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Hi, I’m Becca, a tech enthusiast who loves taking gadgets outdoors. Like many of you, I’m guilty of spending too much time on my smartphone, even though I find modern smartphones pretty uninspiring. Yet, the thought of living without one feels daunting. This curiosity led me to spend $600 on the Light Phone 3, a sleek, minimal device that handles calls and texts but skips social media and email. I used it as my daily driver for two weeks, and while it was refreshing, many of you pointed out—and I agree—that $600 is steep for such a simple device. So, I set out to explore cheaper minimal phone options, starting with a Nokia 2780 from Best Buy and later testing the $400 Minimal Phone. Here’s what I discovered about these devices and the minimal lifestyle.
The Nokia 2780: A Budget Flip Phone Adventure
I snagged an open-box Nokia 2780 for $71.99 at Best Buy, one of the most affordable minimal phones that accepts any carrier SIM. It runs KaiOS, with pre-installed Google Maps and YouTube, plus a basic web browser that delivers a comically poor internet experience. The hardware includes USB-C, a headphone jack, and a 1450mAh battery that lasts about a day and a half. However, the build quality is subpar—my SIM card slot cover was broken out of the box, only accessible by removing the battery. As an open-box device, a sensible person might return it, but I’m a tinkerer, so I fixed it myself. Still, I worry about its durability, especially with friends gleefully flipping it open like it’s a toy.
Switching to a flip phone in 2025 was less intimidating than I expected. The form factor, perfected decades ago, feels familiar, like riding a bike—a slow, rusty one. Texting on the T9 keyboard, with just nine keys, is painfully slow compared to a full keyboard. I desperately wished for voice-to-text to speed things up. Group messaging was another headache; the Nokia 2780 uses SMS, not RCS, so I rarely received replies in group chats, though my messages went through. When I swapped my SIM back to an RCS-compatible phone, a flood of missed messages appeared. Individual texts, however, worked fine, and I could open links and save media—though viewing them on the 2.7-inch screen was underwhelming.
The lack of texting convenience pushed me to call people more, which I loved. Hearing voices felt efficient and refreshing. The standout feature, though, was Google Maps. Having it on a minimal device was a game-changer compared to the Light Phone 3’s less familiar map service. Other features include Bluetooth, a 5-megapixel camera for photos and videos, and a nostalgic Snake game. The FM radio didn’t work for me, but the small, tall flip phone design was charmingly retro. For under $100, the Nokia 2780 is a low-risk way to try the minimal lifestyle, as long as group chats aren’t your priority.
The Minimal Phone: Great Concept, Buggy Execution
Next, I tested the $400 Minimal Phone, the second most popular minimal device after the Light Phone 3, set to launch this summer. Minimal sent me one for free, but as with all my reviews, they had no influence over my opinions. This Android 14 device runs a stock minimal launcher that limits home screen apps, displayed on an e-ink screen with a physical keyboard. It supports essentials like RCS, Google Maps, WhatsApp, and even social media apps if you choose, but the e-ink screen discourages mindless scrolling. And it works—mostly because the screen is so frustrating that I avoided using it.
E-ink displays use tiny black-and-white particles that shift to form images, often flashing to refresh. The Minimal Phone, however, frequently got stuck in “disco mode,” a seizure-inducing blinking state that occurred multiple times daily. Turning the screen on and off sometimes fixed it, but on my last day, it flashed uncontrollably even when idle. Ghosting—faint remnants of previous images—was another issue, though a side button helped refresh the screen. The physical keyboard, while a nice touch, had its own problems. The symbol and alt keys were inconsistent, and the tiny, flat keys were hard to press accurately, leading to frequent typos. I improved with practice, but the learning curve was steep.
Hardware-wise, the Minimal Phone offers USB-C, a headphone jack for FM radio, a fingerprint reader, and a 16-megapixel rear camera that was wildly inconsistent, producing blurry or decent shots unpredictably. The 5-megapixel front camera, tucked under the keyboard, gave a retro, almost black-and-white aesthetic. The 3000mAh battery, with wireless charging, lasted about a day, but the home button was unreliable when charging. Overall, the Minimal Phone’s concept is promising, but its bugs—disco mode, ghosting, keyboard issues, and camera inconsistencies—made it infuriating. The company claims they’re working on fixes, but they should have ironed these out before sending units to reviewers. As my partner quipped, it’s like they tried to make phones worse, reintroducing problems smartphones already solved.
A Smarter Minimal Approach: Any Phone with a Launcher
Frustrated by the Minimal Phone, I tried a different approach using a $500 Pixel 9a, though this can work on any Android or iOS device. Instead of transferring all my apps, I set it up bare-bones and installed O Launcher, a minimal launcher similar to the Minimal Phone’s. It limits home screen apps and removes colorful icons to reduce distractions. On iOS, options like Smile, Blank Spaces, or Dummify achieve similar results with some widget tweaking. The catch? Minimal launchers only work if you delete social media apps entirely. If they’re on your phone, you’ll likely use them.
Final Thoughts: Minimal Phones Work, But Choose Wisely
After testing these minimal phones, I can confirm they’re not a gimmick. They genuinely reduced my social media use, leaving me more focused and less distracted. The Light Phone 3 was a joy to use, and I didn’t mind sacrificing features like Google Maps or RCS. The Nokia 2780, despite its SMS limitations and flimsy build, was a functional, nostalgic option for under $100. The Minimal Phone, however, was a letdown—its bugs overshadowed its potential. For most people, a standard smartphone with a minimal launcher and no social media apps is the easiest, most cost-effective way to go minimal.
I’m Becca, and if you’ve ever thought about supporting my work, check out my Patreon for $2.50 a month. You’ll get a weekly newsletter, exclusive content, and ad-free videos—cheaper than a coffee where I live. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’re inspired to use your phone less and get outside more. See you in the next one!
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