Their reasoning for this is even flimsier:

“Because the browser is the back door. Most social media, feeds, video sites, news spirals, and endless searches are still available through the web. Blocking only the apps would leave the main temptation intact.”

Imagine using social media apps on 3,25” 640x480 screen. Now imagine using simple text heavy web pages, like Wikipedia on that screen. One is possible, even useful the other pure bullshit.

They can't be installed from the app store, but you can sideload the apk to install them.

Who is this for? Me. If it didn't cost $500, I'd get it. I don't have any social apps and I have a work phone (that I leave in the office when my shift ends). I would simply install a firefox fork apk and be done with it. No socials (aside lemmy), and no need for work apps. This phone would be for me if the price were something in the 200-300 area.

Yeah, I get wanting it to be for disconnecting from social media and doomscroll but to actually block the apps? What if someone changes their mind and legitimately needs to access if for some reason? Buy a new phone? No way. My phone is a tool and I should be able to use it how I want. This is no different than Google blocking 3rd party apps. Let me run what I want on my own phone.

The $500 price tag is the hardest part of this to swallow.

Not me. I really want a Linux phone but one that is artificially hobbled? No thanks.

Parents for kids.

It's for nostalgic idiots I guess.

Yeah that's wild, I imagine most of the cost is in the arbitrarily high chip manufacturing.

What are you referring to? I read the article and saw no mention of meta

That's also the main selling point of the phone. In many European and South American countries, Whatsapp is basically a necessity (I'm not exaggerating). Anywhere else you can just get a real dumbphone for a tenth of the price