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    Ubuntu Touch for Digital Detox?

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      • J Offline
        jaag
        last edited by jaag

        Hi everyone!

        Recently I’ve been feeling pretty burned out from how digitally tethered I feel on traditional smartphones, and have been looking for a replacement that will let me keep the tools I use (e.g. email, maps/directions, light web browsing, etc.) without the hyper-connectedness and personal data harvesting of iOS and Android. I’ve seen things like Light Phone, boringphone, dumb phones, even slimmed-down Android-based “hybrids” that keep some core apps, but I’ve just recently learned about Ubuntu Touch and am wondering how well it might work for me. It seems I already have a supported device (Pixel 3), and it’s been a dream of mine for a decade or more to see a phone that could effectively double as a light personal computing machine. Would love to get a Yolla but I’m in the States.

        For people that use this as a daily driver, do you think Ubuntu Touch might help me sever the digital anti-privacy tether? Has anyone made this switch looking for the same or similar thing as me?

        MoemM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • MoemM Offline
          Moem @jaag
          last edited by

          @jaag said in Ubuntu Touch for Digital Detox?:

          Hi everyone!

          Hello and welcome! There's a lot to unpack here, let me try to help...

          Recently I’ve been feeling pretty burned out from how digitally tethered I feel on traditional smartphones, and have been looking for a replacement that will let me keep the tools I use (e.g. email, maps/directions, light web browsing, etc.)

          Those are things that should work on UT. Email has few options, but there is a client (Dekko2) and you can of course use webmail.
          I do feel that UT gives you more of a sense of being in charge of the phone, instead of the other way around. It's a calmer experience... it's not as pushy. The OS, and thus the phone, are easier to ignore yet you still have good tools at hand if you need them.

          It seems I already have a supported device (Pixel 3)

          Hate to bring bad news,but it's the Pixel 3A and 3AXL that are supported. Not, as far as I can see, the Pixel 3.

          and it’s been a dream of mine for a decade or more to see a phone that could effectively double as a light personal computing machine.

          That sounds quite possible.

          For people that use this as a daily driver, do you think Ubuntu Touch might help me sever the digital anti-privacy tether? Has anyone made this switch looking for the same or similar thing as me?

          Yes and yes. With a few caveats:

          • as said above: Pixel 3 is not supported
          • calls are currently a problem in the US, because all providers have started offering calls only through VoLTE, which UT does not yet support. But there are some options and workarounds.

          Is currently using an Op5t
          Also owns an Op1, a BQ E4.5 and an Xperia X, as well as a BQ tablet and a Pinetab2. Please, someone... make it stop.

          J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • J Offline
            jaag @Moem
            last edited by jaag

            @moem thanks very much for the reply. Somewhat saddened that VoLTE is still unsupported, which might make it a deal-breaker for now. Thanks for the callout on phone model as well; I’m more versed in iOS and only have the Pixel as a test device for work, so wasn’t aware of the model difference.

            Might not be something I can jump onto right now, but definitely something I’ll be keeping an eye on.

            MoemM E 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • MoemM Offline
              Moem @jaag
              last edited by

              @jaag said in Ubuntu Touch for Digital Detox?:

              Somewhat saddened that VoLTE is still unsupported, which might make it a deal-breaker for now.

              It's being worked on. For now, you could consider getting a cheap used device of a supported model, just to play around with and experience the OS.
              Also there are people who are sucessfully using SIP for calls, for the time being.

              Is currently using an Op5t
              Also owns an Op1, a BQ E4.5 and an Xperia X, as well as a BQ tablet and a Pinetab2. Please, someone... make it stop.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • E Offline
                Emphrath @jaag
                last edited by

                @jaag It was not planned, but UT did the detox thing for me. I don't have fb and the sorts anymore and I can only vouch for what @Moem said: it's a calmer experience indeed. Notifications are usually far and between and i consume much less videos / games / social and much more books, forums, and interactive novels, thanks mostly to @cybersheep job

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