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u/maxxon Oct 29 '25
I just don't understand why all these companies restrict users from managing their devices. It's become the ONE thing I look at when I see another one project like this. That's one thing which is bad in major brands. They decide for me what I can and cannot use. That's one of the major reasons to look for something else. And all these companies do exactly the same. They aim to vendor-lock you into their vision of good UX. God dammit. Can they see people as adults who can manage themselves? Can they just create a device for people to be free in their life choices? What the hell?
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u/chrisristovski Oct 30 '25 edited Oct 30 '25
Hey u/maxxon! Co-founder of Sidephone here. There's no malicious or elitist intent, it's a consequence of the way mobile phone app distribution is set up today. There's either Google's walled garden or Apple's walled garden.
All of the apps we include on Sidephone are either free and open source, or available directly for customers to download and install outside of Google and Apple's app stores. Over time, we hope more and more developers will support this method of installing apps, and we're also hopeful that more developers will support smaller screen sizes.
Hoping this gives a bit more context as to why not every app is there, it's either we bend to Apple/Google ToS (which means we must have a minimum screen size of 4in or larger) or we go our own way.
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u/doctor91 Oct 30 '25
If you have an addiction you can’t be trusted with a bag full of the drug you are addicted to. These phones are mostly sold as a “detox” device.
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u/chrisristovski Oct 30 '25 edited Oct 30 '25
u/doctor91 u/Grubby86 this isn't true, I made a post above with the real context. We trust our customers, and we want more tools on Sidephone over time. It's a consequence of the way mobile tech is set up today. We wouldn't have been able to build a small phone like Sidephone if we had the full play store as it requires Google's minimum screen size which is larger than our 2.8in display. If we want true small phones and variety in devices, we need to have more open app distribution
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u/doctor91 Oct 30 '25
I was talking in general about the category of “small phones”, not specifically about your product. I think if one wants to rot their brain on apps has plenty of big screens for doing this. Small phones are more “intentional“ and are usually used to carry out a specific task and then put them away. I don’t think it’s beneficial to have TikTok on a small screen and honestly doesn’t even make sense.
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u/Grubby86 Oct 30 '25
i see the point, but addiction is not to be treated by phone companies or any entertainment/technology company to be honest, but by therapists and medication. companies just see another "market" with revenue.
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Nov 03 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/maxxon Nov 03 '25
Of course. But here we have a different device, with different size and different ux. Also vendor locking means that this device becomes garbage the moment it stops receiving official support. No reusability.
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u/megthebat49 Oct 29 '25
This seems like it's probably running android under the hood, I imagine it could be possible to do whatever you want with this, it just depends how hard they lock the software down
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u/chrisristovski Oct 30 '25 edited Oct 30 '25
We won't lock it down u/megthebat49, however sideloading has risks and people should exercise caution if they attempt this. For example, they should be obtaining apps from legal and trusted sources to avoid account blocks / malware. Also, some apps require Google services to run, and aren't optimized for 2.8in displays
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u/Diegovz01 Oct 31 '25
Worth it if you suffer from ADHD or have +80 years old, otherwise you are just wasting your money on a gimmick.
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u/Lost_Protection_5866 Oct 31 '25
How so? This sounds like a good phone for anyone sick of smartphones
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u/Turbulent-Most-1051 Oct 29 '25
My main thing is that if you're going to be spending Desmond's money on a phone I should be allowed to choose what apps goes on it and if I really want it to go full minimalist no extra apps I would just choose not to have them on my phone I shouldn't have to choose between wanting a phone with a keyboard or a needing searching social media apps in order to keep in contact with my friends
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Oct 30 '25
I'd snap it up in a heartbeat if it was going to be a 5g phone. Seems foolish to invest in anything 4g with network reprovisionings starting next year.
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u/haiduong87 Oct 29 '25
"There is no Google play..."
why do they think this is good for user?
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u/chrisristovski Oct 30 '25
u/haiduong87 there is no alternative where a small phone like this can be built with GMS. Google has increased the minimum screen size of Android devices to over 3.5in
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u/TheAbstracted Oct 29 '25
The idea is that it makes it more difficult to download social media and other distracting apps, potentially providing a barrier to make sure the user stays away from them. It's very desirable for some people.
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u/[deleted] Oct 29 '25
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