Commodore’s new flip phone runs Sailfish OS with 99% Android app support (Signal, Maps, Uber etc) but blocks browsers, social media and work emails at the OS level. Features a T9 keys, no popup notification preview outer screen (only shows the time, date, battery, and network signal), audio headphone jack, user swappable battery, and retro C64 games to reclaim your focus. What do you think?

https://commodore.net/why-a-flip-phone/

The phone expected to start at US $500 for the standard models. There are also higher end editions etc that cost about $640 (Founder's Edition with 24K gold-plated Commodore button and premium finish etc). The price is higher. They need a basic phone model that can allow google maps and uber and I will buy it at lower price. $500 is too much. I just need those two for travel which cheapo phone does the job.

@nixCraft FIVE HUNDRED FOR A FLIP PHONE?!

@nixCraft I am really curious about software stack and hope there will be tinkering possible.
But I still have ~7yrs to go with FP6 so it will be pass for me.
As for the price, I would not expect small company to produce phone that's more than rebrand for price that could compete with rest of the industry. We live in AI era, probably those 4GB of RAM alone cost half of the manufacturing price 🙁

@nixCraft I was expecting it to be like $150.

Commodore is cool and all but $500 is laughable.

@nixCraft Since Jack Tramiel died 14 years ago, I'm game to try it even though it's Android!

Look, I typed that without throwing up! OMG! I can't believe I typed that and didn't get sick!

@nixCraft Well, I think the idea of focusing on fundamentals is great, especially when phone venders are trying to push all sort of nonsense that customers won't ever need or want, but I think promoting the Android compatibility with no internet browsing is largely contradicting; that's a good chuck of the reasons for using smartphones. And the price... I'd rather stick to Android phones with physical keyboards (which is also a market of its own, though microscopic compared to the "mainstream").

@nixCraft Was excited to click on the link, but kind of disappointed with the execution. I want a minimalist phone, but I don't want it to be lacking basic modern niceties like a full keyboard. Also don't like a system that chooses how I use it. I would prefer to just be able to disable and delete services I don't want like when browsers or social media.

I do like the stuff like a headphone jack and FM tuner though. I miss that from my earliest Android phones. If it wasn't $500 I would try it.

@nixCraft 500 $ for a flip phone when the next Sailfish flagship is set to cost 649 € is a bit steep.
But cool to see the OS gaining a bit of traction

@nixCraft I need to be able to see email 😭 otherwise it looks near perfect!

@nixCraft @briankrebs I’d rather have then focus on making a retro Amiga 1200.

@nixCraft My immediate thought is:

Mine too.

mine too

@nixCraft holy shit comodore like the comodore 64?!?!? HOW did I not know they still exist?

@nixCraft

Useless for me. My phone is a portable computer, with telephony only included cause it's there. If I want something blocked, I'll just block it.

Phone looks fun, but I can't use looks. Might as well carry a rock in my pocket.

@lxskllr @nixCraft It's aimed at grandparents (who remember the Commodore brand) and parents (who want their kids to carry a tracking device but not use social media). If you use your phone as a personal computer with cellular data, you are Not The Intended Audience.

@nixCraft
'retro C64 games to reclaim your focus'.

wait

@nixCraft >$500
>Extremely niche use case
Dead on Arrival.

@nixCraft is buy this instantly at half the price

@nixCraft Commodore made their brand on offering inexpensive computers that were actually innovative. This isn't either. It's a cash grab from a zombie corporation- a long dead bundle of IPs animated by nostalgia farming.

That said, I miss the compact form factor of flip phones and the more carefree time from which they came. I miss the uncomplicated operation. I miss the low cost.

@nixCraft lol yeah, nah.

@nixCraft My first thought is "why". My second thought is still "why".

@nixCraft Not sure I like their marketing, but I like light phones. Any idea how much is this supposed to weight? (And is it real? I have not seen antennas on cellphones for a while...)