The article explores the challenges of reducing smartphone dependency, highlighting the author's experience with the Light Phone III and the new Minimal Phone. The Minimal Phone is noted for its unique design, featuring a physical keyboard and a 4.3-inch e-paper touchscreen, allowing access to apps like a regular Android device but with limitations that intentionally frustrate typical smartphone use. Despite its plastic build quality and slow keyboard, the Minimal Phone effectively helped the author reduce social media usage, affirming its intended purpose of aiding users in breaking away from excessive screen time.
Escaping the screen isn't easy. When I tested the Light Phone III in March-a phone designed to strip away apps and focus on the basics-I quickly found how many little things I needed my smartphone for, from accessing my home's security cameras to authentication apps so I could sign in to web services on my laptop.
The Minimal Phone steps in. This is an Android phone with a physical keyboard and an e-paper touchscreen. It looks like a Kindle had a baby with a BlackBerry.
But the experience is hampered by the tiny, 4.3-inch e-paper screen that needs constant refreshing. The keyboard will also slow you down. This frustrating smartphone experience is sort of the point.
This is not to say that I magically woke up the next day with the best sleep of my life-using your phone before bed can affect sleep-but it did prove one thing: The Minimal Phone did its job of cutting my time spent on social media.
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