A new dumb phone is on the scene and it looks pretty cool

As technologically incredible as the best camera phones are right now, there are a growing number of users who are getting fed up with how a smartphone can become so intertwined with our existence, demanding attention with its relentless pings, highly curated news and social media algorithms. and the resulting data sharing concerns.

The answer to this is a more basic phone, one that retains the core functionality of a mobile/cellphone – the ability to make calls and send text messages – but strips away the apps and extras that turn the phone into a tech phone. addiction. An entire industry has developed to produce ‘anti smartphones’ – or dumb phones as they are often called – and the latest such device to be announced is the Light Phone III.

The original Light Phone was launched in 2015 as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. It was followed by the Light Phone II in 2018. Both were minimalist devices, down to their black-and-white screens and lack of cameras. But the latter, at least, is about to change with the Light Phone III. Its makers have stated that the third Light phone will have front and rear cameras – a 50MP primary camera and an 8MP selfie camera. Of course, it can easily be argued that adding extra features to a phone that is supposed to be removed is counterproductive. On the other hand, the ability to capture meaningful memories is always useful, and if the alternative was to carry a standalone camera in addition to your phone, that’s not the simple life a dumb phone is supposed to promote.

One potential problem with the Light Phone III’s new camera setup is that the phone’s screen is still black and white, so even though the phone captures color images, you’ll have to view them in monochrome until you are downloaded. However, the phone will have the ability to send images, and another nice touch is that you’ll also get a physical two-stage button where you can half-press to focus.