Minimalist phones are finally worth buying, and it's all thanks to this one change

If the idea of a phone that doesn't bombard you with constant notifications and interruptions appeals to you, you may want to switch to a dumb phone.

Dumb phones vary in price, quality, and features, but they all have the same goal: reducing your reliance on big tech and helping you build a healthier relationship with your device.

Some apps and launchers offer similar benefits, but the growing trend of people switching to dumb phones indicates that these aren't enough.

However, a few years ago, you would have struggled to make the switch.

While there have always been plenty of dumb phones on the market, most offered so few features that they could actively hinder your life.

Great for people who want to completely disconnect, but not ideal for people who just want to reduce their screen time.

At CES 2026, we saw two phones that showed how manufacturers may have hit on the perfect compromise for dumb phones.

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Posts By  Ben Khalesi

Modern minimalist phones are better than ever

You don't have to settle for substandard hardware

The Punkt MC03 and the Mudita Kompakt are two completely different devices.

The MC03 looks like a regular smartphone, except it runs AphyOS, a privacy-first operating system designed to eliminate tracking, bloatware, profiling, and services running in the background.

The phone ships with a custom app store that only offers apps vetted by the Aphy team.

The Kompakt is an e-paper phone that ships with a minimalist custom OS and just 11 preinstalled apps.

Neither phone is strictly a "dumb" phone, but they share the same design goals.

Both phones are privacy-first (the Kompakt features a physical switch that disconnects the power supply from any antennas, microphones, and transmitters), and their custom operating systems are designed to reduce screen addiction.

The available apps cover most of the scenarios you will encounter in day-to-day life, but not all.

This is usually the point where most privacy or minimalist phones go wrong.

A company cannot provide a preinstalled suite of apps for every scenario. Even the vetted app store from Punkt isn't enough.

For example, an old job of mine required me to install Facebook Messenger to access the work chat (yes, I know it's ridiculous), but that's not available on the Aphy store.

Or what about banking apps that are sometimes the only way to access your account?

These limitations crippled older minimalist phones.

Many of us can't or don't want to restrict ourselves to a limited suite of apps, so despite their appeal, older dumb phones struggled to take off.

However, the MC03 and Kompakt have one crucial feature that I think heralds a new age for "dumb" phones.

Opt-in access to Android apps is the answer

You're not limited to a pre-installed selection of apps

Punkt and Mudita know that the Play Store is a valuable tool, despite the privacy concerns associated with it.

Therefore, devices from both companies allow access to Android apps, albeit in very different ways.

The MC03 splits the operating system into two sections: the Vault and the Wild Web.

The Vault is the main screen of the MC03, and it houses the secure apps vetted by Aphy, plus the full suite of Proton apps.

You can install and uninstall various apps, but everything you do here cannot be tracked by Aphy, Punkt, or a third party.

The Wild Web houses the Play Store so that you can install apps like Instagram or your banking app.

The Kompakt won't let you access the Play Store, but you can sideload Android apps by downloading their APKs.

These apps do not appear on the home screen; they can only be accessed through the phone's Settings app.

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It's the best way I've seen of reducing the habit of unconsciously opening an app when you see it.

These different approaches have their pros and cons.

I like the ability to directly access the Play Store on the MC03, but it's not perfect for those trying to reduce screen addiction, as every app is just a couple of taps away.

The Kompakt's approach is less convenient, but storing the apps in a separate menu means you'll only open apps when you need them.

Dumb phones need to acknowledge the necessary parts of smartphones

While some people might be able to live with a phone with no access to Play Store apps, that isn't an option for most people.

That's a concerning fact in itself, as now smartphones are so embedded in our lives, we struggle to function without access to the Play Store or App Store.

That's why Mudita and Kompakt have made the right decision by making it straightforward for us to install any app we want.

As dumb phones grow in popularity, I expect that we'll see more competition in this space.

Whether it's minimalist e-paper devices like the Mudita Kompakt or privacy-first phones like the Punkt MC03, you'll be able to de-Google your life and reduce your screen time without making your life more difficult.