Android Dumbphone?

[parapaz]

The Samsung Galaxy S9 certainly makes for a good looking and camera enabled dumb android phone. Several months later I can say that this has been a turning point regarding "smart" phones in my life. I no longer despise them, but accept them as useful devices.

Otherwise, not a singe update, not even from the network provider. The phone still works just fine.

-> "I want a phone that I can use for school (as to not be distracted), but can still do Gmail, see my calendar, and SMS."

Calls, Outlook connected calendar, sms, and email services work without any issues. The camera and the gallery app are enough to keep the phone useful as a camera enabled device.

 

[ocnbrze]

I believe that iOs is much better than android

care to back that up? and why post this on an android forum? you know you are going to get backlash from us.

plus i would not know as i would never touch an icrap phone, nor own one. i will put my note 10+ 5g up against any icrap and my phone will win.

 

[parapaz]

I believe that iOs is much better than android

Can you dumb down an Iphone? No really.
So, no, it is not the better phone OS for dumbing down a phone to a simple and useful device.

This thread is about Dumb phones and dumbing down phones into something simple and not so intrusive. The IOs is probably the worst thing when it comes to modifying it to something that you need and want.

As you can see although Google is not the best with regard to unbundling, they left an option to modify things into simplicity rather than bundle and harden everything into oblivion under the pretence of security and privacy.

To be honest, I will never ever touch an iPhone even if it is given for free to me. Simply itis a matter of choices and options, which you don't have with Apple.

 

[Jim0000]

..........................
It took me around 10 minutes to more or less dumb down the phone in a more permanent manner. Regulation of behaviour via default design and options.
No apps to enable,..............................

Thanks for this post and the suggestions. I will follow them, more or less so, to suit my minimal requirements.
Question:
Are the last two screenshots taken before application removal and the first one after removal?
I am slightly confused, apologies for this.

Jim.

 

[Hadron]

That member hasn't logged on for a year, so it's unlikely they will answer your question. But my impression (on a very quick scan of that post) was that the latter two show Settings > Apps, which may well be after removal, while the first shows a home screen with just a few icons on it. You do not need every installed app to appear on the home screen (for that matter you don't need any of them there if you don't want).

To be honest though the first one is a poor screen layout: if you just want a few icons on the screen you can put them at the bottom of the screen, where they are easier to reach, rather than up at the top. It's only iOS that forces you to fill screens from the top, and that's one of the most stupid features of that operating system .

 

[Jim0000]

Thanks for the reply with explanation hadron.

 

[parapaz]

Thanks for the reply with explanation hadron.

Second screen is after the removal of the installed apps.

I just bought a Samsung S10 and used ADB App Control (https://adbappcontrol.com/en/), instead of the pure ADB, to do the same dumbing down of the S10. The difference is that it saves you some time on finding what apps you likely want to get rid of via a UI, rather than the list displayed by the ADB shell. Another useful option is that you can batch install APKs directly from the managing machine (PC).

The list of the application on the phone is now even smaller than the on the Galaxy S9.
All installed apps are - Phone, Calendar, Samsung Email, Messages, Contacts, Clock, Camera, Simple Gallery Pro, Files, Settings. Note there is no browser app installed on the phone. I had Spin at the beginning, but that turned to be a distraction.

Otherwise, no Google Play and no Samsung store either. This is a key to the more permanent but selective dumbing-down of the phones. The option to install any new apps is limited to downloaded APKs, if you wish. The package installer remains untouched. Never had any issues with any of the apps, regardless of how old or un-updated they are. I don't care of the update status of the apps, since there is nothing remaining on the phone anyway. No option to open a phishing link anyway.

So far the problems that I have experienced when dumbing the smart phones down is to remove the package installer or the UI altogether. These should remain on the phone, since it becomes unusable after their removal and it requires reset to reverse it to something useful.

Andoid Blackberries (not that old; Motion, Key One & Two) are also problematic for dumbing-down, hence the use of Samsung made phones for the purpose.

This type of selective dumbing-down is useful regulation through architecture measure for information, porn, and IM addicts. It can be used for kids and youngsters as well. In a sense one can have the latest smart phone but in a dumbed-down state.

 

[parapaz]

That member hasn't logged on for a year, so it's unlikely they will answer your question. But my impression (on a very quick scan of that post) was that the latter two show Settings > Apps, which may well be after removal, while the first shows a home screen with just a few icons on it. You do not need every installed app to appear on the home screen (for that matter you don't need any of them there if you don't want).

To be honest though the first one is a poor screen layout: if you just want a few icons on the screen you can put them at the bottom of the screen, where they are easier to reach, rather than up at the top. It's only iOS that forces you to fill screens from the top, and that's one of the most stupid features of that operating system .

There is no particular layout here. Based on the layout of the icons seems to be deducing that the reduction of clutter is the aim of the dumbing-down, which is not. Rather, the central aim to dumb-down a smart phone, and in the process create as many as possible difficulties to installing or enabling any applications, except those that are really essential, according to the needs of the individual.