the light phone permits simple contact without unwanted notifications

the light phone permits simple contact without unwanted notifications
all images courtesy of light

why does the information age have to be so exhausting? ever since the invention of the smartphone, consumers have been flooded with pings, alerts, text messages, emails and unwanted phone calls. ‘the light phone’ is a discreet, credit card sized phone designed to be minimally disconnected, without leaving the user completely stranded. founded by artist joe holler and product designer kaiwei tang, the project was born at google’s ’30 weeks’ incubator – an experimental collaboration between google and hyper island that turns designers into founders through mentorship. the phone has 20 days of battery life, app integration that allows users to forward calls from their existing phone and stores up to 10 numbers on speed dial. it enables complete disconnection from notifications and distractions to focus on the moments at hand. ‘light’ tells time, makes and receives calls, is four millimeters thick and weighs only 38.5 grams. the project is currently running a campaign on kickstarter. with a pledge, the device costs $100 USD. 

the phone is the size of a credit card

it incorporates DOT matrix LEDs

concept sketches of the mobile device

discretely hiding the SIM card slot, microphone, volume controls and micro USB port

LED clock

‘the light phone’ campaign poster