# Commodore Digital Detox Phone

14 Hacker News commenters recommended Commodore Digital Detox Phone and 11 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 1 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Small Linux-based phone pitched as a distraction-free alternative; people like its open setup and compact size, but many find the price too high and question the Commodore brand.

## Why people recommend it

- Open setup, can install own apps (3 comments): "I'd rather have something that respects me out of the box and spend a little time adapting to it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48620298)) "I don’t want meta apps nor Spotify preinstalled, but I would take the ability to install signal." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48620634)) "This is a pocket Linux terminal with loads of untapped potential out of the box." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48620661))
- Small enough to forget in pocket (2 comments): "It's genuinely small. You can put it in your pocket and forget that it's there." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48621721)) "I really like the general form factor and aesthetic here." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48619966))
- Appealing concept and aesthetic (2 comments): "I really like the general form factor and aesthetic here." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48619966)) "I like the idea behind the product very much." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48628716))

## What people warn about

- Price too high for what it offers (4 comments): "It's at most a $200 smart phone (doubling the prices for the DAC + IEMs) being sold at > $500" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48622643)) "The price is steep. I'm not sure if that is going to be a problem." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48622184)) "I'd be interested in this, but not at a 600$ price level" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48621840))
- Relies on fading Commodore brand (4 comments): "I have a hard time believing that market is large enough, or wealthy enough, to support the custom manufacture of a luxury dumb phone." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48621738)) "The problem is that even among the commodore/amiga crowd, the reception has been pretty uninterested" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48627482)) "Commodore died in the 80-90s, this is the husk of a dead horse being beaten by some YouTuber." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48619755))
- Locked apps and sideloading restrictions (2 comments): "The idea that Commodore can decide which apps go on the device, and I'm supposed to pay a premium for that, is crazy to me." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48622737)) "The price doesn't really bother me as much as the side loading restrictions." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48620320))
- Needs a real keyboard, T9 questioned (2 comments): "I'd go this direction as long as it had a real keyboard" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48620197)) "t9 keyboard is workable but I disagree that it’s viable" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48621006))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Minimal Phone 2](https://hackerapproved.com/p/minimal-phone-2.md): 34 recommend
- [Commodore Flip Phone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/commodore-flip-phone.md): 31 recommend
- [Nokia phones](https://hackerapproved.com/p/nokia-phones.md): 29 recommend
- [Mudita Kompakt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mudita-kompakt.md): 8 recommend
- [HMD Touch 4G](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hmd-touch-4g.md): 8 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Commodore+Digital+Detox+Phone&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Commodore Digital Detox Phone", https://hackerapproved.com/p/commodore-digital-detox-phone/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).