There are actually some flip phones with Google Maps or alternatives available, but using it on that screen size could be a bit complicated! I remember looking at some of them when I was deciding on a new phone. A lot of them run on something called KaiOS, which is Linux based but not Android. They have their own app store of basic apps that can be used on it.

Yeah, the banking and things like that probably wouldn’t work well or at all. My previous phones were all de-Googled android, and a lot of that type of thing didn’t work without Google Play Services. This phone is also a custom version of Android without the Google bits, so it would probably be the same issue.

The photo sharing I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of ideas on, other than what you mentioned. It is possible to add non Mudita apps, so you might be able to get a camera app working. I know the Olympus/OM Systems app (the camera brand I use) wouldn’t work on my other phones due to having the Google services stripped out of them though.

It’s pretty great, as long as you’re willing to use it the way it’s designed. The camera isn’t great, and the screen refresh rate is too low to play video. I often carry a small mirrorless camera around as well, so I don’t really need that! I have it almost entirely stock other than adding a podcast app and a better notes app. The e-ink display is really nice for reading, and even though I prefer physical books, there are a lot of free e-books available!

Your mention of people commenting about your camera reminded me of it, because I’ve had the chance to talk to a lot of people about digital minimalism because of that. It seems I run into quite a number of people who are either fed up with the constant attention grabbing from their phone, or realize they have an addiction to it.

I found myself using my smartphone so little anymore that when it wore out I bought a Mudita Kompakt instead. It’s not quite to the level of a flip phone, (I wanted something that I could still read e-books on.) but I’m still amazed by how many comments I get on it when I have it out for something. The four or five days without charging is great!