The Light Phone is a minimalist alternative to smartphones

Smartphones are an essential part of most people’s lives, and for some of us, that’s something that we’d very much like to change, but how? Well, that’s where the Light Phone may be of assistance. It connects to your current smartphone so that you don’t actually need to replace your current device, you simply use the Light Phone when you want to be able to reach people but not be distracted. That shouldn’t be too hard either, as the credit card-sized device can only make calls, nothing else, which has the added benefit of giving it a three week battery life. 

If you’re hopelessly addicted to your smartphone but really don’t want to be, the Light Phone may be the device to sort you out. Currently a Kickstarter project, the credit-card-sized handset only makes and takes calls, allowing you to free yourself from all the temptations a smartphone presents and enabling you to engage more with your immediate environment. Yes, it’s a phone with so little functionality that hooking up with friends may actually result in distraction-free encounters featuring eye contact and other direct interaction (if they’re not buried in their own smartphone, that is). The Light Phone Kickstarter Campaign from The Light Phone on Vimeo. If the mere thought of switching to a bare-bones phone causes a bead of sweat to form on your brow, fear not. The Light Phone doesn’t mean you’ll have to give up your main handset – the makers understand that’d be one step too far for most phone users. Instead, you can easily forward calls from your smartphone on the occasions when you dare to leave the house without it, although the Light Phone does also come with its own number should you take the bold step to use it as your main mobile.