The Minimal Phone is a crowdfunded smartphone featuring an E-Ink display and a physical QWERTY keyboard, kind of like a modernized BlackBerry—minus the color.
Originally announced in 2024, the Minimal Phone experienced several delays but is now being shipped to backers. It features a 4.3-inch E-Ink touchscreen with a 600 x 800 resolution placed above a QWERTY keyboard. The unique design stands apart from other smartphones and may appeal to the growing number of people who want a minimally-distracting E-ink handset.
In terms of hardware, the Minimal Phone features a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, with options for 6GB or 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card. For connectivity, it supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and dual SIM cards. There’s also a 16MP main camera, a 5MP selfie camera a fingerprint sensor, a Qi charging receiver, a headphone jack, built-in speakers, and a reasonably-sized 3,000mAh battery.
While the E-Ink display and basic hardware limit this phone’s ability to run games, watch videos, or perform other demanding tasks, most Android applications should work fine. Notably, the Minimal Phone runs Android 14, which is only one year out of date.
The main competitors to the Minimal Phone are the Light Phone 3 and TCL NXTPaper. However, these rival devices do not have an E-Ink display, they simply aim to provide a minimalist or paper-like experience. Plus, the Minimal Phone is unique in its use of a hardware keyboard, which we rarely see on modern handsets.
Initially set to ship in August 2024, crowdfunding orders were delayed to December and only recently began fulfillment. Pre-orders are now open for everyone with shipping planned for March. Those who pre-order the Minimal Phone today will recieve a $100 early-bird discount, which brings the price down to $399.
Source: Minimal Company via The Verge
