“Discover Light’s Newest Minimalist Phone: Featuring an OLED Display, Free from Addictive Apps”

Light, the maker of the minimalist phone with an e-paper screen, is announcing its newest model, the Light Phone III. Like its earlier counterpart, the Light Phone III offers a simple black-and-white display, without access to social media, the internet or email. Between the first two models, the Light Phone I and Light Phone II, the company has shipped over 100,000 devices, with the latter accounting for roughly two-thirds of those sales. The Light Phone III will target the larger demographic that are already using the non-smartphone as their main device. Image Credits: LightAll the upgrades make the new device more expensive: The Light Phone III is $799 compared with the $299 Light Phone II.

As Apple gets ready to unveil its AI-driven features for the iPhone, there is a different approach being taken by another company. Instead of cramming more technology into a phone, they are choosing to keep it simple. Light, the maker of the minimalist e-paper screen phone, has announced their latest model – the Light Phone III.

Similar to its predecessor, the Light Phone III features a basic black-and-white display with no access to social media, the internet, or email. However, unlike previous versions, the Light III boasts a larger OLED display and an NFC chip, paving the way for future payment tools. It also includes a camera for capturing those spontaneous moments that you wouldn’t want to miss by leaving your smartphone at home.

The co-founder of Light, Joe Hollier, explains that the goal with the new device is to improve its usability and performance. The Light III is larger than previous models, approximately the same width as most iPhones but shorter in length. This makes it more similar to the form factor of a BlackBerry, making texting on the phone while holding it vertically much easier. Additionally, the AMOLED screen only illuminates white pixels, giving it a more matte appearance and retaining the beloved characteristics of the e-ink screen.

“It actually retains a lot of the qualities people love about the e-ink screen, while feeling much different than a glossy smartphone screen,” Hollier says.

Credit: Light

Founded by Joe Hollier and Kaiwei Tang in 2014, Light began as a Kickstarter project for those looking to break free from their smartphone addictions. Between their two previous models – the Light Phone I and Light Phone II – over 100,000 devices have been shipped, with the latter making up the majority of sales.

The appeal of the Light Phone lies in its ability to provide useful aspects of modern smartphone technology – such as maps, calls, and texting – while allowing users to disconnect from social media apps, clickbait news, and the internet.

“It offers a way to escape from the types of technology some would rather live without,” Hollier explains.

Credit: Light

Light phone owners can use the unlocked device on their current carriers or opt for Light’s $30 per month plan, which includes 1GB of data. Higher-priced plans with 5GB or unlimited data are also available for $45/month or $70/month, respectively.

Targeting primarily 25- to 40-year-olds, the Light Phone has a niche appeal, with most users using it as their primary phone and supplementing with a tablet or laptop for internet access. Others may switch to their Light phone when they want to take a break from technology for a weekend or holiday but still want to be reachable in case of an emergency.

The Light Phone III aims to appeal to a larger demographic who use a non-smartphone as their main device.

Credit: Light

Aside from its form factor and OLED screen, the camera is the most notable addition to the Light Phone III. While not at the level of high-end smartphones like the iPhone or Google Pixel, it is a center-focus camera with no zoom, similar to a point-and-shoot. A half press of the dedicated shutter button focuses the photo, and a full press takes the picture.

Another new feature is the light wheel, which allows users to adjust the brightness of the screen by turning a knob, making it easier to use in various lighting situations.

The larger phone now has more antenna bands, resulting in a single model for all regions instead of separate ones for North America and Europe. The sides of the phone are made of aluminum, with the speaker grille at the bottom consisting of recycled plastic. The Light Phone III also has larger loudspeakers for listening to music or podcasts and using the speakerphone.

For increased simplicity, the power button now includes a fingerprint ID. The 5G-enabled phone also boasts 6GB of RAM, 128GB of memory, and newer Qualcomm chips.

The battery is larger than previous models and can be user-replaced, or users can send their phone back to Light to have it replaced for them for a fee of under $50.

Credit: Light

With all these upgrades, the Light Phone III comes with a higher price tag of $799 compared to the $299 Light Phone II. However, the previous model will still be available for purchase for those who prefer the e-ink version.

“We are posing the question: Can a phone last five or even ten years?” says Hollier. “With features like metal, quality materials, a removable battery, and improved screen and component replacement, we are striving to make the Light Phone a more sustainable device. And at a price point of $799, this embodies that goal.”

To help with production, Light is offering a 50% discount to early adopters who preorder the Light Phone III for $399. Similar to crowdfunding, these preorders will assist Light in their first mass production run with Foxconn. There will be three production runs until late November, with orders expected to ship in January 2025.

Since its founding in 2015, Light has raised over $11 million from 80+ venture capitalists and angel investors, including Bullish VC, Biz Stone (Twitter cofounder), John Zimmer (Lyft cofounder), Tim Kendall (Facebook/Pinterest), Scott Belsky (Adobe), Wisdom Venture, Dave Free (Pglang), Pete Davidson (SNL), Able Partners, Gaingels, Heroic Ventures, Hinge Capital, White Bay Group, New Lab Ventures, and SOSV, along with Foxconn. As of 2022, Light was valued at $24 million.

The full specs of the Light Phone III are as follows: