$150 "Light" Phone Does Nothing but Make and Receive Calls

Megalith

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I’m going to give the designers here credit for creating a beautiful, minimalistic phone, but the price is outrageous for its limitations. There is also the fact that you need another, real smartphone in order to get this guy working: an app has to be installed so calls can be forwarded to and from the Light Phone.

Beginning life as a Kickstarter project back in 2015, The Light Phone is a credit card-sized phone that has none of the modern features we’ve come to expect. It’s got an almost Apple-like level of minimalist design, but no touchscreen. It can make and receive phone calls, display the time, and store up to nine numbers in memory. Emailing, photos, internet connectivity, and messaging are not possible.
 
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if it was a real phone and thick as maybe twice a credit card , OK
but this? i think not.
 
Make it $25 and you have a viable product. There are a plethora of phones out there for $150 that are better than this in every possible way.
 
Address in link (in the forum) is messed up. hhtp//


Also, a bit expensive for such a simple thing. Looks nice but very niche. Like someone said - hipster phone. I see a ton of cheap smartphones for pre-paid plans. There's very little reason to have something like this, other than the looks.
 
If this was $25 and a real phone, I would buy two in a heartbeat as backup phones for my wife and I. As it is... this is just stupid.
 
You already buy these credit card sized phones on gearbest and the like... less than 20 US dollars, this kickstart is likely a scam.
 
So, basically, it serves the same purpose as a smart watch, but only shittier to carry around. Gotcha.
 
I'm definitely not their target demo, but I will say designing and manufacturing niche electronics like this is expensive in small quantities. Surprised that they got the amount of backers they did and they managed to ship instead of vanishing like many failed KS projects you hear about.
 
I am actually interested in this. I wonder if it is durable.
There is also the fact that you need another, real smartphone in order to get this guy working: an app has to be installed so calls can be forwarded to and from the Light Phone.
At first glance, this thread seems to contradict the web site. Quoted from the web site:
The Light Phone works as a stand alone phone, however we did not design it to be used in this way and we are hesitant to recommend doing so. There are some intentional limitations in place as we designed the phone to be used as a second phone. The Light Phone does not store a book of contacts but rather only 9 speed dials accessed via the key pad. The Light Phone only makes phone calls and does not receive sms text messages. The Light Phone was designed as a casual phone.
 
Is it bendable so I can wipe my ass with it? No? Ok I guess I could just slide between my ass crack then like a credit card swipe. That's about all it'd be good for.
 
Is it bendable so I can wipe my ass with it? No? Ok I guess I could just slide between my ass crack then like a credit card swipe. That's about all it'd be good for.

You have unusual hobbies, sir.

I like the idea of the phone but, they will need to step up a bit more, yes a screen with numbers is kind of important now, and a better price point.
 
A SIM card, battery and antena can all fit on something as small as a ring, so why have this giant brick?
 
Some people will pay good money to get a break from their real phones. I opt for the cheaper, leave it at home strategy, but that hardly carries the same prestige.
 
A phone that only makes phone calls... WTF?... whats next? a car thats only made for driving?
 
Off topic, but
whats next? a car thats only made for driving?
Someone on this forum said you can't buy a new GM car without cellular tech. Meanwhile, Tesla (the new darling of the Silicon Valley elite) monitors the locations of their cars. The fears of yesterday are realized today.

The phone that only dials phone calls is important for symbolic, and not just practical, reasons. It's a way of opting out of some aspects of the surveillance society. In some cases it's easier to say, "My phone can't run the app", rather than, "I refuse to get a Google/Apple account which is required to get the app, and furthermore, I refuse to get the app".

One could go all the way and not have a mobile phone at all. Products like this provide more options for people who don't want to or can't go that far.
 
Noone is going to buy a $150 no frills non smartphone...but put a fruit logo on it and price it at $300 and people will be lining up for it.
 
Has to be a joke

Has to be.

I still want to invent a comlink like in Star Wars, I think that would be the ultimate. All based on voice recognition, could work like a nextel or whatever direct style. Just a little round cylinder you thumb on, when you call someone you "pair" it to accept calls. And, you could still get voicemail and stuff!
 
Has to be.

I still want to invent a comlink like in Star Wars, I think that would be the ultimate. All based on voice recognition, could work like a nextel or whatever direct style. Just a little round cylinder you thumb on, when you call someone you "pair" it to accept calls. And, you could still get voicemail and stuff!
Yeah, but again its the super annoying speaker-phone effect. That's why our modern solution of a bluetooth earpiece was a much better idea. The original star trek got it right with their future vision:
39b9923dde62990a7f9a6549403732cf.jpg

Only thing they messed up on was scale, as they hadn't thought of miniaturization of technology.
 
This makes me think of the "Silicon Valley" show.

"We're going to put the 'phone' back in 'smartphone.'"

"But can't you already use your smartphone as a phone?"

"Sure, if you want to look LAME."
 
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