In early 2024, a startup named Minimal Company started a crowdfunded campaign for the Minimal Phone, an E Ink powered Android device aimed at reducing smartphone usage and avoiding distractions.
As for the design, the Minimal Phone also happens to be one of the few phones with an E Ink display accompanied by a physical Blackberry-like QWERTY keyboard. The front of the phone features a 4.3-inch E-Ink touch screen with a resolution of 600×800 with a navigation bar and a physical full QWERTY keyboard at the bottom.
Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity G99 chipset, the Minimal Phone comes with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage that can also be expanded using a T-Flash card. It packs a miniscule 3,000mAh battery, which may not sound much, but the company claims that the Minimal Phone can easily last a couple of days, thanks to the E-Ink display. The back of the phone also houses a 16MP camera, but don’t expect to do wonders.
Unlike the Light Phone II, which locks its OS to limit usage, the Minimal Phone runs on Android 14 out of the box and lets you download all your favourite apps.You also get a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB Type-C port for connecting accessories and charging, but connectivity is limited to 4G right now.
Originally set to ship in August last year for Indiegogo backers, the company shifted the launch date to September and further delayed it to December. While many had started thinking that it was vapourware, the company has now started shipping the phone in order they were purchased.
The base variant of the Minimal Phone that comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is priced at $399 (approx. Rs 34,500), while the 8GB RAM and 256GB version can be purchased for $499 (approx. Rs 43,200).
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