Light Phone Gets a Complete Redesign with Third Edition
The new Light Phone III offers significant upgrades over the Light Phone II, while maintaining the same concept of an un-smartphone without internet, social media, news, or email. The compact, metal-framed design has a simple black & white interface on a larger, matte OLED display. There's a 50 megapixel camera with a two-stage shutter button. A spinning navigation wheel graces the side, while the power button on top includes a fingerprint reader. The 1,800 mAh battery is replaceable. It's rated IP54 for basic water protection. The proprietary software includes: alarm, timer, calculator, calendar, directory, directions, voice memo, and a simple music / podcast player. It does not currently support streaming music, third-party messaging, nor rideshare hailing. The Light Phone III also includes NFC and front-camera hardware for "potential" future updates that would enable video calling and/or a tap-to-pay digital wallet. It's powered by a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset, enabling 5G. The single unlocked model available globally has excellent support for 4G networks in the US and decent support for 5G in the US. The company currently plans to ship the Light Phone III in January 2025. It can be pre-ordered now for $399, a 50% discount.