Mudita Kompakt E Ink Phone: A minimalist privacy-focused phone powered by Android

While not as popular as eReaders, there are actually a handful of phones with an E Ink display such as the LoFone and the Minimal Phone. The latest to join the list is the Mudita Kompakt, a minimalist E Ink phone that keeps it simple along with a focus on privacy.

Mudita is a company founded by Michał Kiciński, a co-founder of CD Projeckt, the gaming studio behind hit titles, The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. The Kompakt isn't the company's first device. In 2023, it launched the Mudita Harmony 2, an alarm clock with an E Ink display.

Mudita describes the Kompact as a phone with an E Ink display designed to help users take a break from the connected world. Powered by MuditaOS K, an operating system based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project), the phone comes with a handful of essential apps.

In addition to the phone and SMS apps, there's also E-reader, Notes, Maps (offline maps available), Calculator, Recorder, Audio Player, Weather, and Meditation apps. There are no Google services, so you won't find Google apps on the device. The OS has been designed to be easy to use with a simple interface and easily recognizable icons for turning on/off communication features or activating the flashlight.

From a design point, the Mudita Kompakt looks like the average smartphone prior to the era of slim bezels and 18:9 aspect ratios. It has a flat front with capacitive buttons for navigation. The back of the phone is plastic but the spec sheet says it has a reinforced metal frame. It also has an IP54 dust and splash resistance rating. 

For a minimalist phone, the Mudita Kompakt has decent specs. The screen is a 4.3'' E Ink display with an 800 x 480 resolution which is about 216 ppi. This means it isn't as sharp as the 300 ppi display of the new entry-level Kindle (available on Amazon for $109.99) but should be pretty sharp nonetheless.

The chipset is a MediaTek MT6761 paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. The phone has an 8MP camera with dual color flash on the back for taking photos but lacks support for video recording. It also doesn't have a front-facing camera. An interesting feature of the phone is a switch on the left that activates an Offline+ Mode. When activated, it deactivates communication features (network, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) and disables the camera and all three microphones. 

The Kompakt has a fingerprint scanner, an ACC speaker, an audio jack, Bluetooth 5.x, NFC, GPS, and LTE. There's a nano SIM, an eSIM, and a hybrid SIM card slot that allows for an extra physical SIM or a microSD card. The Mudiat Kompakt is powered by a 3,000mAh battery that will last up to 6 days in standby mode. It supports charging via USB-C or a wireless charger but there's no mention of how fast it charges.

While the version of Android it runs isn't stated, Mudita says it will provide regular software and security updates for at least three years after the last device is sold. Owners will be able to download an OTA to update the phone or use the Mudita Center, a desktop app available for Windows, macOS, and Linux which can also be used to backup user data.

There will be two versions of the phone: a global version which will start shipping in April 2025 for regions such as Europe, Australia, and new Zealand that will also work in Asia and South America. The other is a North American version expected to start shipping in May 2025 that is optimized for the network requirements in the US and Canada but will also work in other parts of the world. When it launches, it will be available in Charcoal Black, Pebble Gray, and Natural White.

Mudita has already crossed its Kickstarter goal of $167,747 for the Kompakt ($257,303 as of the time of writing) and still has 32 days to go. When it launches, it will cost €439 (~$476/£252) which is pretty expensive. However, you can back it now for €299, saving 32% off the retail price.