The new Light Phone Flip might be the dumb phone of your dreams. With 5G network, headphone jack, and USB-C type charging and a removable battery, the new clamshell QWERTY phone may just be the right antidote for your hyper-online presence.
With the pressure to be online and the uncontrollable need to spend time on apps that are designed to keep them chronically online, a growing number of young people are questioning whether to quit social media. (I'm one of them, too.)
But that may not be the only reason why Light Phone Flip which has a camera, a variety of utility-based tools available (alarm, calculator, timer, calendar, etc) as well as predictive T9, voice-to-text, audio messaging and hotspot, has already sold out the first batch of the phones due to launch in April 2027.
The launch of the new flip phone by Light Phone is set for April next year. However, much of the buzz around the phone as other dumb phones derives from a familiar resistance that first stemmed in 19th-century England against Industrial Revolution.
Much like the Luddites or saboteurs who protested against the incoming technology that would eventually take over their jobs, and questioned the extend of displacement in the workforce, the 21st century saboteurs of technology (also called anti-technology movement) are going against the creeping entry of Artificial Intelligence. With AI reshaping our worldview and feeding off our personal information raising privacy concerns, the dumb phone for many technophobes is a respite.
This also feels like the perfect timing given many countries are actively seeking to put a social media ban for kids under 18 and many other Gen Zs wanting to quit social media due to overconsumption, burnout and wanting to focus on physical skills than being chronically online.
The Light Phone Flip looks like a sleeker version of old QWERTY phone that were popular in the mid-2000s like an Ericsson or an industrial no-nonsense Motorola RAZR era or basic Pantech/LG flip phones. The phone itself has a headphone jack, USB-C port, gps, bluetooth, a camera, and flashlight. While considering additional functionality for the Light Flip, it's important to remember all of the features it will never have - social media, internet browsing, email, news, or ads. There are simply no infinite feeds.
So for those who really want to use a phone just for the basic functions, its perfect, trendy and timely. According to the CEO and Co-founder of Light Phone, Kaiwei Tang, Gen Z "don't want to be seen as using a smartphone”. In an interview with Wired, the CEO shared that many of the users he's spoken with have had to replace their anti-technology devices quite often because they break easily. Some who opt for older devices say that those devices aren't certified to work on the major cell networks.
“They describe their flip phone as ugly, stupid, no one is updating the software, some still have social media, no one is repairing the phone," says Tang. “But they stick with it.”
Compatible with a Nano SIM and E-SIM, and 5G + 4GLTE network, the 110mm x 58mm x 19mm Light Flip weighs 160g and offers 6GB RAM, 2 stereo speakers, 2 mics, 1800 mAH battery expected to last 1.5 days, Bluetooth 5.0 and comes in a total 6 different colours.