The Light Phone 3, the newest take on the company's minimalist phone line, launched Thursday, nine months after its announcement.
The $799 phone (which is currently $599 as an early sale price) is a substantial price hike from the $299 Light Phone 2, but the new phone swaps out the E Ink display for a 3.92-inch OLED display that the company says makes it faster. Despite the speed boost, the Light Phone 3 only includes a few features, the menu interface will be in black and white, and the phone does not include an app store for adding new ones.
You'll see basic phone and texting features -- with support for group chats over SMS and MMS -- along with a navigation app for directions. The phone's body includes a metal frame, a fingerprint sensor, a dedicated two-step shutter button for the 50-megapixel main camera and a USB-C port for charging. The Light Phone 3 also includes hardware for potential features that are still in development, such as NFC for a digital wallet and a front-facing 8-megapixel camera for video calls.
Even though it's unlikely you'll be filling up the phone with media outside of music and photos, it does include 128GB of storage along with 6GB of RAM. There's also apps for alarms, a calculator, notes, music, podcasts, a calendar, timers and turning on a hotspot.
The Light Phone 3 occupies a niche for people who want a lower-key device to cut down on distractions, but aren't bothered by a higher price to get some increased functionality. And there are increasingly more devices that support this desire for simplicity, although it's also not hard to find them at a lower price. For instance, HMD's $129 Barbie Phone is a simple flip phone in hot pink, which embraces nostalgia just as hard as it also shuns social media apps. The prior Light Phone 2 will also remain on sale at its $299 price.
The Light Phone 3 starts shipping to anyone who preordered the phone before Thursday and is expected to arrive in April and May. Those who order it now should expect the phone to arrive in June. The Light Phone 3 is also getting limited release at select Boost Mobile stores in New York.
The Light Phone 3 is also coming at a time when slimmer phones are making their way into the market, including Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge. Similarly thin concept devices were also a highlight at this year's Mobile World Congress, including Tecno's Spark Slim that weighs in at just 146 grams.
If you are looking for other less complicated phones that are also cheaper, check out our lists of best phones under $200 and $300. While they are unlikely to count as "minimalist" due to their access to the Google Play Store, these Android phones can be easily used as a simpler device by cutting down on the apps and services stored on the phone itself.