Why are we making a second Light Phone?

We started shipping the original Light Phone in January of 2017. We’ve learned so much a long the way, and we’re ready to do it all over again.

Why a new phone?

We learned a lot from our now over 10,000 users:

1. Going Light is amazing!

2. Because of the 2G limitation, the phone was less reliable than you’d expect in a tool, and didn’t always give the true peace of mind we aspired for. Without Wifi or bluetooth, the roadmap for upgrades to the experience has sort of hit a wall.

3. The interface, although a beautiful representation of the concept of going light, is less intuitive in actual use, especially for things like the MENU. The simplicity that we initially loved became a confusing limitation when doing anything other than just dialing a phone number.

4. There is room for hardware improvements: battery, durability, visibility in daylight, etc.

5. People were not going light as often as they wanted. Without a few tools like messaging, directions or the reliability of a 4G network, it became really hard for many of our users to use the Light Phone daily.

The real value of the Light Phone is when it can offset much larger chunks of your smartphone usage, if not completely. That is why we are creating the Light Phone 2, so we can comfortably go light more often, or for good.

What’s new?

Light Phone 2 is a 4G LTE phone with a custom black-and-white E-Ink display. With an aluminum casing, a larger speaker, microphone & battery, and the addition of a proximity sensor, headphone jack and physical buttons for navigation, it is a serious evolution.

The Light Phone 2 also introduces a new operating system and functionality. We are calling them tools, things that do no contradict the ‘light’ experience, but make it even easier to use daily or as your only phone. Messaging has been the most requested addition by our users, and we see how it can be more efficient for certain situations. We also want to include things like an alarm clock, so you can leave the smartphone outside the bedroom. Other tools will be possible with 4G, and we will be exploring closely with our backers; like the ability to get simple directions or to call a ride-share home. These are tools, not feeds or notifications.

There is a lot of exciting potential around the Light Phone 2, and we hope that you are interested in coming along again for the next phase of our mission to offer a true alternative to the tech monopolies.

Going light for good?

The original Light Phone was only intended be used as a casual ’second phone’, as a complement to your exisiting smartphone. The Light Phone 2, however, is designed with the intention of being a fully functioning simple phone, whether it’s your ‘only’ phone or ‘second’ phone.

We really believe the world deserves a refreshing alternative in the technology space, and the original Light Phone was hopefully just the beginning for Light.