Phones that remove notification overload have proved increasingly popular. Now there’s a new one – the ADHD One, a distraction-free smartphone that you’ll have to build yourself. That’s… not as bad as it sounds. You’ll know for sure that nobody from Meta has snuck a tracking system inside the handset somewhere.
Or you could hunt around for an old Motorola DynaTAC, which this phone closely resembles. Functionality is also pretty close, perhaps indicating that we might have gotten the right idea early on and then gone too far. Never fear, though. You can head back to the 1980s for the price of some components… and R550 for the plans from designer Kevin Noki.
I’ll take the ADHD One
Noki isn’t positioning the ADHD One (which stands for ‘Anti Distraction Handset Device’) quite as a mental health benefit. The phone’s limited functions — it gets calls and connects to Bluetooth — means it amounts to the same thing. Kinda. The build, which includes custom PCB creation, doesn’t include a cellular modem. In other words, the source of your digital temptation has to be somewhere within Bluetooth range. The ADHD One piggybacks on its mobile connection. If your smartphone is within ten metres, that means you can find it. All those delicious, dopamine-sapping notifications, just an outstretched arm away…
Ahem. Noki says he’s working on another version that will include its own 4G modem, letting you dispense with the companion device entirely. That’ll be a while yet. In the meantime, hauling a custom-built ADHD One out of your bag will prompt some comment. You can point out the modern battery, USB-C charge port, and the OLED display for showing your contacts and caller ID, as well as the complete lack of email or Instagram notifications. We can feel our dopamine levels slowly adjusting already.
