Light unveils cheaper, colourful flip phone alongside touchscreen model
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Light, the startup behind the minimalist Light Phone, has unveiled the Light Flip, its first flip phone and the company's most affordable device yet at $299. Co-founder Kaiwei Tang, who previously helped design the Motorola Razr, said the move was driven by young users who love flip phones despite complaining about their poor build quality, prompting Light to pair its distraction-free software with a tactile, foldable handset for the first time. The launch marks a shift for a company that built its reputation on premium, feature-light touchscreen devices, betting instead on a cheaper, more colourful product to broaden its appeal.
The lower price comes from dropping the touchscreen, NFC reader and selfie camera found on the $799 Light Phone III, and from using plastic rather than aluminium, which also allows six colour options including yellow and pink. The Light Flip has a 2.8-inch internal OLED screen but no external display, a small notification light, 5G/4G connectivity, a 12-megapixel rear camera, USB-C charging and support for both eSIM and physical SIM cards. Light is also offering financing through its own service plan and a pilot with Andrew Yang's Noble Mobile carrier, with contracts from $39 a month. The phone is due to ship in April 2027, and Light plans a "Flip Your Life" newsletter programme to keep preorder customers engaged during the long wait.
- Light launches its first flip phone, the $299 Light Flip
- Cheaper than $799 Light Phone III by cutting touchscreen, NFC, selfie camera
- Comes in six colours; ships April 2027 after long preorder wait
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Light, the company behind the minimalist Light Phone, has introduced a second device called the Light Flip. Light built its name on stripped-back "dumbphones" designed to reduce screen time, in contrast to feature-packed smartphones, and its earlier Light Phone III sold at a premium price. The Light Flip is a cheaper, plastic-bodied flip phone that brings that same distraction-free approach to a foldable design for the first time.
The move reflects a wider trend of some younger users choosing simpler phones over smartphones, despite complaints that many flip phones on the market feel flimsy. Light's co-founder previously worked on the design of the Motorola Razr, a well-known flip phone from an earlier era, which gives context to the company's move into this format.
This matters because it shows a minimalist phone maker trying to reach a bigger, younger audience by lowering its price and adding colour options, rather than adding more features. It also reflects ongoing debate about smartphone use, screen time and whether simpler devices offer a genuine alternative for everyday communication.
More coverage
- Engadget — The Light Flip is a minimalist flip phone that leaves out all those distracting apps
- The Verge — The Light Flip is a minimalist flip phone with a point to prove
- Wired — The Light Flip Is the Stylish Dumb Flip Phone of Your Dreams
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by TechCrunch as “Light made a flip phone. It’s colorful and it’s cheap.”.