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Mudita Kompakt E Ink Phone, Offline+ Privacy Switch and Harmony Sleep Clock

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Video summary

The Mudita Compact is presented as a minimalist e-ink smartphone designed to offer a balanced alternative between a completely dumb phone and a traditional, distraction-heavy device. Running on an open-source Android project, it provides users with significant choice over their digital environment, allowing them to sideload essential applications like WhatsApp, Signal, and browsers while maintaining the ability to curate their experience intentionally. The device features a genuine e-ink touch screen that supports typing with haptic feedback, which can be disabled if preferred, and boasts an impressive battery life of up to six days. This extended runtime is made possible by its 4G connectivity rather than power-intensive 5G, encouraging users to disconnect from the constant noise of notifications and reclaim control over their attention span. A standout feature of the Compact is the hardware and software "Offline Plus" switch, which acts as a physical kill switch to completely sever the phone's connection to cellular networks. This privacy-focused mechanism ensures that when activated, the device cannot be tracked or monitored by tech giants, addressing concerns about data harvesting and surveillance. The creators emphasize that this tool is specifically for individuals who wish to limit their exposure to digital tracking, such as those concerned about being followed while shopping at supermarkets. While the interface is strictly black and white, it supports various offline functionalities including e-reading, boarding passes, ride-sharing apps, and even music playback via local storage or streaming services like Spotify, proving that a lack of color does not equate to a lack of utility. Complementing the phone is the Mudita Harmony, an e-ink sleep clock designed to foster healthy bedtime routines without relying on internet connectivity or Bluetooth. Unlike smartwatches or alarm clocks that track sleep metrics and sync with phones, the Harmony is intentionally offline, offering features like alarms, power naps, meditation timers, and relaxation modes through a simple button interface. The device displays quotes and settings in monochrome to avoid blue light exposure and digital distractions before sleep, aiming to improve mental health by preventing users from checking their phones immediately upon waking or right before bed. This philosophy extends to the broader goal of cherishing one's time on Earth by avoiding the waste of hours scrolling through social media feeds. Ultimately, the Mudita ecosystem challenges the modern notion that "if you are not paying for the product, you are the product," urging users to reconsider their relationship with technology and the signals they emit into the world. By combining a privacy-first architecture with an offline-first design, these devices serve as tools for mindfulness rather than sources of addiction or anxiety. The company positions itself as a provider of choice, empowering users to decide what apps and features they need while rejecting restrictive ecosystems that prioritize engagement over well-being. Whether used for reading, managing communications selectively, or ensuring a peaceful night's sleep, the Mudita devices represent a deliberate step toward a more intentional and balanced digital lifestyle in an increasingly connected world.

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Hi, welcome to IFA and welcome to Mudita. This is our e-ink phone. It's called the Mudita Compact. >> So, this is uh with the e-ink display? >> Yes, it's a genuine e-ink display. It's our minimalist phone, so we like to think of it as a balance between going completely dumb phone and having a traditional smartphone. More and more people are realizing that having a traditional smartphone and being constantly connected to distractions and notifications may not be the best thing. >> And so, it has like weeks of battery or how does it work? >> Uh up to 6 days. >> 6 days of battery. And how does it work? Is it uh There's buttons I see here. >> So, what is >> Is touch? >> Yeah, it's a it's a touch screen. It's an e-ink touch screen right there. >> And you can write a message? >> Yes, you >> You can type it. You can feel the vibrations when you type? >> Yes, but you can turn that off if you if you don't like that. >> Nice. And you have some apps. So, is it running some kind of Android? >> It's an Android open source project, so it's Android open source. >> So, you can get a bunch of apps. Something you want, it probably might work. >> It will it mostly most likely will work. So, we'd like we like to think of it as uh a product for people to give people choice. We don't want to be restrictive. So, we make the phone so that you can choose what you want on there and choose what not to have on there. It's supposed to be a tool and it it leads to a more intentional use of the device. So, if you are a WhatsApp user, then by all means you can sideload WhatsApp. This is my personal one. >> So, you just have WhatsApp? >> I Like for example, on mine this is this is my personal one. So, I have things on it that I need, which is like WhatsApp, which is Signal. I have also a podcast app. I have a browser. I have ride share, which is an Uber app. QR code, um obviously our main apps are e-readers. I use those for even for if I want to put my boarding passes on, you know, it's it's a very useful tool. >> I actually think with the coding agents, the AI kind of like ecosystem, in theory you could customize an app just for this for your phone. >> Well, theory >> It It's not in theory cuz our community has already been doing this. So, since we launched the phone, we also released the framework by which we make our apps, the design framework, and the users of this phone have already done that. They have already made apps for this. >> It could be cool if you can even use an app on that to prompt another app to be installed based on your wishes. >> I'm not that >> [laughter] >> advanced in AI, so I can't speak to that, but making specific apps tailored to this device is already happening. >> Because if you can optimize your access to technology to not be overwhelmed by all these notifications and the noise >> Well, this This is what this phone does. This phone is specifically designed to be the middle ground. This phone is specifically designed for you to be able to use this phone in a way that's more intentional and more deliberate. >> Nice. Uh and there's a SIM card slot? >> Two SIMs or an and an eSIM as well, but one of the killer features that we have here is the kill switch right there, right there. And we call it the offline plus switch. And what what it does is that takes the phone off of the network. It's a power kill switch on a hardware and software level. And as far as I know, we're the only ones that have it. >> That's for people who like their privacy a little bit. >> That is. That is the people who want >> Mark Zuckerberg to check that they are at the Lidl. >> Exactly. >> they are. They're tracking people all day. All the time. That's so cool. Is there a nice 4G or 5G signal? >> This is 4G. Yes, 4G. It's not 5G optimized. It's 4G. >> How's the price? Is it free? >> It's It's very, very friendly. So, the retail price is $399. However, right now we're running running our back to school sale. So, depending on what you purchase, between 15 to 20% off. >> Nice. And if I want to be extra cool, then I can have like an round phone? Or what is this one? >> This is a This is our fantastic clock. It's called the Mudita Harmony. It's also e-ink. Um because obviously most of us a lot of people are using their smartphones as alarm clocks. So, your smartphone's the first thing you see when you wake up and the last thing you see before you go to bed, which is not great for your mental health and your physical health and it's not great for your sleep. So, we created Mudita Harmony. It's basically a healthy sleep companion and helps you create an offline bedtime routine so you can fall asleep more easily and wake up in a better mood. >> So, there's a nice little button a a button up here. >> Yes. >> And then this has all the functions through the button. >> There we go. >> is scrolling through some some quotes. Then you have menu with alarm, power nap, relaxation, meditation, bedtime, focus timer, and some settings. So, it's like a philosophy a bit of having a different kind of alarm clock by the bed. >> Yes, it's a It's not connected to the web, so I like to make that clear. There's no Bluetooth, there's no connectivity. You're not going to sync this with your phone. It's not tracking your sleep. It's not optimizing anything. You're not going to count how many hours of deep sleep you got. It does not do that. We are intentionally offline, and we want our sleep products to be intentionally offline. >> And uh I see for example in Switzerland, I'm helping my neighbor to get on the internet for for something like 20 euro for 1 year because you don't need that much data. And maybe for example for this phone, you could have a cheap SIM card. >> I mean >> a little bit of data, and you might be able to be a power user even with a little bit of data. >> And it's a very easy to use. It's black and white. Everything is black >> It You You can do it. It's just not very comfortable. It's black and white. Everything is black and white. >> And maybe you can do a little bit like the iPod where for example if you have a music player, it downloads to the storage, and you don't need to stream it. >> You You could stream it. Many of our users do have Spotify or YouTube Music on this, but just just for listening. But they You can also upload your own music in here and play it because we do have a music player in here. >> So this is also for people who are conscious about the uncertainty about the science around all these signals that are in the world that might or might not impact the biome. The biology is maybe impacted by all these signals. And so if you want to live in peace and not have too much >> I'm more concerned about wasting time being stuck on a screen. I'm more concerned about not being distracted when I don't want to be distracted and not being bombarded with notification and cat videos. So this is a very good phone for someone who wants to be more mindful in the way that they use technology, in the way that um kind of protects their peace and their time. >> Uh it's about uh cherishing your time on this planet and really enjoying it and not wasting it on scrolling. >> Because remember, if you're not paying for the product, you are the product.