Light's new $299 flip phone has no apps and T9 texting, but aims to connect people
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Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. Close Home Tech Smartphones Light's new $299 flip phone has no apps and T9 texting, but aims to connect people The brand's new flip phone takes an accessible approach to minimalism - with a gentle touch. Written by Kyle Kucharski, Senior EditorSenior Editor July 21, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. PT The Light Flip in red. LightFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET's key takeawaysLight just announced the Light Flip -- a minimalist flip phone for $299.It has a slightly lower-end build compared to the Light Phone 3, but aims for a thoughtful design and striking colors.It comes with a nine-month "Flip Your Life" program that helps users prepare to ditch their smartphones for good. Light, the company that made the "premium dumbphone", just announced the latest device to its lineup: the Light Flip, a $299 flip phone with the same minimal aesthetic but with trade-offs in hardware, build, and a lower rate at $39 a month. The Brooklyn-based company's core ethos remains the same: a completely minimalist UI, no email, no apps, and limited features -- even less than the Light Phone 3, which was already spare. The result is a unique device in wild colors designed solely for making calls and sending texts (if you can brave the T9 keyboard).Also: I gave up my iPhone for a dumbphone with no apps. A month later, here's my take Sure, it's a flip, but it's chunkier than the Light Phone 3, has a worse camera, no touchscreen, no NFC capabilities, is made of plastic instead of aluminum, and has less memory. So what's the draw here? Obviously, it's not about the specs; Light says it's about the lifestyle. LightFlip your lifeI talked to Light's two co-founders, Joe Hollier and Kaiwei Tang, ahead of the announcement, and they were clear about the intended demographic: 18- to 30-year-olds who want out of the smartphone ecosystem. Working with a consultancy during development, Tang said that 52% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers would consider using a non-smartphone -- a statistic that throws the door wide open for product development. Not being able to access social media, news, or email on your phone is a potentially freeing prospect for the millions of people who feel trapped in endless doomscrolling or notification hell. But the modern smartphone has embedded itself in our lives so thoroughly that it takes real dedication to make it sustainable. LightThe shock of going from an iPhone to something like the Light Flip can be so great that it sends users back to the dark side after a matter of weeks or months. "It's not just a different pair of shoes, it's a complete lifestyle change," Hollier said. In that sense, Light saw an opportunity: helping its users make the transition, and built it into the device itself. With the Light Flip 3 available for preorder now, buyers also have the choice to enroll in Light's own "digital audit" preparedness program called Flip Your Life, which aims to prepare users to ditch their smartphone in the nine months before the product actually ships. (The Light Flip is expected to become available in April 2027.)Also: I tested Nothing's new pink earbuds, and they look as good as they sound "You don't just buy a phone from us; we help you make the transition," Tang said of the program. Users can connect in a digital community, share vulnerabilities, tips, and tricks to divest in their smartphones, and acclimate to reordering their digital lives -- an entirely new social component that accompanies the phones' purchase and, Light hopes, keeps people on them. Considering it'll be a wait before anyone actually has the Light Flip in hand, there's more than enough time to engage.Minimal... but more soThe other reason for the Light Flip is to serve the entry-level minimalist phone market, with an affordable $299 price for the unlocked handset, or a $39/month payment for a two-year contract. In terms of trade-offs, first of all, the build is made of plastic, and there is no touchscreen: the 2.8-inch matte glass OLED on the Light Flip has a 480 x 640 resolution and is navigated solely by a D-pad, function buttons, a Home button on the right side, and volume up and down. LightThe phone measures 110mm by 58mm by 19mm (folded) and weighs 160 grams, notably more than the 124 grams of the Light Phone 3. It also has 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a MediaTek MT8873 chipset. Connectivity is good: it supports 5G and 4G LTE, has a single USB-C 2.0 port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, support for Bluetooth 5.0, and both nano SIM and e-SIM. It also only has one rear camera. Regarding the keys, yes, you read that right: T9 texting is back. If you're too young to remember texting on a number pad, it involves tapping number keys multiple times to get the letter you want. It takes practice and, notably, time, to send a text -- another potential soft hurdle built into the phone's capabilities: you can text on it, but it's not necessarily enjoyable. Also: Own a Pixel? You can add device protection now for $5/month - but should you?Lastly, I was glad to see the same 1800 mAh battery in the Light Flip as in the Light Phone 3. That phone's battery was one of its weakest points, so I'm hoping we see a lot more longevity with the lightweight hardware on this phone. The Light Flip is available for preorder now with a $39 deposit and is expected to ship in April 2027. It will be $39/month with Light Service, and available in six colors: black, navy, red, pink, yellow, and light gray. 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