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Comment by ArrayBoundCheck | Hacker News Reader

I want a dumber phone. A camera would be nice but I don't need one. All I need it to do is (how do I do a line break? 2 spaces at the end doesn't work)

- Make standard mobile phone calls and text (with a touchscreen)

- Support calls using SIP/VOIP

- Maybe an app or two, specifically signal so I can look at pictures, I don't need video to work

- No notifications (besides text when it's not on silent)

- If possible a really shitty browser that doesn't support JS but can handle searching google+wikipedia

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My strategy has been to use Google's parental controls to disable all apps that I had a tendency to misuse. That being primarily web browsers. I left termux installed and can still browse the web, when necessary, through links2. This is text only and javascript free, as you suggest.

It just feels like your want is just so niche it's unrealistic to produce the exact phone. If you stopped at wants 1 and 2, sure. When you start adding apps and a bad browser it's veering off into strange requirements because for those things to happen you essentially need to pay for a fully featured phone anyway.

It sounds like you could use an iPhone and only leave the phone, message(disable iMessage in settings), install whatever app or two you want, going settings and disable notifications, or put it in focus mode, or do not disturb mode, or do all three of those things. Then you can go into settings > safari > advanced and disable javascript.

Well if I stopped at want 2 the rest are fullfilled. 2 are maybes and one was a no notification if there are apps. There are plenty of devices with a not to spec web browser and back in the day people use to write java apps for phones which only used the java api. I thought that might be what the app situation might be if there are apps but I'm completely fine with text+contacts being the only app

Actually I forgot one more requirement. I'd like either a headphone jack (or bluetooth) and music player for when I jog

Great, an iPhone is still a good solution! It has bluetooth and a way to physically plug in headphones.

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