This is actually pretty brilliant and innovative.
With other solutions, the “key” that re-enables distractions is always present. Brick allows you to leave that key behind, turning your phone into a new, distraction-free device until you return.
This tickles some part of my brain… The scanning part is so cool. Would you use an app like this?
This seems like the thing that could be accomplished with just a QR code or NFC tag. Sleep As Android (alarm app) allows you to set up alarms so that you must get up and scan a QR code or tap a NFC tag in order to stop an alarm - no brick needed. It’s not a huge leap to expand that functionality to other use case scenarios (maybe this already exists, I haven’t looked into it). It seems kind of silly to have a service and retail device for something that can be handled locally on-device with BYOH for the unlocking mechanism.
edit: others have pointed this out already