This. I really like the idea of a pocket supercomputer like modern smartphone hardware. But I despise the software ecosystems that apple and google have built for them, with constant surveillance, lock-in, ads, tracking, horrible UIs and centralization.

A computer lets you build and run programs directly on device, with no internet. Our phones are closer to Super Nintendos than supercomputers.

True. I like the analogy. The sad thing is that this is purely a software limitation. The hardware would be capable of so much more, it is more powerful than desktop computers of just a couple of years ago.

for the way I use computers these days, it could very easily replace my laptop with a proper monitor and docking solution (but not my tower server/gaming machine)

yeah mine was a way to build anxiety via doom scrolling and downloading time wasting games. When I'm on a laptop/desktop, I'm usually actually working or killing time, but since I don't have one with me at all times, it's much easier to limit time wastage.

When I first got my first cell phone (a Samsung Galaxy Note 10+), I found the idea of multiple pages of apps off-putting, so deleted everything which didn't seem necessary, and what couldn't be deleted moved into the various extant folders.

I've kept with this since, and hope to never need another phone (when this one dies, I'll just get a small camera, or a tablet with a rear camera).

i'm of the same mind. I set limits. I don't play games on my phone (except maybe in exceptional circumstances like on an airplane) and I don't use it for social media (only exception is facebook messenger because so many family members use it). I find when I draw fences around things like that it helps a lot to get back time from time stealing activities. I treat my phone as a tool and not as entertainment, otherwise I'd be spending all my free time doom scrolling and playing puzzle games on it. yeah I used to do that a few years back until I cataloged my hours and it was truly scary how much time was wasted.

These are sane limitations. They should be understood in the same way as basic health axioms. Digital gluttony has been normalized.