- Wright launched its new “dumb” mobile phone on Tuesday.
- The new Light Phone 3 is designed for those who want a distraction-free device.
- This version has a camera and video calling capabilities and costs the same as an iPhone.
Designed to help you ditch your smartphone, the phone is becoming more smartphone-like.
Lite, which makes stripped-down devices sometimes called “dumb” phones, launched the LitePhone 3 on Tuesday.
The LitePhone 2, released in 2018, could make calls and send texts. It also had navigation, music, podcasts and a calendar, but no web browser. The company says new models of the dumb phone will have smarter features like fingerprint ID, rear and front cameras, and potentially digital wallet support.
“Ultimately, we wanted to make it even easier to reduce weight,” the release said.
These new perks come at a cost, however: the Light Phone 3 is $500 more expensive than its predecessor. It retails for $799, the same price as the new iPhone 14 Plus.
Wright said the design mimics a classic compact camera with a real shutter button, adding a rear camera in a “unique way” and making it a “really fun” product.
The front-facing camera will enable Light Phone 3 owners to make video calls.
Ditching your smartphone can be a shock, as Business Insider’s previous review of the LitePhone 2 found. Slightly Smarter dumb phones could make the transition smoother.
The demand is still there: Over the past four years, some segments of Gen Z have tried to cut down on screen time by using smartphones without distracting apps, while parents say giving up the phones has given them more time to spend with their kids.
While some would end up buying a $40 flip phone, the Light phone is designed to include smartphone features like navigation, music and podcasts, without the components that keep users staring at a screen for hours.
For a limited time, the Light Phone 3 can be pre-ordered at a discounted price of $399 until July 16. Shipments will begin in January 2025.
The company says it will continue to support and sell the older devices, but Wright said, “For people dreaming of a digital detox, people who want to pay more attention to their young children, and people buying their first phone, the Light Phone III is a tool for a better life.”
