Balance Phone
I recently got my hands on a Balance Phone - a modified Android device designed to minimize digital distractions and help you focus on what matters. After using it for a week, I wanted to share my thoughts on this interesting experiment in digital minimalism.
# The Concept
The Balance Phone takes a standard Android device and strips it down to the essentials. No social media, no endless scrolling, no dopamine-driven notification systems. Just the core functions you actually need from a phone - calls, messages, maps, and a few carefully selected apps.
# The Good
The most profound impact has been on my attention span and daily focus. Without the constant pull of social media and endless notifications, I find myself more present and engaged with both my work and hobbies. When I occasionally check my iPhone, I’m honestly baffled by how addictive apps like Instagram used to be - they feel almost alien now.
The phone achieves exactly what it sets out to do - it makes you use your phone less and live your life more. It’s like having a dumb phone with just enough smart features to remain practical in 2025.
# The Less Good
Let’s be real though - the actual hardware and user experience is pretty basic (even irritating) compared to a flagship iPhone. The camera is mediocre at best, the UI can be laggy, battery life is subpar, and biometric authentication feels like it’s from 2018.
But here’s the thing - these “downsides” are actually part of the point. The phone isn’t meant to be an addictive piece of tech candy. It’s deliberately designed to be just good enough to be useful, while discouraging you from getting lost in it.
# Room for Improvement
My main gripe is the cluttered menu system. Despite being a “minimalist” phone, it comes loaded with a bunch of Samsung-branded bloatware that you can’t easily remove. Having to scroll through endless irrelevant apps to find Spotify kind of defeats the minimalist purpose.
I really wish there was a way to strip the menu down to just the 4-5 apps I actually use (camera, ChatGPT, Spotify, maps, settings, and WhatsApp). This would make the experience much more aligned with the phone’s core philosophy.
# Founders That Care
One thing that really stands out about Balance Phone is their exceptional customer support and commitment to user feedback. When I emailed them about the cluttered menu system, I received a thoughtful response within hours from Albert, one of the founders. He not only acknowledged my concerns but shared concrete plans (without timelines) about implementing a feature to hide unwanted apps and potentially offering more premium hardware options in the future - all while maintaining their core mission of digital minimalism.
What impressed me most was the genuine enthusiasm and care in their responses. It wasn’t just corporate speak - you could tell they truly believe in their mission of helping people reclaim their attention and time. This kind of responsive, human-centered support gives me confidence that the Balance Phone will keep evolving in the right direction.
# Worth It?
If you’re looking to break free from phone addiction while keeping essential functionality, the Balance Phone is worth considering. Just be prepared for a significant downgrade in terms of hardware quality and UX polish.
The real question is: what matters more to you - having the latest and greatest tech, or reclaiming your attention and time? For me, despite its rough edges, the Balance Phone has been a net positive simply because it helps me stay focused on what actually matters - for now.
