#StupidPhones

Kevin Karhan :verified:kkarhan@infosec.space
2025-04-22

I think the #LightPhone3 is better than a shitty "#ProducedEwaste" #Android 8.1 brick from China but I don't consider it worth the premium asked [U$D 799 MSRP, U$D 599 preorder] for it.

I think people can get a better experience buying a #degoogled #Fairphone with #eOS and just put #RelaunchX as an #eInk-optimized #launcher on it and have a better option.

  • But I guess given #ForProfitHealthcare in the #USA is expensive I can see why a lot of people would rather buy such a device and sell their old one than seek therapy if they are susceptible to shitty patterns that #developers harness to maximize #screentime and #revenue.

Can't have #doomscrolling or #microtransactions if it doesn't support #NSAbook's #apps or shitty #PayToLoose #games...

What I do have to say is that #MKBHD acknowledges that he isn't the target audience and "that's fine"...

  • I just think that requiring people to sign up to some account just to be able to add/remove #Apps is a major #nope in my book.

I stayed off #GooglePlay for longer than it's being called like that and their "#lightOS" is most likely some tightly locked-down Android...

  • It's just an insultingly high pricetag for < $200 internals and the best feature they have isn't even the phone but offering a "no frills" plan which seems okay (by #USA standards!) but still...

I think people would be more accepting if it was a $299 or even $399 device, but at a price of a @monocles #phone whilst being way less versatile it's just not worth it.

  • Cuz it's not even a super "secure" device or offers something like a "concierge service" where the device price is artifically high to filter out average #WageWorkers without much disposable income...
Kevin Karhan :verified:kkarhan@infosec.space
2025-04-08

@JessTheUnstill @Pibble

If your threat model is "theft of devices by cops", make shure to be able to commit #AssetDenial or have nothing on the devices they can use!

  • Burner #StupidPhones and (e)SIM-Cards are cheap. keep them switched off and the battery pulled out!

I'd consider wasting €20 on a #StupidPhone, €20 on a rewriteable #eSIMcard and €10-20 on an #eSIM a "necessary expense" and I'd gladly show people how to get that stuff and not burn their opsec/anonymity by doing so...

Kevin Karhan :verified:kkarhan@infosec.space
2024-07-18

@Swede1952 @ety @x00001 I'm serious...

In fact such "#FWT" or "Fixed Wireless Terminal" adaptors are actually quite common, as they basically allow folks to keep their beloved phones - espechally those with hearing aid compatibility or additional functions like a wireless emergency button - and just transition from (sadly discontinued and) expensive "basic landline" to cheap pay-as-you postpaid or prepaid plans.

  • In some cases they even allow people to port their landline number to some providers, so that i.e. seniors can retain their decades-old number and in return get like good reception because most FWTs come with an option to plug in an external antenna...

OFC those boxes exist in various forms, from something akin to a Router like the Fritz!Box LTE series to the more commonplace "Trashcan"-esque cylinders for #5G-#MIMO. Sadly most don't include like a batter backup but there are also "#GSM #DeskPhone|s" that are basically #StupidPhones (some absurdly expensive ones are just bulky #smartphones, #Phablets if not #Tablets) with dedicaded physical buttons and aside from being able to send/recieve #SMS and potentially offer a #WiFi hotspot as well as almost always have a prominently large antenna sticking out the back, they look like your average Desktop Phone from an office...

Kevin Karhan :verified:kkarhan@infosec.space
2024-02-25

@heiseonline Das ist nichts wirklich bahnbrechendes...

#StupidPhones konnten mehrere Wochen im Akkubetrieb auskommen...

Kevin Karhan :verified:kkarhan@mstdn.social
2023-08-13

@bbk anscheinend ist das Übermitteln von #Warnmelung|en per #CellBroadcast noch nicht zuverlässig.

Bevölkerungs-#Warnung wegen F3 in #Leverkusen kam per #Sirene und Cell Broadcast im Netz der #DTAG jedoch nicht im Netz von #O2 Telefonica / #ePlus KPN bzw. #MVNO|s die dieses nutzen.

Ich denke mal @bsi sollte da mal freundlich nachfragen warum...

Vorallem da Cell Broadcast selbst auf #StupidPhones zuverlässig funktioniert.

warnung.bund.de/meldungen/mow.
radioleverkusen.de/artikel/feu

Kevin Karhan :verified:kkarhan@mstdn.social
2023-07-21

@12 @naln1 also this may depend on the manufacturer and the SoC as well as Firmware they use...

#StupidPhones were far less powerful and quite restrictive back then...

Kevin Karhan :verified:kkarhan@mstdn.social
2023-07-15

@yakkoj yeah...

What I'd love to see are more #electronics #VendingMachines just selling basic essentials like a #Powerbank, #USB-C cables, Top-Up vouchers for #Prepaid cards and potentially #StupidPhones!

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