Mudita Pure – Pure Bliss or Hype: A Review

The Mudita Pure, for those who might be unversed in it, is a phone featuring an E Ink display. It harks back to the days when so-called dumb phones used to be the norm while the smartphone was still a sci-fi thing. The E Ink display does its bit in allowing for a soft and soothing viewing experience. But beyond that, does the Pure really hold any appeal in this time and age? Let’s find that out.

But before that, perhaps you might want to have an idea about Mudita. Based in Poland, Mudita is a tech company but with a difference. Instead of just coming up with devices for human consumption, their primary motto is to introduce devices that not only suit human requirements but also add value to our existence on this planet. Towards that, the devices are designed to enrich our lives by letting us focus more on what we really care about without getting distracted.

Now, coming back to the phone itself, the Mudita Pure. Read on.

Style and Build

The Mudita Pure is one exquisitely crafted device with soft rounded edges, something that you would love to hold in your hands. It offers the same sort of feel as say the Nokia feature phones of yore, with the only difference here being that it is an e-paper display that you have on the Mudita Pure. It also features a replaceable battery which you can access by removing the rear cover, just as you would with the phones of the time. Also, much like feature phones that last several days on a single charge, the Mudita Pure should last several weeks on a single charge of its 1600 mAh battery.

The screen sits flush with the bezel though the e-paper display is placed a few notches below the surface. There is a sim-card tray on the left which is much like recent smartphones. Otherwise, you would have required removing the back cover and dislodge the battery for inserting the same, as it used to be the norm with most feature phones. There is the usual earpiece at the top and the microphone at the bottom.

At the bottom lies the USB-C port which is flanked on either side by the speaker and the 3.5mm headphone jack. Also on the left is the volume up and down button while on the top lies the Power button. The top also hosts the flashlight which again can show both white and sunset yellow light, the latter being more conducive for melatonin secretion in the brain, something that aids in better quality sleep. It’s not that you need a flashlight all the time but Mudita has thought it wise to offer something here that does not impact the brain negatively.

On the left lies the slider button that will let you choose between three states of the phone with each having a direct bearing on your mental health. First is the connected mode where you are connected to the network, the Do Not Disturb mode allows for limited online visibility, and the Offline setting cuts you off completely from the outside world. The latter is also what the company wants us to do often to focus more on ourselves and those who matter most in our lives.

User Experience

Using the Mudita Pure is akin to going back in time, so to speak. After years of living with touchscreen-enabled smartphones, you are likely to reach out to the display to make your selection via taps and touches. None of it with the Mudita Pure which is strictly a feature phone as it used to be in the 90s. It isn’t that feature phones do not exist now but it’s just that they aren’t as popular now given the presence of smartphones.

So, on the Pure, it is the set of keys under the display that you get to do everything with. It being a phone before anything else, the numbers get precedence over the alphabet and other symbols that each of the keys also represents. However, it is quite simple when making a phone call where you just need to hit the particular number you wish to dial. Not so when texting as for that, you will have to press a single key multiple times to achieve the desired result.

The Pure is Bluetooth-enabled but does not come with Wi-Fi. Mudita however said the phone can serve as a data modem as it allows tethering via a USB C cable. A cool feature of the Pure is that the display is front-lit, which illuminates the screen nicely. It also offers a dark mode as well if you so prefer. The keypads have lights too, which is great as it allows for operating the phone even in the dark.

Coming to apps, there are only three of them that the phone comes pre-installed with, those being Phone, Messages, and an Alarmclock. Similarly, under Tools, you have just two options, Notes and Calculator. There is also the Meditation feature which you will have to invoke for a set time and there is going to be soothing music played out for that duration. It is something Mudita offers on several of its devices and happens to be the central theme the company is built around.

The Pure also comes with a Harman Kardon speaker. Speaking of that, while the sound quality isn’t bad, volume levels leave a lot to be desired. It’s way too low to have any impact on the user. Fortunately, it supports Bluetooth and you can always connect compatible headphones or speakers for a superior listening experience.

Conclusion

For Mudita to come up with such a phone at this time speaks volumes of their commitment to creating a stress-free environment for us to live in. It’s like the slider button on the right for selecting the connected modes signifies the whole purpose of the phone is there in the first place. The whole aim has been to build a device that is as safe for your eyes as it is for your mind and soul. Did Mudita succeed in that? The answer is both yes and no.

Yes, since it will let you get partially connected or get completely offline when you want. Further, the ultra-low SAR value ensures you have minimum exposure to electromagnetic radiation. However, it is severely feature deficient which might make you rethink if the Pure can serve the basic purpose you’d like a feature phone for, if not a smartphone. If that is not all, the high price tag is another huge dampener that severely limits the phone’s appeal.