In this time of “Surveillance Capitalism” and the “Attention Economy”, owning a smartphone can sometimes be too much.
You might have noticed that your attention span is lower, you struggle to sleep, and your time seems to be wasted with the endless yet meaningless scrolling thru social media.
And all that can be pointed to the omni-present culprit: your smartphone. A tech company called Light may just help you break free from that.
No to social media
Designed to be used “as little as possible”, the Light Phone rejects the concept of the traditional smartphone as the “all-in-one” gadget. No advanced high-quality cameras, no high-resolutions screens, no high-speed Internet, no unlimited social media surfing – all that, nada.
The Light Phone will just contain the key features of a phone and will never have:
- social media
- clickbait news
- an Internet browser
- any other anxiety-inducing infinite feed
Opting for the bare necessities, this quirky device is perfect for those who want to break free from the endless distractions provided by technology.
In terms of communication, the Light Phone only has a call and text feature, which is the main purpose of a phone traditionally.
Users can customize a select of widgets that includes an alarm, a calculator, a simple music player, and a podcast-listening app. It will also contain a headphone jack, a Bluetooth feature and can function as a personal hotspot.
Electronic paper screen
The device will feature an electronic paper screen – widely used in popular e-reading devices such as Amazon’s Kindle. Instead of the traditional smart phone screens that emit blue light, a light that can boost alertness but can potentially damage the eyes, the Light Phone’s electronic paper screen is a simpler display really lives up to the utilitarian vibe this eccentric smartphone tries to achieve.
Compact size
In terms of size, this device will be much more compact compared to the standard smartphone, an estimated size similar to that of a first-generation iPod yet thinner. This small size really makes it more convenient to its target market, those who prefer a modern phone without the time-wasting and attention-grabbing features.
The Light Phone II will be available soon, with pre-orders possible online at their website where price starts at $299 (roughly P14,300).
