Light Phone

The Light Phone is a brand of mobile phones by Light, a startup company in Brooklyn, New York, that creates technology products advertised as "designed to be used as little as possible".[1] The Light Phone was conceived as a reaction against problematic smartphone use, with the discussion of apps and services such as email, social media, and web browsers being a key focus of the brand's production and marketing.[2]

Light Phone

Release

The Light Phone was announced on May 13, 2015, via Kickstarter, and released sometime in April 2017. During its campaign, the Light Phone raised $415,127 from 3,187 backers, over double the initial goal of US$200,000.[2]

Features and specifications

The Light Phone is only capable of making and receiving phone calls and will store up to 10 speed dial numbers. Upon launch, it came with a prepaid 2G SIM card with 500 minutes of call time, assigned to a separate phone number. The Light Phone comes with no applications aside from basic text and call functionality and a simple tool for setting up alarms. The Light Phone features a small two-tone analog-digital display and a headphone jack to assist with phone calls. Buttons on the phone are made visible by light fixtures inside the phone case.

There used to be a smartphone application allowing for redirection of calls from the user's smartphone to the Light Phone, displaying contact names if any are found. This app is no longer accessible, and the dedicated page was removed from the Light Phone website.[3]

Light Phone II

Release

The Light Phone II is designed to be a standalone mobile phone, unlike its predecessor.[4] The project was crowdfunded, raising $3,513,838 by 10,732 backers.[5]

Features and specifications

The Light Phone II comes in two colors, light grey and black, and has a 2.84-inch two-color e-ink display. It can connect via Bluetooth, a headphone jack, cellular, or micro USB. It supports 4G, since 2G is no longer widely supported. It can send and receive texts and calls, hold significantly more contacts, set alarms, play music and podcasts, and run a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Light OS

The Light Phone II runs an Android-based operating system called Light OS, developed by Light. Consumers have found ways to jailbreak it to access Android.[6] In future iterations of Light OS, more features and services are planned to be added, including a calendar, notes, and ridesharing.[7]

References
  1. "The Light Phone". www.thelightphone.com. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  2. Zelenko, Michael (September 4, 2019). "Light Phone 2: The high hopes of the low-tech phone". The Verge. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  3. Franco, Michael (May 20, 2015). "This credit-card-size phone does one thing, and one thing only". CNET. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  4. "The Light Phone". www.thelightphone.com. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  5. Varghese, Daniel. "Can This New Dumb Phone Fix Your Smartphone Addiction?". GQ.
  6. Tutorial: Android for the Light Phone 2, retrieved March 22, 2021
  7. "Tool Availability Status". The Light Phone. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
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