my ultrafocus iphone (how I quit my phone addiction)

Summary

In this video, the speaker reflects on their early frustrations with Apple and shares their journey to an iPhone 15 Pro setup focused on productivity. They highlight their minimalist home screen, habit-tracking widgets, and essential apps for language learning, budgeting, and health. The speaker also discusses their new social media company, Dogo, and their feature film debut, 'Life Hack,' which premiered at South by Southwest. With a focus on practical tech use and a commitment to staying focused in 2025, the video showcases how the speaker uses their iPhone to enhance productivity and stay engaged with their projects.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker has always been frustrated with Apple's closed software but admired their hardware design, leading them to import a 'gooapple' 3GS running Android in 2011.
• 😀 The speaker's current phone is an iPhone 15 Pro, which they purchased for $400 from Mercari after previously using an iPhone SE 2.
• 😀 The iPhone 15 Pro is praised for its titanium sides, USB-C port, and the removal of the notch, which the speaker disliked.
• 😀 The speaker is working with their friend Eric to launch a social media company called Dogo, and they are sending the product to the first 100 beta users.
• 😀 The speaker uses a variety of apps for productivity, including Scriptable for custom widgets and Emacs or Mode for habit tracking.
• 😀 They are using a cheaper alternative to a premium widget service called Pretty Progress, which they created using the Scriptable app.
• 😀 For tracking health data, the speaker uses an app called Peak, which syncs with Apple Health data from devices like a smart scale and Garmin.
• 😀 The speaker recommends organizing apps to avoid habitual distractions, such as moving the app tray further out of easy reach.
• 😀 Productivity apps like Monarch for finance tracking and Preply for casual language lessons are used, although the speaker is not fully satisfied with some of these apps.
• 😀 The speaker suggests using apps like Athletic for Apple Watch users to track strain and recovery, which provides a cheaper alternative to Whoop.
• 😀 To avoid distractions, the speaker keeps their phone in Do Not Disturb mode, uses a monochrome display, and has set up limitations like disabling the App Store and Safari to limit internet use.
• 😀 The speaker recently premiered their first feature film, 'Life Hack,' at South by Southwest, and is excited about their social media company launch, though it has taken longer than expected.

Q & A

Why does the speaker mention being frustrated with Apple?

The speaker was frustrated with Apple because while they found Apple's hardware designs compelling, they felt that the software was too locked down, limiting their experience with the devices.

What is the Gooapple 3GS, and why does the speaker mention it?

The Gooapple 3GS is a phone that looks like an iPhone but runs Android. The speaker mentions it as a reflection of their desire for the best of both worlds — the hardware design of Apple but with Android's more open software.

What is the purpose of the speaker's iPhone 15 Pro setup?

The speaker set up their iPhone 15 Pro to be as productive, focused, and useful as possible, aiming to minimize distractions and optimize functionality for 2025.

How did the speaker acquire their iPhone 15 Pro?

The speaker purchased their iPhone 15 Pro from Mercari for $400, after using an iPhone SE2 prior to it.

What is Dogo, and how does it relate to the speaker's iPhone?

Dogo is a social media company that the speaker is launching with their friend Eric. The speaker wanted to experience using a modern phone like the iPhone 15 Pro while working on this project.

What tool does the speaker use to track their habits, and what is its limitation?

The speaker uses Emacs or Mode to track their habits. The limitation is that Emacs or Mode was designed for desktop use, which makes it difficult to track habits effectively on mobile devices.

What is Peak, and why is the speaker using it?

Peak is an app the speaker uses to display health data from Apple Health, such as data from a smart scale and a Garmin device. However, the speaker finds it buggy for its $20/year price.

How does the speaker manage app distractions on their iPhone?

The speaker reduces distractions by placing their app tray far from the home screen, discouraging habitual scrolling. They also have the App Store and Safari disabled and keep their phone in Do Not Disturb mode most of the time.

What is Monarch, and what is the speaker's opinion about it?

Monarch is a budgeting app that allows users to track finances, connect banking accounts, and create budgets. While the speaker considers it an S-tier app, they are not entirely satisfied with it and plan to make their own budgeting solution in the future.

What is the app Athletic, and how does it compare to Whoop?

Athletic is an app for the Apple Watch that offers similar functionality to Whoop, providing strain and recovery metrics. The key difference is that Athletic costs $4/month, while Whoop costs $27/month, making Athletic a more affordable alternative.