app maker) from running activity on the device.
Hopefully the solution includes something like DNS blocking rather than a blacklist on the play integrity api and a reliance on Google killing the unstall of apk from other sources.
Not sure if DNS blocking explains the browser exclusion which is otherwise a bit odd.
This phone is probably aimed at countries where Whatsapp is legit mandatory if you want a social life and a job (e.g. much of Europe and South America)
The first flip phone with WhatsApp since the unfortunate demise of KaiOS devices. Sailfish probably has much higher system requirements, hence the price. Great to have an alternative though!
Android flip phones have existed for years. E.g. Saiet Link 4, as well as Cat phones (yes, it’s the same company that makes Caterpillars)
The price is unfeasible lmao. You could get an old phone for like 50$ used, put lineage on it, don’t install any app or store and be done with it
Ah yes, another company trying to squeeze ridiculous amounts of money out of people just because “it has linux”.
At $200… Maybe.
AI slop video, no faith in what will (or likely won’t) be delivered.
Sounds great for kids. The price point can suck a dick tho
How could this idea come to mind… Surely that’s great, but who in the team said “Give me a price! 500!! Approved!”
Browser and email is the bare minimum, though.
Even the cheapest clamshells in the 2000s had those two.
Don’t preinstall it by default if you want to look minimal but being forced to sideload (their app store blocks this essential category???) an Android APK in the emulator instead of using native Linux apps for that, is ridiculous
I understand that for a small company like them (it’s being owned by a YouTuber now) creating hardware is extremely expensive and 499 can even considered cheap with all the custom stuff in this device, plastic molds, dedicated assembly lines and so on, but my mind can’t accept paying more than 149 for something like this
I didn’t even know that the brand Commodore still existed.
Every few years the brand name appears to be sold to some new company
499? hahahhaa
My mainphone is currently Nokia C2-01 which I got for free. It’s perfectly enough for me. But damn that thing looks good…
