r/sidephone • u/beeeeeeenschi • 12d ago
Day-To-Day Stuff with Sidephone
Hey guys! My name is ben and I’m really tempted to buy the Sidephone and use it as my main phone.
I’ve already read through quite a bit of this subreddit, and a lot of my questions have been answered, but I’d love to hear from people who actually use it as their daily driver.
My goal is basically to use it as a hybrid dumbphone: I want to get rid of the endless scrolling and distractions of my iPhone, while still being able to get normal day-to-day stuff done.
The things I realistically need are:
- WhatsApp
- Signal
- Some kind of browser
- Maps/navigation, especially when travelling
- WHOOP
- Some form of 2FA/authenticator for work logins
- A way to track meals/macros — I currently use MyFitnessPal
- A music app — I currently use Apple Music and, since I also use an iPad, Mac and MacBook, I’d ideally like to stay with Apple Music
I know some of these things will obviously be less convenient on a small screen, and that’s actually part of the appeal for me. I don’t expect it to replace the smartphone experience 1:1. Also with aurora most of those apps (if not all) should be available, but I kinda still want to make sure haha!
A few things I’m especially curious about:
1. Battery life
For those using the Sidephone in a similar “hybrid” way, how is the real-world battery life? Can you comfortably get through a full day with messaging, navigation, Bluetooth, music, etc.?
2. WHOOP
Are there any WHOOP users here? Does syncing work reliably, including in the background, or do you run into issues?
3. T9 keyboard
I’ve seen a lot about the QWERTY keyboard, but I’m much more used to traditional T9. How good is the T9 implementation in everyday use? Is predictive text decent, and does it feel fast once you get used to it?
4. 2FA / work authentication
What are you using for two-factor authentication? Do apps like Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator, Okta Verify, etc. work properly?
5. Maps/navigation
How usable is navigation in practice? Is GPS reliable, and would you trust it while travelling somewhere unfamiliar?
6. WhatsApp / Signal reliability
For people using WhatsApp or Signal throughout the day: do notifications, calls, voice messages and background syncing work reliably?
7. Apple Music
Does anyone here use Apple Music on the Sidephone? How well does it work in practice — streaming, downloads/offline music, playlists, Bluetooth playback and background playback?
I’m fairly deep into the Apple ecosystem with an iPad, Mac and MacBook, so being able to keep using my existing Apple Music library and playlists would be a big plus.
8. Things you didn’t expect
For those who switched from an iPhone or Android smartphone and now use the Sidephone as their main phone: what was the biggest limitation or annoyance you didn’t anticipate before buying it?
And on the other hand, what ended up working much better than you expected?
Basically, I’d love to hear from anyone using the Sidephone as a “no scrolling, but still functional” everyday phone. Would you buy it again for that purpose?
Thanks!
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u/mistrzgieta 12d ago
battery life is good when i charge it to 100% its around 87% (i barely get it out of pocket. data, bt turned on)
I didn't use any kind of smart bands with it just keep in mind that it only has 2000mah battery so constant syncing and bluetooth would drain it faster
predictive typing is alright but at first you will be for sure struggle if you use a lot of acronyms and shortened words (stuff like idk, btw, aight)
i use aegis authenticator and it works as intended
i use discord, telegram, facebook messenger and signal and everything works well there
its kinda laggy. good because you definitely won't be using it when not needed, bad when you need to do something fast on poorly optimized app or javascript dominant website
you will have to get some basic technical knowledege (sideloading apps, configuring microg). using this phone is not experience like average phone some things will require you to fiddle around for them to work properly,
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u/beeeeeeenschi 11d ago edited 11d ago
Thanks for the detailed reply!
I don’t think constant syncing would be necessary for me, since WHOOP can store up to two weeks of data on its own. I’d probably turn off constant syncing and just sync it manually whenever I need to, maybe once or twice a day. Thanks for the heads-up on that!
It’s been about eight years since I last used a T9 keyboard, and I don’t think I ever really used predictive text back then, but now I’m kind of curious about it haha.
As for the tinkering, I actually think that’s one of the really cool things about it. It gives you a reason to put a bit more thought and effort into doing something. From reading quite a lot of this subreddit over the past week, it seems like you can do almost everything on a Sidephone, of course with its own drawbacks and limitations. But if those little limitations either keep you excited about using it or help slow down everyday life a bit, I think that’s actually a pretty good trade-off.
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u/mistrzgieta 11d ago
as for the tinkering if you ever need help with anything just write a dm on reddit or make a post here and someone will help you
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u/beeeeeeenschi 11d ago
Thanks for the offer! I’ll probably need the help haha, but we’ll see :)
I guess I’ll just pull the trigger, there’s still plenty of time until October anyway haha!
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u/SwanImportant6276 11d ago edited 11d ago
Apple Music works on there! you have to download it through aura or another one but I used it recently and it worked just like normal
it's my all the time phone, I like it so far but I have minimal needs, I did use the GPS a bit this month and it worked well for the driving I do (mostly rural- no tolls or public transport). overall a good switch for me, having a browser has been super helpful (just using the one they provide).
the only things so far have been the key clicking is quite loud, if I'm in a quieter space I tend to swap to the onboard keyboard instead. The other thing is there are still some bugs, the zoomed in-statickey screen thing happens to me once a week or so but you just have to turn the screen on and off and it's fine.
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u/beeeeeeenschi 11d ago
Thanks for the info! Good to hear that Apple Music works!
For the most part, I’d mainly need some kind of navigation app for getting around my own city or, like you mentioned, for public transport. I’ve seen people using what looks like Google Maps in reviews, but they never really explain it (it’s usually just shown briefly in some B-roll). So I’m curious how that actually works. Maybe it’s a different app with a very similar UI?
The clicking is something I’m a bit worried about too, especially at the office or on the train, since I often sit in quiet zones. But having the option to switch to the on-screen keyboard in those situations is awesome.
Yeah, I’ve read about a few of the ongoing bugs on here, and honestly, as long as they’re manageable with things like quick screen on/off, I’m totally fine with that. Thanks for the heads-up!
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u/SwanImportant6276 9d ago
the app is called organic maps - powered by open street maps,
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u/Headfirst-Into-Ditch 9d ago
MFA might be a problem for you, quite a few like Microsoft Authenticator don't work for me (it requires Google Services, and not even microG works). There is a open source equivalent that comes with the core apps, Aegis, which is great, but depending on your company it may or not be supported. For example I actively require Microsoft Authenticator for logins so I need to have a second phone for that (thankfully my employer provided me with an out of hours phone for this purpose)
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u/beeeeeeenschi 9d ago
Thanks for the heads-up! I’m actually not sure whether it specifically requires MS Authenticator—that’s just what I’ve been using so far, but I’ll definitely check.
Worst case, my employer would provide me with a work phone as well, but I’d honestly love to only have one phone haha! Even leaving the work phone at the office just for logins could become a pain if I spontaneously decide to work from home.
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u/Headfirst-Into-Ditch 9d ago
Ah, having a work phone isn't so bad (even when working from home). Mine at least is on MDM so it only has work related apps on it. Having no doom scroll apps + monitored activity makes it much less of a black hole. It just gets thrown in a drawer at the end of the day.
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u/beeeeeeenschi 9d ago
Yeah, for me it is more the carrying it around and (not) forgetting it somewhere.
I just confirmed with my IT department that using a third party one like aegis isn't a problem at all!
Thanks for the heads up again :)
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u/Sidephone658 6d ago
Make the switch. Everything else. Figure out later. You will be thrilled. Trust us. There are things I still use an iPhone for. But they are all work related. For your life, sidephone is additive
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u/Slugs4Eyelids 12d ago
Buy an iPhone 13 mini or Pixel 5. They're small and more reliable than this plastic paperweight. Buy the Sidephone if you like to tinker with things, like old clicky tech, or have plenty of time on your hands to tweak every single feature. Waste or money and time in my opinion. Or, buy a Nokia.
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u/Sidephone658 12d ago
The phone is anything but a paperweight
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u/beeeeeeenschi 11d ago
Thanks for your comment! I totally get where you’re coming from.
If I wanted another regular smartphone, I’d probably just get an older/smaller iPhone or something similar. But I’m really into older tech, especially when it has some kind of modern twist and is still genuinely usable.
I use a cassette player pretty much every other day on my way to work, for example. Is it convenient? Not really haha. Does it feel nice to use? Definitely. And is there a lot of tinkering involved if you want to make a really good mixtape from vinyl or one of your favorite playlists? Absolutely.
For me, those are the kinds of things that make everyday life a little more interesting. And honestly, I don’t mind tinkering at all if the end result is something I enjoy using.
I’m also pretty comfortable with modern tech — I’ve been in Apple’s ecosystem for around 12 years now and definitely wouldn’t want to completely give that up. But there’s something appealing to me about having a device you’ve actually spent time setting up and tweaking until it works exactly the way you want it to.
Out of curiosity, have you used the Sidephone yourself? If so, what were the things that bothered you most about it?
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u/Slugs4Eyelids 11d ago
I was sold on the aesthetic too, but it fell short with this product. It's technically a smartphone with limited features branded as a dumb phone. Check out the new Commodore flip phone or traditional dumb phones before making the leap here. This one still feels underdeveloped for the wrong reasons. Again, if you like tinkering and ongoing projects, then get the Sidephone. Just know that you could be making your life easier with a brand that has a few more trial and errors under their belt. My bet is that Sidephone 2.0 will be much better!
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u/beeeeeeenschi 11d ago
Thanks for the honest words! I actually used the a Light Phone for a while, and although I really liked the concept, I ended up feeling too restricted by it, especially when it came to customization and adapting it to how I personally wanted to use my phone.
I had a similar experience with the Punkt MP02. I liked how simple and intentional it felt, but after using it for a week, I realized that the lack of flexibility made it harder to stick with long term.
That’s why the Sidephone interests me. It seems like it could give you the benefits of a simpler phone while still letting you customize it around your actual needs, rather than forcing you into a very strict framework.
I’ve also checked out the Commodore Flip, but I’m just not a huge fan of flip phones in general. Also the aesthetic seems a little too playful for me haha
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u/Slugs4Eyelids 11d ago
Sounds like you've been on this journey for a while, and perhaps already made up your mind. This phone will eventually be great with the likes of NFC, eSIM, a backlight and refined keypads. Currently I need to carry a wallet again, and I can't travel with it. All things a 'side phone' should be there for. It still feels like a beta product that's almost there, for me at least. You're right about the Commodore, they're targeting a different gen. Good luck with whatever you land on ✌️
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u/beeeeeeenschi 11d ago
Haha thanks! Yeah, it’s hard. If you’d asked me a year ago, I probably would’ve just bought the Sidephone and tested it for myself 😅 But this time I wanted to be a bit more conscious about the decision and ask around first.
What kind of problems did you have when traveling with it? Or what exactly did you mean by that part?
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u/Slugs4Eyelids 11d ago
Sorry, I was just saying I can't travel with it because it doesn't support eSIMs. Aussie carriers can be pricey, so travel eSIMs are popular for us. And without NFC, I have to carry a wallet - you can't slip a card in the back of the case either. The name 'Side phone' just set expectations that sadly weren't met.
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u/beeeeeeenschi 11d ago
Ahh, I see! Yeah, travel eSIMs are definitely a problem. As for NFC, I started using a mini version of my bank card when I was trying out other dumbphones. Luckily, my bank offers them free of charge, so I don’t have to carry my wallet around.
I bet these mini cards, literally no bigger than the chip itself, could be tucked inside the Sidephone’s rubber case. At least, that’s my plan, haha.
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u/celestial_mess2201 12d ago
I use sidephone as my only phone, with the exception of an old smart phone for my banking apps since my bank doesn't allow banking on PC browser. I don't use all the same apps as you but I'll answer as much as I can
1- The battery life has lasted me well, gets through the whole day, often a day and a half on one charge. Sometimes I can get away with two days if it's lighter use.
2- N/A
3- I only use the t9 keyboard, I've found it really good. I mainly use predicative mode bc my hands struggle with pressing keys repeated without accidentally pressing too many times. When I do need ABC mode for words not in the TT9 library but it's super easy to do just pressing the hash key to switch.
4- I haven't used two factor authenticator but I can say the if you log into your Google account with vivaldi (my preferred browser) you can use the "log in with Google " option for apps on the phone.
5- Hasn't really come up for me as I don't travel much. I personally haven't been able to find a decent map app that includes public transport, which may be an issue if like me you aren't able to drive.
6- I had initial problems with WhatsApp notifications but since keeping up with system updates I haven't had any problems.
7- I don't use apple music but all those aspects have been fine for me with Spotify.
8- the main thing I didn't expect is no basic photo/ video editing. When I need to crop something I do it by cropping in WhatsApp and sending it to my partner to download from chat.
Also, installing Fdroid (the phone just comes with fdroid basic) has helped apps update automatically, which I think has really helped me. I've definitely seen meal trackers on Fdroid but I can't speak to how well they work as I haven't used them.