I walked down to the river today with no phone. It was quiet. There was no Kim, no Kanye, no Euphoria, no Russia, no film photos, no new brands, no ads. Just ducks. It was simple. I want this phone but I’m scared to take the leap.
@@LaughingDad what's the idea of paying 300 bucks for doing nothing on a phone??? Is that a new trend or something???. 300 dollars for a God damn phone that has a lot of glitches while you can get a OnePlus 5g smartphone which costs less than that, or a Samsung galaxy A52 for nearly the same price. I sincerely don't see what's so exciting about using a trash like that. The Nokia 2720 also is trash but at least, it's more usable. If you sincerely want a phone that is really usable, buy an Android Go device, they're less powerful than the regular Android version, they have less Ram, they also have glitches but for watching RU-vid content, browsing the web, listening to podcasts, Spotify, cloud radio and music player, they're good and Android go devices sells under a hundred bucks for someone who isn't a social media and 3d games addict.
Thank you for posting this. I've been looking at and dreaming of a Light Phone since the Light Phone 1. Intentionality is a big thing in my life. I want to do all I can to focus on what's in front of me... family, etc. Also, as an Orthodox Christian I am constantly looking for ways to declutter and detach from "the world." (Which may actually mostly be Google alone anymore. haha) Of course with things like this I get guidance from my Spiritual Father but, while last Spring he pastored me to wait a while, a few weeks ago he gave me his blessing and I finally ordered mine! It may ship this week!
Great review! Im still waiting on mine, should be mid October timeframe but it’s nice to see people like you and the community as a whole being friendly and open to help others.
Thank you! So glad to hear this, Matthew! I don't think you'll be disappointed in the slightest. If you are dependent on a GPS, I would recommend investing in a solid dedicated GPS option. Mine is pretty old and does the trick. :)
I'd really like to try this minimalist phone! I'm currently using a One Plus 3t which I've had for 4 1/2 years. It's been great as a smart phone but for me personally I've found even after essentialising it (decluttering apps, turning the screen to monochrome, turning it off at 9pm and keeping it in an automated lockbox until midday the next day, etc) it's still a major distraction. Thanks for the video! I will be further considering this phone :)
Believe me, I am with you! I used a Pixel 3 for a longtime. The way my brain is wired, I still find myself scrolling on 'whatever' is truly not needed at the moment. I think the fact that you're conscious of it is half the battle. Great job!
Looks great actually!!! The only thing I wish it still could do is take pictures securely and send/receive them. Photo messaging is so helpful in many situations. I hope the creators can find a way to incorporate that feature in such a way that it’s high quality but secure
I think with the lack of camera, and the size of the screen display, it's safe to assume that piece will not change. I've used Google Photos links as a workaround in those types of scenarios. And if someone texts me an image, it auto forwards to my personal e-mail and I can pull it up there!
@@lindsaydiaz2330 Precisely. -- You could even copy and paste the link into your Notes tool. Then copy&paste to the text message to your friend/contact. They would have no problem opening on their end.
subscribed b/c of this video. I am very interested in this phone. I have been carrying around a Palm Phone with the indistractable launcher as a weekend device for a few weeks now and love the freedom I feel. I have to have a smartphone for work for the weekdays but I am supplementing that on weekends with a Surface Duo when I am on call. Great video. thank you.
That's a great setup I think. I use the indistractable launcher too! When I have to be more connected for work or maybe a trip, I'll pop the sim in that Pixel 3.
Really loved the video! I was wondering if they have added talk to text. I have gotten mixed replies from the support team so just wanted to ask someone who has one. Thanks again!
Thanks for the comment and support, Trevor! As of writing this there is no talk to text feature, but I know that is on their roadmap. What I read was that since putting out the Directions tool a few weeks ago their priority for the remainder of the year is to add bug fixes and overall performance improvement before they add any “new” features… but I’m with you I would love to see that sooner than later!
hey, thanks for review. i have a 4g nokia (had to upgrade from 3g nokia) and its under $50. the screen on the light phone is awesome, but not worth $300 to me. im not on my phone for more than a few mins at a time for a quick text. i like the affordability aspect of nokia and tmobile plan is unlimited talk/text $15/month. i turn off bluetooth and data. i like the fact if my phone breaks, its not a big deal, its $50 easy to replace. i have been on nokia for over a year and i love life without smart phone!!!! i felt like a cyborg and also im sensitive to emf and smart phone gave me shooting pain in my arm when i was holding it for a while scrolling.
@@Wim-Bella-ina I have a garmin in my truck for emergencies. i got for cheap used. but usually i plan my trips ahead of time and print out directions if i need to.
Understandable. Just looking at price alone, there are cheaper devices for sure. I appreciate the longevity of the support I've seen since the release of this device. It's been great for me. You're right though, if it broke tomorrow I'd have to think before 'getting a replacement.'
I think everybody have their own version of minimalist and digital detox phone....for me.... I love the concept of the concept of light phone 2 but it just doesn't fit my situation that I might aswell just use a dumb phone...one of the concept I love is the usage of small screen + e-ink display(slow refresh rate + black white display) it just meant to deter you from using it.... but I would like to argue that for a certain people you could just make a phone with a small screen 4-4.6 inch size with grayscale display and that would be enough to not distract me.... the other thing is eventhough the inside is Android OS its still dumb enough (not sure if this was intentional design or not) that you are only using one function at a time which gives you space to focus on the real life things and more clarity.... I think without sacrificing important apps such as Whatsapp,GRab(Uberr for south east asian) the Android OS CAN be designed to be like that but it doesn't have to be so be like the very limited LightPhone 2
I'm with you. I'd love to see more smartphone companies out there with similar values as Light Phone and a different approach. Unfortunately it's not a super profitable concept at all. That explains the premium! Which I'm willing to pay for.
Hi thanks so much for making this video! Would you mind speaking to how/easy hard it was to get service on the light phone? Also if it's just a SIM card switch, have you played with going in-between the light phone and a smartphone?
Hey Yazmarr! I use the device on Mint Mobile (T-Mobile Towers) and it's very easy to bounce between that and a more powerful device. In fact I still own a Pixel 3 XL and sometimes pop it in there for a trip or whatnot. I can't speak to how easy it would be to bounce between a non-sim driven service like Verizon. But back in the day when I used Sprint, it was a simple as going into my Sprint account and changing my active device. Very easy! Now, if you add iMessage (in the US) into the equation, that would probably be a variable to make sure you turn iMessage off every time you switch back to that device or otherwise your messages will be all wacky...
Hi, not sure if you are still using the light phone 2. I have just started with almost a month in but am finding the battery draining very quick even when it's not being used! Is this something you have found?
Hey John! -- Service / Connection is a huge piece of the puzzle. If you don't have great service, your battery will drain. Using Bluetooth contributes somewhat as well as using the GPS location priming option. Otherwise I've had a great experience with the battery!
Can one use a compact Sony camera with wifi to connect to light 2 and send to contacts via text? Or how would I send a photo to a friend with this phone? Thanks
My personal workaround has been using google photos and google voice. I will text myself a link to an image (If needed) and text it that way. Otherwise e-mail would work as well!~
It's definitely a change switching from having a camera on your phone (since forever) to not at all. I've got a Papershoot camera in my front pocket, which allows me to snap pics in the moment if I need to. But definitely doesn't match a smartphone camera's accuracy or technicality.
Easy! Just navigate to your Dashboard. dashboard.thelightphone.com > Login > Click Phone > Click your phone number > Select Toolbox > Hit +. Select the items you want to add. Subsequently hit - to remove items you don't want in your toolbox!
I've been looking around trying to see if the light gray model also supports the 'dark mode'/ inverted screen colors like the dark gray model has. Anyone know if it has the option to switch between the two?
Hey Jake! Yes, you can invert the screen colors in the settings menu. Though the way I have it set looks best with the color of the device so I leave it that way.
If this was in a more durable, sleek metal casing, with a slightly bigger e ink screen (still small sized unit, just a smaller frame), With capability to read PDF files on it / ereader Ability to view images Access to telegram and signal Longer battery life Ability to stream music And not cost $480 here in Australia I would totally get this! It costs so much for a very cheaply made product, it’s so easy to break! But I do like it and if it was like $100 I wouldn’t care about the fragility of it or less features
Eli, not a dumb question at all. It combines every message from that contact into one thread. You can scroll up and see the date of when a message was sent. It DOES allow group text messaging which is honestly a must-have in this day and age. Apologies for the delayed response.
I'm still using this! I enjoy the device more and more each day. They've added some features along the way. Notes is nice. And Calendar is dropping in February.
From all my research, yes it does work with Verizon. There's a little more setup involved because you have to activate it whereas AT&T/T-Mobile you can just pop your sim card in.
i don’t understand why they opted to have podcasts like WHO looks at podcasts this phone is supposed to be minimalist why would they add an internet garbage listen to people mumble about their opinions option such as PODCASTS
I get the need to detoxify a bit from the smartphone. What I dont get is how anyone would pay 300 dollars for that. You can get a basic key phone for less than 100 dollars and its basically the same thing. This is all just a marketing ploy to get you to pay for an "Alternative" way to be.
On the surface I would agree with you. And I can see where someone might have that point of view. My comment in support of the light phone team is that after using a flip phone or basic feature phone their approach is different. The light phone is high quality, highly supported, constantly evolving and with the minimalist end user in mind. The flip phone guys generally are cheap, don't have any regard for privacy and still load up with pre-loaded bloatware. Their goal is just to make a cheap phone. Just a different approach altogether from my POV. Thanks for the comment!
@@LaughingDad Support? Updates? Its a no frills phone, you buy it for the simplicity out of the box. It should be outdated. Thats the whole point. What updates, to make it even simpler than it already is? 🤦🏼♂️ doesn't more features and upgrade make it seem redundant. Its a side phone, you'll use it a month tops. I've seen one and it probably cost 25-30 dollars to make. It's bare bones as far as technology is concerned. There is no justifying the price tag on this, they just want to be the Apple of the basic phones business, churn out underpowered and cheap products at an incredible mark-up and the good thing is not much innovation is expected of them. Theyre having their cake and eating it too.
Why just don't buy a flip flop phone like Motorola or Nokia, which cost only 20-30$. Why paying such an expensive price and getting almost nothing back
Definitely a viable option. But it's a bit problematic for people who are trying to avoid screens. And who are tempted to 'unroot' and go back to old ways. For sure in a perfect world we humans would be better humans with our tech ;)
Sadly...no. I know they are always adding new features though. For instance within the first 60 days of me owning this device they added Directions (a GPS tool) and voice-to-text in messaging. They are always adding new features. And I think Uber is a potential tool on the horizon...
Thank you for the video and thank you to Google for investing billions of dollars each year in developing and maintaining a hugely advanced operating system and then giving it to us for free. Without Google's work devices like the lightphone would be impossible in this quality.
just use a damned feature phone for christsake. i use a nokia 105 dumbphone ,no interner connection no notning just call and text. go cold turkey and abanadon your smartphone. yourd just pretending if you still have internet conexion on your phone. i use my android at home for fb.
Not a bad idea. I really appreciate still being able to reply to group messages and whatnot. Something that I couldn't do on the cheaper dumbphones I found.
It's all relative. And I can see why someone might feel that way. I've made my $ back from the investment on this piece of tech. Not in a monetary way. But the amount of time in my life I've 'bought' back....
