The Light Phone Is A Credit Card Sized Rehab Device Meant For Smartphone Addicts

Take away someone's smartphone today and they become agitated and annoyed in no time, and can only think of when they¡¯ll get it back. It's worrisome to realise that's the exact description of a drug addict who¡¯s been cut off from their supply.

The Light Phone slips into your wallet when it's not needed

For most people, a smartphone means an entertainment stash, social media connector, on-the-go work device and even fitness accessory. But if forced to, it¡¯s possible to do without all the bells and whistles on a fancy phone. All you really need are calling and messaging facilities. Or at least, that¡¯s what the creators behind the Light Phone think.

This neat little device is designed to be a phone you ¡°use as little as possible.¡± The creators, Joe Hollier & Kaiwei Tang, believe you can reduce some of the stress in your life by using a barebones phone to cut away, and enjoy your piece of mind. Of course, no one would really buy a dumb phone today and expect to use it on the regular. It would more likely be a backup phone or even a novelty device to show off for the sake of nostalgia.

¡°We studied how other people used their phones, watching their expressions as they scrolled away, and their faces looked blank. Empty. We immediately pull out our phones, it¡¯s become our nervous habit.¡±

The Light Phone, however, has been redesigned to suit the modern age, to encourage you to leave everything else behind. It¡¯s a credit card-sized device, that you can actually stuff into your wallet, and only pull out when you need to make a call. It doesn¡¯t go full retro on the technology however, instead just picking and choosing features to remain minimalist.

A paired SIM card forwards all calls from your primary smartphone

The phone has a SIM slot, where you slot a prepaid card from the company, that¡¯s tied to your primary number. Any calls made to your smartphone are forwarded to this phone instead, a feature which can be turned on and off. Also present are the standard lock and power buttons, and a micro USB charging port. It has an LED display, which might be a little hard to see in sunlight, and shows you nothing other than missed calls, dialled numbers, and the time. The phone doesn¡¯t have a list of saved contacts to scroll through, but instead uses a speed dial system for a maximum of nine numbers.

The idea is to disconnect from having your face buried in your smartphone, and instead enjoy the sights around you. The idea is that the Light Phone allows you to make and receive important calls, while encouraging you to put it away as soon as you¡¯re done. With that in mind, the battery life is expected to last an average of two to three days on a full charge.

What began as a Kickstarter project in May 2015 was eventually crowdfunded by June the same year. Two years later, the device is now available for preorders, priced at $150 plus a $5 monthly fee for the prepaid SIM card.

¡°We¡¯re not anti-technology,¡± say Hollier and Tang, ¡°We¡¯re just human.¡± And they feel Rs 9,700 is a small price to pay for your peace of mind.