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ChuckMcM | on: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence
In many ways (no pun intended :-)) I would relate to having an iPad mini and a much much dumber phone which was just text/chat and voice. I have gotten there because I'm constantly in this weird tension between wanting a bigger screen on my phone because the app I'm using and wanting a smaller phone so that it is easier to pocket and carry around. A friend of mine did the folding screen phone thing and that has its advantages but I really like a small phone (and ideally with a long battery life so no 1000 nit screens on it). Definitely first world/21st century problems :-). I do find engineering tradeoffs in product design an interesting thing though.
Syonyk | parent | next
Most of the modern "dumbphones" (or "feature phones") would do this just fine for you.

If you want one that can survive anything life will throw at it, look at the Sonim devices - the XP3+ (flip) or XP5+ (candybar). They're Android Go, have exceptionally good (week and a half, easily) battery life, hotspot just fine, and handle actual use a lot better than the KaiOS toys out there. Maybe 3.x is better, but KaiOS 2.x couldn't handle actual use for more than a few weeks without starting to lag, requiring you to remove texts from it so the interface wasn't glacial, and mine eventually just stopped bothering to notify me about incoming calls and texts, which is your one job... The Android Go stuff seems to actually hold up to sustained moderate use.

0x38B | root | parent | next
I used a KaiOS device for about 6 months. My expectations weren’t high, but texting and T9 input were a mess:

A) I had to manually enter captital I, apostrophe, and ‘m’ every time I wanted to write “I’m”.

B) New words (like brand and place names) displace common words in the built-in wordlist - that is, T9 gets worse the more you use it.

It was still an OK digital minimalist/detox device - the GMaps web app with voice search was good enough.

The Android Go devices you mentioned sound far better – I’m never touching KaiOS again.

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WhyNotHugo | root | parent | next
> Most of the modern "dumbphones" (or "feature phones") would do this just fine for you.

Assuming you use something like WhatsApp, Facebook or something alike. Modern "feature phones" include built-in applications for messaging and calling, and you generally can't install anything custom on them.

bradfa | root | parent
Do any of these Android Go phones have semi decent cameras? That’s a big holdup for many people.
adastra22 | root | parent | next
In the context of this thread, that’s what the iPad mini is for.
Syonyk | root | parent
https://www.sevarg.net/2023/12/30/more-flip-phone-sonim-xp3-... has some sample images from mine - it's an 8MP camera. Not amazing, but also not a 2MP potato.
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mulderc | parent | next
I am moving away from my phone to just using my Apple Watch/AirPods then pulling out the mini when I need something it can't cover.
rogerkirkness | root | parent | next
Apparently Steve's posthumous roadmap focused on the idea that personal computers get 'smaller and closer to you' as time goes on. So the idea that an Apple Watch and AirPods could be all you need when travelling, etc. follows that premise.
a9a | root | parent | next
I would love to do this.. if only there were Uber/Lyft options on the watch
herpdyderp | root | parent
I wish I could do this but I have yet to find a good Apple Watch replacement for owning and syncing music (rather than streaming it)
hi_hi | root | parent | next
There's this really old product that Apple use to sell for all your music. I think it was the youPod or something...
pmcjones | root | parent | next
You can sync your own MP3s using iTunes Match -- it's about $25/year. https://support.apple.com/en-us/108935
mulderc | root | parent | next
I use streaming now but historically I had no issues syncing music and playlists to my watch.
reaperducer | root | parent
I wish I could do this but I have yet to find a good Apple Watch replacement for owning and syncing music (rather than streaming it)

Is it not possible to sync MP3s to Apple Watches anymore? I have a really really old model, and I selected a few playlists on my iPhone, and when they change, the songs automatically sync to my Apple Watch.

mulderc | root | parent
That was myexperience also but haven’t done that in some time.
xattt | parent | next
Apple keeps a lot of owners addicted to their phones by making Watch support exclusive to iPhone.

I’d love to go dumbphone and a Watch synced to an iPad at home, but this is not an option.

thorncorona | root | parent | next
What keeps them addicted to their watch?

I've never found a compelling use case where I'd willingly buy another Apple watch.

gcanyon | root | parent | next
I own a Concept 2 rowing machine; I have detailed stats on every workout going back 19 years, and for the last 7 years or so I have heart rate info as well.
eightysixfour | root | parent | next
Keeps them addicted to their phone by not allowing them to just go watch only.
xattt | root | parent | next
Exercise tracking is a biggie for me.

Integration with Fitness on Apple TV is extremely slick for HIIT and yoga.

Also, the third-party Intervals Pro app has been my go-to running app. I started with Apple+Nike since 2010 and a Fitbit Charge in 2015, but nothing let me customize my workouts as much as the Intervals app.

dartharva | root | parent
Do you really need it though, or is it some sort of placebo effect in place? I can bet most professional athletes don't use such devices.
tomr75 | root | parent
you'd bet wrong. A lot of them use chest strap/HR variability monitors to guide training/track illness + fitness
Aeolun | root | parent | next
My best use case for the apple watch is I can keep it on everywhere. If I constantly have to think of the thing it’ll get annoying enough I want to get rid of it.
theshackleford | root | parent | next
I have cognitive issues from treatments following an incomplete spinal cord injury and autoimmune problems. Managing my care is complex, with multiple drugs, appointments, symptom tracking, and scans required by a large team of specialists. My short-term memory is poor, though my long-term memory remains sharp. The drugs and chronic pain make it even harder to stay focused and manage these responsibilities.

My watch is essential in helping me keep up. It’s on my wrist from the moment I wake till the moment I sleep, ensuring I miss nothing important. I’ve restricted notifications to medical needs and use it to log symptoms or adverse effects immediately, preventing forgetfulness which was a problem previously.

Outside of my unique use case, many people I know with a watch have stopped carrying a phone altogether. They find it freeing, as the watch gives them essential tools without the distraction of a larger device. Its limitations are a benefit, allowing them to focus on the moment and carry less.

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randmeerkat | root | parent | next
>…addicted to their phones by making Watch support exclusive to iPhone.

Buy a Garmin watch, battery life measured in weeks, and you’ll never have to re-enter your pin again because it moved on your wrist. You’ll still get great fitness tracking though and also notifications if you choose to sync them.

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gcanyon | root | parent | next
I wonder -- does the iPhone have to be on a service plan? Or is wifi good enough?
lotsofpulp | root | parent
Wifi is good enough. Actually, might not even need WiFi.
gxs | root | parent
You can probably get fairly close to do this by using an apple watch with a sim card

I used to leave the house with just my watch and it was great - I could read and send text messages, email, even take calls on my watch and have everything synced up to my phone at home. You can even download music to it and pair it to your airpods.

The missing piece here is just having a dumb phone - somehow I think that with some ingenuity you might be able to something that serves 80% of your needs here or something like that.

xattt | root | parent
My closest solution would be to piggyback off my partner’s iPhone using family watch pairing, and use my own dumbphone.
evrenesat | parent | next
I use the Unihertz Jelly Star alongside my iPhone 14 pro. It's a 3" android 14 phone running on a powerful soc with 8gb ram and 256gb storage. I have the same sim on both phones but I no longer carry the iPhone with me, I use it at home as an iPad micro.

The fingerprint reader isn't accurate enough so I use pattern lock for NFC payments. Texting on a 3" screen isn't much fun either, but I don't like texting anyway. At least it manages to run FUTO voice keyboard (whisper based) fast enough.

qnleigh | parent | next
A pro of foldables is that you mostly use the outer screen, but the battery is big enough to handle the inner screen. So you get excellent battery life for daily use. If you only use the inner screen for reading in dark mode the battery life is also excellent.

Also at least for the Galaxy Fold, when folded the phone is narrow enough to use one-handed and hold securely.

osrec | parent | next
What was the pun? Many/mini?
imjonse | root | parent | next
You can safely put 'no pun intended' after actually having no puns in the text. It can be disorienting but such is truth sometimes.
kibwen | root | parent | next

    typeof(x) y = (typeof(x))x; // no pun intended
DennisP | root | parent | next
Back when I was coding for a living, I tried things like that almost a dozen times to see if they would make anyone laugh, but no pun in ten did.
vl | root | parent
But why cast to it’s own type?
blackoil | parent | next
An alternate setup is LTE smartwatch, tws and foldable phones. You can do almost all dumbphone tasks and some more from the watch. It can be relatively distraction free, and you can leave phone at home for swimming/jogging/workouts. Foldable will give you decent camera and tablet when you need it and can be kept in bag or far enough.
doublepg23 | parent | next
If I was approaching the dumb phone thing I’d try something similar to this video - “dumbify” Home Screen app for iOS, setting as gray scale, screen time limits, etc. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7jVb1lLniEw
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zoeysmithe | parent | next
For me its a very nice bedside ebook reader, reddit machine, and video device. Its a perfect size for all those things, perhaps a bit too small for video but good enough. It can fit into a large coat pocket or a medium sized purse too.

I keep trying to get into my kindle but just can't for some reason. E-ink is nice but being able to get a nice glowing black background with white text is really nice and the page changes are so much more fluid than e-ink.

amelius | root | parent
Way more distractions on an iPad, though.
dankwizard | root | parent
Do not Disturb mode on to disable notifications

Self control to not get distracted

I don't get this whole "Too many distractions" shtick. If you don't have the self control to swipe away from your book to sneak in a round of Angry Birds, you'll probably end up pulling your phone out every 2 minutes to check your Reddit feed

pyromaker | parent | next
I didn't get the pun......
devilbunny | root | parent | next
many/mini are very similar if not identical in casual US English pronunciation.
j_bum | root | parent
Maybe they pronounce “many” as “mini”?
jay_kyburz | parent | next
I find it incredible that I can't make calls on my iPad. I would just carry an iPad in my back pack if people could call me on it.
walterbell | root | parent
VOIP clients work on iPad.
mouse_ | parent | next
Back in the day when Android was KitKat and full of possibilities, I ran a Nexus 7 2nd gen and a cheap phone from my carrier. I'm not sure if it was enlightenment but it was closer to it than today, where I carry around a smartphone that's too big to use comfortably but still too small to use frequently for media.
jeffbee | parent | next
I was just pitching this yesterday to my friend. My Pixel 8 Pro is a great phone, but in many situations I only want a phone that can show me my messages and answer my phone calls, and it's OK if its interface is my smartwatch and/or earbuds. I want it to be able to take over my mobile number on-demand, and relinquish it to my Pixel afterward.
ein0p | parent | next
A lot of people (myself included) want that, which is exactly why it’s not going to happen - Apple would much rather see you pay twice as much for an iPhone Pro Max
bamboozled | parent
You want an Apple Watch imo, I often leave my phone behind now, I’m contactable without distractions.