A deliberately ‘dumb’ phone has always been a good option for people looking to avoid the trappings of a handset that just does too much. However, if you’re looking to avoid the grand proliferation of AI then a dumb phone might be the only choice moving forward.
The new Light Flip phone has piqued our interest. It runs a custom version of Android – called LightOS – which arrives minus the omnipresent incursion of Google Gemini AI. It’s almost designed to make you want to use it less. First off, the company’s first-ever flip phone doesn’t have an external display to grab your attention.
And the presence of a T9 numerical keyboard, without the assistance of a touch capabilities beneath the 2.8-inch OLED panel, means you’re probably not going to want to spend too much time typing to messages. The form factor is designed to encourage people to actually call each other and there are nine speed dial settings to aid with that.
While the OS is a stripped down version of Android, it still offers GPS navigation, music podcasts, a calendar and more. There’s no web browser, no social media apps and instant messaging apps. There’s no selfie camera for extensive preening and video calls and the rear camera is a single lens 12-megapixel offering.
In terms of other mod cons, there’s Bluetooth 4.0, 4G and 5G connectivity, an ample 128GB of storage (presumably this is for music) and 6GB of RAM (RAMageddon be damned!). There’s also a USB-C port for charging. There’s no NFC for payments, but if does support nanoSIM and eSIM. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack too.
The LEGO brick-like phone is going to be available in black, red, yellow, pink, navy blue, and light grey. It costs just $299 in the United States and will be available from April next year.
It sounds pretty great as a weekend phone to keep you away from doomscrolling on your downtime, but if you’re planning a full switch away from the modern smartphone the company is planning to send pre-order customers a regular newsletter on dealing with the FOMO of life without the entire world in your pocket.
“The timing is notable,” the company says. “As Apple, Google, and others race to build AI deeper into everything, despite growing backlash from consumers, Light is making the case for a radically different future.”
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