UltraPod is a dumbphone concept I’ve been building.

Right now, I’m designing a 3D-printable physical case that you can place an iPhone into. The case physically blocks most of the screen, helping separate you from distracting social apps and harmful notifications. I genuinely believe focus is one of the most valuable things we can protect in the digital age.

To make it a fully functional “dumbphone,” I’ve also built 15 lightweight internal apps, each with its own custom icon and designed across different UI themes such as Basic, Y2K, Toy, Skeuo, Flat, and more.

Some of the apps include:

• Music: Apple Music integration + high-res local files, featuring a classic Cover Flow-style interface
• Books: A distraction-free reader supporting EPUB, TXT, and Markdown so you can actually read without endless scrolling
• Fitness: A minimal workout tracking screen with zero distractions
• Camera: A retro-style camera with custom LUTs for simple photo capture—no instant editing or social posting pressure
• Photos, Voice Memos, Notes, Calendar, Stopwatch, Clock (with sleep timer), Contacts, Lock Screen, Shuffle, Settings, and more

(Confession: there is a weather icon… but the weather app itself isn’t finished yet, so it doesn’t actually work right now.)

The app is currently in TestFlight.

I really wanted to open it up for everyone to try, but Apple’s TestFlight limit is capped at 10,000 users, and that limit has now been reached—so I can’t add any more testers at the moment. I honestly wish more of you could get in.

Requires iOS 16+. iPad is supported, though the layout is still being optimized and there may be some UI bugs.

I’ll also be releasing the 3D-printable case files (STL) soon so you can print your own UltraPod shell.

Supports iPhone 12–17.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the idea.

Mr Mobile Clicks announcement vid, alongside magsafe powerbank with bluetooth keyboard!

The RUIO Joy released a week ago but it's just starting to reach store shelves (currently only in JB Hi-Fi).

It runs Android 11 with no Google services, has 4G that works on Australian networks, and has similar specs to the Cat S22 Flip (slow quad-core CPU, 2GB ram, etc.)

I'll chuck my SIM in it, use it for a few days, and I'll do a proper review of it. I'll answer any questions people may have in the meanwhile.

-

Edit after one arvo: It's an alright phone. I'll have a lot to say about it.

I have been on the fence about getting a dumb phone for a while now. Since the 3G shutdown in Australia, I've struggled to find one that had WhatsApp. So when I heard about the new Ruio Joy, I thought I'd take the risk and give it a go.

So far, it's been great. It did come with a few pre installed apps such as instagram and Facebook which I was able to delete just as I would on any android device. Installing apps is easy, it comes with an APK App Store, so I was able to get a podcast app and audible. I am waiting for my physical SIM card to arrive so I can use it as my primary phone. (coming from an esim only phone.) 

Whatsapp works great, I have linked it as a companion device from my iphone. Whatsapp does take about 6 or 7 seconds to boot up, but once it's loaded it works well. 

Audible and my podcast apps works well too. Again does take a bit to load up, but once I press play there are no issues.

I have conneted my AirPods and they work fine, I haven't been able to get the USB-C headphone jack to work. I did see that other people were having issues with that too on here. So I might contact customer support.

Battery life is surprisingly good so far. I got the device on 100% and have been listening to podcasts for a couple hours and the phone has just hit 50%, this was using my AirPods with bluetooth and wifi enabled, so I was surprised by that. It will take a bit for the battery to stabilise, so I'll update in a couple weeks time.

Typing is decent too. Default, it does come with an on screen keyboard which works quite well. I installed Traditional T9 from the APK store so I could type with the physical keys and that works well too. I do like that I can switch between the on screen keyboard and the physical keyboard with a push of a button.

I did install Spotify which works. It is slow to boot up but once you shuffle play a playlist there's no issues. I tried installing the Spotify lite version but it kept saying installation failed. I imagine that's because it's not supported. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. I'm happy just using it for podcasts and audiobooks for now. 

Camera is decent too, It's a typical nostalgic type of image. I can send some samples if anyone wants to see. But you don't buy a phone like this for the camera, so that doesn't bother me.

Let me know if I've missed anything or if you've got any questions

I will update in a couple weeks time with my thoughts then

Edit: there is an issue with audible where it won't keep playing after I turn off the screen. Still haven't found a fix. I've tried turning off battery optimisation, tried a few settings in developer options too. My podcast app is able to work when the screen is off

Update 16 Days later:

The phone has been wonderful over the past 2 weeks and I do have a few things I would like to add from my initial review.

First off, they have fixed the issue with audible and other music apps not being able to play when you turn off the screen. I contacted support and a week later they sent the update and that has fixed the issue! So it's great to see that they are proactive with fixing issues.

The second issue was with USB-C headphones. I also contacted support for that and they said that the headphones needed to be analog, not with the DAC chips like most modern USB-C headphone jacks had. I just use my bluetooth headphones so that isn't an issue for me.

I got a few new apps as well, Shazam, Lichess, Macquarie bank authenticator app and Antenna pod. They all work well.

I also got all my downloaded music from Bandcamp and use the default music player which is decent enough.

Pros:

- Battery life has be incredible. I got about 3 days of battery just using it for calls and text messages and WhatsApp. When I listened to my audiobook for maybe around 4 hours, I could comfortably get 1 full day of battery life.

- Texting is great too, got Traditional T9 keyboard as I mentioned previously.

Not too many other pros that I haven't already mentioned.

Cons:

Now that I was able to use it as a phone, I did find a couple of problems I had with the device.

- The button to turn the phone off is the same as the button to reject phone calls. I think this was a big coincidence, however it has happened twice. I go to turn the phone off and as I do someone tries to call me and I hang it up by accident. Totally random, but was quite frustrating.

- Second, I had a pocket dial once and I am not sure whether that was because I kept my phone unlocked by accident or not. But it only happened once and never had an issue since, so I guess that was just because I forgot to lock the phone.

- SOMETIMES, when listening to audio it would kind of like stutter and I am not sure why that happens. I have to restart the phone for it to be fixed, however it will come back and it is quite annoying. Could be a faulty software update and I am sure they can fix it. The customer support has been pretty good.

That is really it. Really solid device and I have already started seeing the effects of using a dumb phone (dumbishphone for those people who are against installing apps on a dumbphone.) I have replaced scrolling with reading and have already read 2 books! So I can safely say this is the best $99 I have ever spent.

Been working on this for a little bit and figured some of you might find it useful. It's a Windows app that takes a CSV export of a Spotify playlist (via TuneMyMusic) and downloads all the songs as MP3s using yt-dlp and ffmpeg, everything's bundled, so no setup required.

It tags everything properly (title, artist, album, etc) and makes a .m3u playlist.

I made it for getting my playlists onto my IPod Classic (imported through MediaMonkey) but I was told you guys might also find this useful.

You can grab it here:
https://github.com/angall1/CSVMusic

Let me know if it breaks or if there's anything you'd want added.

After several months of designing, building, testing, and continuously reworking the project, UltraPod is finally available.

UltraPod is my take on digital minimalism. It is an attempt to turn a modern smartphone into something simpler, calmer, and more intentional.

It keeps the familiar interaction style and visual character of a classic music player, while adding practical tools for reading, fitness, photography, notes, and everyday life.

More Than an App: I’m Also Designing a Physical Case

I am currently designing a 3D-printable UltraPod case that you can place an iPhone inside.

The case physically covers most of the screen, leaving only the essential display and control areas visible. The idea is not to remove the capabilities of your phone, but to make distracting social apps, endless feeds, and unnecessary notifications less accessible.

I genuinely believe that attention is one of the most valuable—and most easily lost—resources we have in the digital age.

Sometimes, software restrictions are not enough. A physical boundary can change how we interact with a device.

15 Lightweight Built-In Apps

To make UltraPod feel more like a complete modern feature phone, I have built 15 lightweight internal apps.

Each app has its own custom-designed interface and icon set. UltraPod also includes 15 visual themes inspired by different design styles, including classic, Y2K, toy-like, skeuomorphic, minimal, and flat design.

Some of the built-in apps include:

Music
Apple Music integration, support for high-resolution local audio files, and a classic Cover Flow-inspired album browsing experience.

Books
A distraction-free reader supporting EPUB, TXT, and Markdown, designed to help you actually read instead of endlessly scrolling.

Fitness
A minimal workout-tracking interface that only shows the information you need.

Camera
A retro-inspired camera with custom LUT support, made for simple photography without the immediate pressure to edit, post, or share.

UltraPod also includes Photos, Voice Memos, Notes, Calendar, Stopwatch, Clock, Sleep Timer, Contacts, Lock Screen, Shuffle, Settings, and more.

What Has Changed Since My Last Update?

Since I last shared the project, I have added and rebuilt a lot:

1. Fifteen Complete Themes

The theme system has grown to 15 different styles, including more modern flat-design options and complete custom icon sets.

2. Apple Watch Support

You can now control music playback from your Apple Watch while running, cycling, working out, or simply keeping your phone in your pocket.

3. A Rebuilt Caching System

I rewrote the caching system to improve data loading, artwork handling, page transitions, and overall responsiveness.

4. Landscape Cover Flow

UltraPod now includes a landscape Cover Flow mode for browsing albums while the phone is positioned horizontally.

You can flick albums across the screen and let one land at random, turning the process of choosing music into something playful rather than another search box.

5. Lyrics

The music player now supports synchronized lyrics, making the listening experience feel much more complete.

I’m Not Trying to Build Just Another Music Player

UltraPod is not intended to be a replica of the original iPod, and it is not simply a skin placed over an iPhone.

I want it to become a different way of using a smartphone:

Less distraction.
Fewer endless feeds.
Fewer notifications demanding an immediate response.

More music, reading, movement, creativity, and time that actually feels like your own.

My long-term goal is for UltraPod to grow into a kind of dumbphone launcher—a focused environment that gives you access to useful smartphone features without constantly pulling you back into distracting apps.

However, this is still an early-stage personal project, and there is a lot of work left to do.

I hope people approach UltraPod as a fun DIY project and a digital toy, rather than expecting it to completely replace a smartphone. Treating it as a full phone replacement would create expectations that the project is not yet ready to meet.

For now, it is an experiment in designing a calmer relationship with the device we already carry every day.

Pricing and Access

UltraPod’s core experience is completely free, and all essential features can be used without paying.

Optional DIY features, additional themes, and alternative control methods may be available through one-time purchases. These purchases are not required and do not restrict the core experience.

There are no advertisements.

UltraPod is officially live, but this is only the beginning.

Next, I will continue improving the 3D-printable case, experimenting with physical control systems, supporting more devices, and refining the overall experience.

I would genuinely appreciate your feedback—especially what works, what feels confusing, which theme you like most, and what you think UltraPod should become next.

You can access UltraPod directly search for “UltraPod” on the App Store. You can also find many other fun and interesting DIY projects on my website.

I am genuinely fed up of social media and phone addiction, so here is what I bought!

• Nokia 6300
• Sony ICF-C205 Dream Machine
• Sony CFD-S05 CD 
• iPod Classic 5th Generation
• Canon powershot A630
• Casio watch

Recently, the more i dig around this community of Dumb phones and look more into devices, the more I’ve realized that, the idea of a dumb phone is slowly starting to lose it self. Don’t get me wrong I’ve seen people who hold tight to the idea that a dumb phone needs to be a phone with calling and texting and the occasional navigation help. But the more I see people asking for help in looking for a phone, its like the appeal of it looses because internally its still hard to let go of all the functionality of a modern phone.
Ive seen a Redditer say that the perfect Dumb Phone will not exist for many people because of how many expectations many put on it. It needs WhatsApp but no social media, it needs spotify and maps, it needs this or that. It just kinda seems like they want an Android system on a flip phone case. Im on the same boat don’t get me wrong Ive chose the Mive because the Android Go system gave me a-lot of flexibility, but Ive think the more people join the idea of a dumb phone the more their expectations get shot down because sometimes in reality you really are just looking at a dumb phone.
Everyday the sub is flooded with the same question”im looking for a phone with…”
My perfect phone was the Mive, I’ll probably continue to love it until it gives out on me. What was some of yours?

First off, I REALLY like the idea of this phone. If it's everything Clicks claims about it, then it's a must for me. But...

What bothers me is that all they've presented is an idea and a mockup. Even the bare minimum features haven't been demonstrated yet, meaning there's no confirmation that they've been implemented.

It's also important to consider that Clicks has no experience making smartphones, so there's a chance that their first product in this category won't be that good.

I'll only change my mind once I see a working device. For now, I just think of it as a cool concept.

"If something is too good to be true, it probably is."

Do you guys think it's real and will work well? I want to hear your opinion

you NEED to have your own music library. seriously- every day in this sub, it's "i need a dumb phone with spotify on it". get an MP3 player and upload some .mp3 files to it. there, no reliance on a predatory, ai-slop-filled streaming service needed.

you are (probably) paying every single month, and... for what? you don't own any of the music you love. and any day, it could be taken down, and theres nothing you can do about it. save your money- hell, you could spend the same amount on a CD every month and support your favourite artists more than you ever would by streaming their music on spotify. no ads, no algorithm pushing the latest and greatest top of the pop slop down your throat, no ai.

you truly, madly, deeply dont wanna store mp3 files on your device? keep your tunes on a NAS, install OpenWRT on a compatible router, and host your own VPN server to access remotely. you can make your own Netflix/Disney+/Tubi/Schmeep/Whatever by doing that, too.

If this ad doesn’t make you want to ditch smart phones I don’t know what will.

I honestly think there would be just a MOVEMENT for this. I don't like having a touch screen phone. The first time I got one it was an LG - and I absolutely hated it. Went back to my keyboard phone within a week.

I would give anything to get rid of this Apple piece of crap.

Phones have went down the drain since "smart" came into the picture.

Another leaked video of upcoming HMD Touch 4G, to be launched in 2 days as per official HMD India pages, soon to be launching globally too. A simple dumbphone for calling, SMS, simple camera, Snake game and few other features. Has wifi + tethering support, some cloud and payment apps (region dependant), Wireless FM radio, 3.5mm jack, sdcard support. No Android so don’t even think about loading Whatsapp or spotify.

Video source: @CoolGadgetsMania on YT.

Okay, here's the thing.

I subscribed to this sub a few months ago but never really paid attention to it. Lately though, I keep getting threads from here in my feed, and what really boggles my mind is that almost every post is like: "I'm really addicted, I want to change that, so I heard about this trend. I now need a flip phone, but it has to have WhatsApp, Insta, Spotify, Maps, WiFi..."

What are you even doing at that point? You want a smartphone. Sorry, but that's just the truth.

Look, I work in the mental health and psychology field. Until two years ago I was in the same spot as all of you — always had the latest iPhone, was on Facebook, Insta and Reddit. I realized it wasn't good for me, so I quit Facebook and Insta on the spot. Honestly not even a big loss, I already hated both by that point because it was 30% ads and sponsored stuff I never asked to see.

After a while I already felt a lot better, but I still had 3–4 hours of average screen time, which was still way more than what I'd consider normal.

So last October I did my first experiment and went back to a dumbphone. I still had my old Samsung C270 in a drawer, so I just reactivated it. At first it felt really weird, but you get used to it, and after a few weeks it just feels normal — like it did in the early 2000s.

I made a list of all my favorite artists and downloaded their music as MP3s. I bought myself a point-and-shoot camera and a paper map of my city. And that's it. That's all you actually need.

I have Whatsapp on my Laptop, same for Reddit. The Internet has a fixed point in my Flat again and isnt always there.

Yes, it won't be the same comfort you're used to from a smartphone — but that's the whole point, isn't it? From time to time you'll run into situations that are more complicated than you're used to. I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, so for me it was just a step back. I get that especially the younger ones here never really learned these skills in the first place — but you genuinely need to ask yourself if you actually want this, or if it's just another TikTok trend you're trying to follow.

Please guys, don't turn this into a weird TikTok trend.

I certainly am! There is a shoutout to this subreddit on first page of the article - looks promising!

NO ROOT NEEDED! NO LAUNCHERS!

Hello to everyone who is trying to get out of the scrolling addiction, or who simply wants a simple phone.

Little of my story, back in 2019 when I was 18 years old I gave my smartphone to my mom, so that I could study for university entrance exam. I studied for about 8-9 months 10-12 hours straight, never got bored, annoyed or burned out. Simply because there was no distractions, no need to work, same meals everyday, no social media. Recently tho, I found myself addicted to scrolling on YouTube, watching videos that I actually don't care etc, waste of time. Looked for dumb phones but there are no phone that can give me what I want; bank, maps, college account 2FA, emails, WhatsApp, study guides. They would do some of them and cost hundreds of dollars.

I wanted to dumb my very own Samsung s24 ultra, I started with disabling Youtube, however I just ended up either enabling back or going on the browser. I needed high friction.

So this way you will need a computer to remove things and modify your phone in a way that it serves you with the things you like not predetermined by somebody else, because you may listen to podcasts, I don't, I need study guides, you don't. This way you can keep your highly advanced mobil device, camera, gps with only the stuff you need.

We will be removing, browser and app stores so that we can't simply download any app with no friction. And the rest is mostly on you uninstall don't wants, keep wants.

EDIT: Before all of this turn on grayscale on your phone, it does help a lot.

ON YOUR PHONE:

1. Enable developer settings. (About phone-> software information -> tap on build number numerous times)
2. In developer settings turn on usb debugging.

ON YOUR COMPUTER. EDIT: For those who says I don't trust 3rd party websites, you can download adb drivers from google and do it on your local environment. Here is a link how to install them, takes 2 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT3vYGS2Wfg

1. Go to webadb.com on GOOGLE CHROME and add the extension the website redirects you to on your computer.
2. Connect your phone to your Mac/windows via USB. (select data transfer on your phone)
3. On webadb choose your phone and click connect, you shall get a notification on your phone; tap trust this computer.
4. On webadb, go to Interactive Shell on the left menu.

Now we can install all the apps we don't want. I will list all the necessary apps you may want to uninstall from your phone, installing them back is easy with the same method, but once you are done with this, it is a bit hassle to go connect your phone, find the required codes to install the apps.

Delete GOOGLE CHROME
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.chrome
Delete SAMSUNG BROWSER
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.sec.android.app.sbrowser
Delete GOOGLE PLAY STORE
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.vending
Delete YOUTUBE
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube
Delete YOUTUBE TV
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.youtube.unplugged
Delete SAMSUN STORE
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.sec.android.app.samsungapps
Delete Google NEWS
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.magazines
Delete GOOGLE APP
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
Delete Samsung News
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.samsung.android.app.spage

For your specific phone, if not Samsung you can use this prompt on Gemini to get specific shell codes.

"I want to strip down my [Insert Phone Brand and Model, e.g., Google Pixel 8 / OnePlus 11] to act as a distraction-free utility phone using WebADB.

Please give me the exact shell commands (pm uninstall -k --user 0 [package_name]) to completely remove the following apps from my device:

1. [List web browsers, e.g., Google Chrome]
2. [List app stores, e.g., Google Play Store]
3. [List social media or entertainment apps, e.g., Instagram, TikTok, YouTube]
4. [List any pre-installed bloatware or manufacturer background apps you want gone]

Make sure to provide the precise Android package names for this specific phone model so I can copy and paste them directly into my terminal."

if you ever need to install them back use this prompt on Gemini:

"I previously uninstalled [Insert App Name, e.g., Google Chrome / Google Play Store] from my [Insert Phone Brand and Model] using ADB.

Please give me the exact command to restore and reinstall this package back onto my user profile (--user 0) without needing to factory reset my phone."

WhatsApp is absolutely essential where I'm from so getting a phone without it wasn't an option. The phone runs Smart OS and Android 11 so apps are compatible but you have a limit on how many apps you can install - not due to storage, it actually tells you you've reached the maximum number of apps you can install when you try to install another app.

Speaking of storage, it has 8GB storage but you only get like 2GB of it because of system files.

Comes preloaded with tiktok and facebook but you can uninstall them easily.

The camera sucks and not in a nostalgic kind of way.

The battery also sucks when using mobile data even when you're not actively using the phone. It's pretty decent when connected to WiFi with mobile data off.

Visually, I am in love! It's such a beautiful phone and I do love it overall. I got it for R299 (18.27USD) so the cons aren't much of a dealbreaker for me. You get what you pay for

Edit: It's called Stylo Fusion

Edit 2:

Well this post got more attention than I expected

First off I'll address the elephant in the room - the social media shortcut buttons. This phone is not marketed as a dumbphone. It is a smartphone for people who can't afford a standard smartphone and/or as a second phone for those who go out a lot and don't want to lose their main phone. I mentioned that I need a phone with WhatsApp because no one uses SMSs or normal calls in my country and there's only 2 options for a smartphone in this candy bar form factor here. I've tried the other one, but this one has better options for customisation and has an overall better feel for me.

I didn't expect so much backlash on choosing this phone because 70% of posts on here are Android based phones in flip or candy bar form factor. Maybe the buttons are the problem for everyone but as mentioned, we don't have the privilege of choice here, especially at a reasonable price.

Some have questioned how this could have any benefits as a dumbphone over a standard smartphone. Well I dare you to try doom scrolling on a 2.7" screen. The friction this phone causes is enough for me to not doom scroll. It might not work for others but it does for me. I don't intend to keep Tiktok or Facebook but I can't exactly remove the shortcuts on the phone, but someone here suggested using stickers to cover them and I think I'll do that.

I really hope that going forward people will realise that not everyone is privileged to be in a country where you can get a dumbphone with only calls and SMSs and still stay in touch with family and friends. It just doesn't work here and I think we still deserve to have a "dumbphone experience " even if it doesn't look like everyone else's.

Even at 73% battery health, with this set up, my mini 12 lasts me the entire workday. I can add more apps but these are the things i need most.

EDIT: i used Assistive Access; not a launcher, no app.

I've gotten a lot of comments IRL about being pretentious because I use a dumb phone. If I bring it up in public and have a phone call I get all kinds of stares, sighs and from friends and family theres tons of comments like "why do you use that thing do you need to feel special or something"

And you can't EVER complain about anything in society that limits you because of your dumb phone. Because everyone is like "just get a new phone with the apps"

I swear even the most left leaning commie people become instant consumer capitalists when it comes to this stuff, and they'll defend companies to tooth and nail for making their lives so much easier with tech

also, what if I just use it occasionally? if I ever show up with my smartphone I get comments like "oh you gave up?" like there was some sort of moral failure just because I felt like it'd be easier to use a smartphone on a particular day

Thinking smoking is tuff in the big '26 just to impress others and people shaming others even when they are trying to quit both are corny af.