It's kind of cool, I like that there are people trying to do something else, but I don't how it's "minimal" or discourages heavy use.
It's an Android phone, with pretty decent specs. Nothing is stopping you from installing social media apps and doomscrolling all day and night, and chances are you will do that if that's what you do with your phone, just as you can just delete social media apps from your current phone.
The custom UI and physical keyboard are innovative though, I don't think I've seen a physical keyboard with touch support before, and I wish them the best.
Perhaps that's good, though. The market for truly minimal phones seems to be rather small. I've had a chance to buy a new Commodore phone and they are really cool, but in the end I decided against it because I wasn't even sure my banking apps were going to run on it and I do need some social media on my phone even if I don't use them often. For example, everybody uses Whatsapp where I live. If you need to buy another phone to complement your minimal phone, it's kind of pointless.
The single input box with different prefixes for actions - @people, #call, - todo etc is very nice. I wish I could have such a powerful input box in my Home Screen. iPhone or even a trimmed down android with such an interface would be cool.
I’m not a fan of the physical keyboard, the broad shape(they say one handed use immediately followed by a video of someone using both hands to type). I’m okay with the candy bar all screen phones of today. The UX is pretty cool if I can have it on my “regular” phone..
Anybody have an idea if it is doable on an iPhone or an android phone?
If you set up a swipe to launch another launcher, you can have all your widgets there, as sometimes that's nice for a multi-app overview of Stuff™ at a glance.
I would like more information on what Degoogled means and whether it’s still possible to install 3rd party apps by some other means. Nice looking device, I expected it to cost more. Also, does this only work in the US rn?
I kind of like the idea of this being a reflash to install apps, if that's how it works it makes it more intentional.
Though you can probably just install Aurora Store or F-Droid and install from there. Some apps don't work (you'll notice they didn't show Uber in the examples) and recently I've been having issues with Aurora and suspect its days are numbered so I'd be concerned about the future of that before buying something like this.
I read that as "minimum standard", not "minimal" as in "not possible to make it have anything less". People need a keyboard and the screen keyboard on iPhones today isn't pleasant, at least for me. I'm not saying that this keyboard will be better, it may suck even worse, but the lack of a good keyboard experience is the main reason I don't do much with my phone other than order Ubers when I'm on vacation.
I don't think that's a core part of the minimalism. It's about the overall aims (less interruption etc) and their Minimal OS (based on Android) and the fairly simple launcher.
I've been looking at this and the Clicks Communicator which should both be out by the end of this year. I'm not really a "dumbphone" person nor am I really a physical keyboard hound. I just want a smaller phone that feels better in the pocket and in the hand. I thought about a Razr but the proportions are a little awkward when opened. Its a little too long.
I get what you are saying. I'm coming from a Sony Xperia 10 IV with a width of 68 mm and it was perfect, albeit a bit tall (21:9 format). Now I use a Motorola Edge 60 Neo with a width of nearly 71 mm with the "traditional" 16:9 format. It is almost as tall and just slightly out of reach of one-handed use for me. The Minimal 2 is wider at 72 mm, the Clicks is even wider. I'm going to look at the Razr, it's frustrating.
I'm happy that this hardware exists but an easier solution is to quit social media, viciously curate your notifications and apps, and install an ad blocker. My phone only alerts me if somebody calls me, asks me a question specifically in a group chat, or DMs me. I never see any ads or any FOMO nags. Life is pretty good.
Do you? If you disable all notifications you have to make a conscious effort to open a time sink. In time you'll start to forget, esp if you get busy with something.
And HN is arguably better than doomscrolling TikTok or Facebook, even with the current LLM/Rust/LLM in Rust spam.
Neat. This is pretty close to what I’d be looking for, if I could really afford to pull the trigger on something like this (realistically I can’t - iMessage on laptop is too important for work).
If it natively plugged into the Apple ecosystem, now that would be difficult to refuse.
That really illustrates the issue to me. Personally I don't need it to run GrapheneOS, but I do need a parking app, internet sharing, a TOTP app and MobilePay, others will need different application.
Creating a minimal phone is almost impossible, because it means different things to different people. Mine could be a Nokia style candy bar design, because I don't need a large screen or a camera, but it does require completely custom applications.
Yeah they talk up privacy but trust is a big component of that. Where's the source? I distrust Google...but I also distrust a company I've never heard of with mobile device data in 2026. It's basically keys to the kingdom now.
I was excited before I saw battery section. 3600 mAh with 27W charging would be a bigger downshift than comfortable from 6000 mAh and 90W charging.
I pray for +capacity version
Very cool. If they could commit to a looooong time of publishing software updates (esp. security), and if I could trust them to actually do it, I would be very interested.
I hate switching phones and I am not buying short-lived devices anymore if I can help it.
It's kind of cool, I like that there are people trying to do something else, but I don't how it's "minimal" or discourages heavy use.
It's an Android phone, with pretty decent specs. Nothing is stopping you from installing social media apps and doomscrolling all day and night, and chances are you will do that if that's what you do with your phone, just as you can just delete social media apps from your current phone.
The custom UI and physical keyboard are innovative though, I don't think I've seen a physical keyboard with touch support before, and I wish them the best.
Perhaps that's good, though. The market for truly minimal phones seems to be rather small. I've had a chance to buy a new Commodore phone and they are really cool, but in the end I decided against it because I wasn't even sure my banking apps were going to run on it and I do need some social media on my phone even if I don't use them often. For example, everybody uses Whatsapp where I live. If you need to buy another phone to complement your minimal phone, it's kind of pointless.
This is great. I really like the “dumb phone” movement.
Sadly for now they’re too expensive to buy just as an experiment.
my question is why is it soo expensive if you are just making a dumb phone, give me a 100-200$ option with less ram and storage i'll be all in
The single input box with different prefixes for actions - @people, #call, - todo etc is very nice. I wish I could have such a powerful input box in my Home Screen. iPhone or even a trimmed down android with such an interface would be cool.
I’m not a fan of the physical keyboard, the broad shape(they say one handed use immediately followed by a video of someone using both hands to type). I’m okay with the candy bar all screen phones of today. The UX is pretty cool if I can have it on my “regular” phone..
Anybody have an idea if it is doable on an iPhone or an android phone?
I've been using keyboard-based launchers for a couple years now, I really like it. None quite yet feel perfect to me, but Olauncher has lasted the longest: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.olauncher
If you set up a swipe to launch another launcher, you can have all your widgets there, as sometimes that's nice for a multi-app overview of Stuff™ at a glance.
Android kiss home screen can be probably set up like this.
I would like more information on what Degoogled means and whether it’s still possible to install 3rd party apps by some other means. Nice looking device, I expected it to cost more. Also, does this only work in the US rn?
I kind of like the idea of this being a reflash to install apps, if that's how it works it makes it more intentional.
Though you can probably just install Aurora Store or F-Droid and install from there. Some apps don't work (you'll notice they didn't show Uber in the examples) and recently I've been having issues with Aurora and suspect its days are numbered so I'd be concerned about the future of that before buying something like this.
I just wish I could get an answer from them on why a brand new phone is missing some pretty important LTE/5G bands in the US
Well because the phone is not supposed to be used for mindless doomscrolling but calling. Highspeed not needed.
I don't get why having a keyboard is minimal.
I read that as "minimum standard", not "minimal" as in "not possible to make it have anything less". People need a keyboard and the screen keyboard on iPhones today isn't pleasant, at least for me. I'm not saying that this keyboard will be better, it may suck even worse, but the lack of a good keyboard experience is the main reason I don't do much with my phone other than order Ubers when I'm on vacation.
I see.
The way I use my phone--mostly for reading--in my case just means that most of the time I would have this thing I don't need taking up space.
But I guess it's good to have alternative, people use things in different ways.
I don't think that's a core part of the minimalism. It's about the overall aims (less interruption etc) and their Minimal OS (based on Android) and the fairly simple launcher.
The picture showing a thumb typing makes it clear that anyone with long fingernails is going to find it difficult to use.
Is this missing Android navigation buttons? I wonder if they considered to have them physical again.
I've been looking at this and the Clicks Communicator which should both be out by the end of this year. I'm not really a "dumbphone" person nor am I really a physical keyboard hound. I just want a smaller phone that feels better in the pocket and in the hand. I thought about a Razr but the proportions are a little awkward when opened. Its a little too long.
I get what you are saying. I'm coming from a Sony Xperia 10 IV with a width of 68 mm and it was perfect, albeit a bit tall (21:9 format). Now I use a Motorola Edge 60 Neo with a width of nearly 71 mm with the "traditional" 16:9 format. It is almost as tall and just slightly out of reach of one-handed use for me. The Minimal 2 is wider at 72 mm, the Clicks is even wider. I'm going to look at the Razr, it's frustrating.
Didn't realize they were iPhone width and wider. Puts a damper on seriously shopping on it for me. Thanks for the info.
How does a minimal phone like this one compare to not installing a shitton of apps and disabling all but essential notifications?
Did you click the link?!
Yeah, that's why I'm asking
Probably the physical keyboard?
i really feel like the website for a minimal phone should be at least somewhat viewable without javascript.
Minimalist phone, maximalist website.
Minimal ≠ simple
I'm happy that this hardware exists but an easier solution is to quit social media, viciously curate your notifications and apps, and install an ad blocker. My phone only alerts me if somebody calls me, asks me a question specifically in a group chat, or DMs me. I never see any ads or any FOMO nags. Life is pretty good.
I did that and now constantly check hacker news
Do you? If you disable all notifications you have to make a conscious effort to open a time sink. In time you'll start to forget, esp if you get busy with something.
And HN is arguably better than doomscrolling TikTok or Facebook, even with the current LLM/Rust/LLM in Rust spam.
Neat. This is pretty close to what I’d be looking for, if I could really afford to pull the trigger on something like this (realistically I can’t - iMessage on laptop is too important for work).
If it natively plugged into the Apple ecosystem, now that would be difficult to refuse.
Reminds me of Jobs saying.. the problem with phones these days is the bottom 1/3.
Some still disagree.
Maybe if GrapheneOS ran on it
That really illustrates the issue to me. Personally I don't need it to run GrapheneOS, but I do need a parking app, internet sharing, a TOTP app and MobilePay, others will need different application.
Creating a minimal phone is almost impossible, because it means different things to different people. Mine could be a Nokia style candy bar design, because I don't need a large screen or a camera, but it does require completely custom applications.
It says they offer a degoogled version, which is cool.
https://minimalcompany.com/#purchase
Since you can’t run Graphene on non pixel devices, this seems like a big feature
if the claim is trusted. yeah
Yeah they talk up privacy but trust is a big component of that. Where's the source? I distrust Google...but I also distrust a company I've never heard of with mobile device data in 2026. It's basically keys to the kingdom now.
I was excited before I saw battery section. 3600 mAh with 27W charging would be a bigger downshift than comfortable from 6000 mAh and 90W charging. I pray for +capacity version
Very cool. If they could commit to a looooong time of publishing software updates (esp. security), and if I could trust them to actually do it, I would be very interested.
I hate switching phones and I am not buying short-lived devices anymore if I can help it.
BlackBerry: Seriously?
Can I have the "minimal phone" that is a powerful ai assisted productive computing device. Minimal in UI only and not literally an useless machine?