The Light Phone 2: Wear-tested Product Review

 

One of the most difficult parts of attempting to avoid the spiral of screen entertainment is the presence of the smartphone. All the entertainment, all the "fun" you could imagine, lives constantly in your pocket. It quickly takes over your default activity for an amount of downtime, and then it starts to create great swathes of unnecessary time for itself.

This is where the Light Phone comes in. It's perfect for those like me who don't have the self-control for a smartphone and don't have another effective alternative for limiting the smartphone's capabilities. 

Setting parental controls for yourself I think can be effective in terms of limiting screen-time or making your phone "dumb". I tried several apps on my old Android, all of which I was able to bypass with enough effort. If you, like me, need something that is truly incapable of getting on the internet, the Light Phone may be for you.

First, here are its chief limitations:

• No browser - ever. (this is kind of the point)

• No color. (you're not supposed to enjoy using it really)

• Few extraneous apps (as of now, the options for Light Phone 2 are phone, alarm, settings, podcasts, notes, music, maps, calculator)

• No camera (or pictures or videos)

• Overall low functionality (the live GPS on maps works less than half the time, you can't browse new podcasts on your phone, music has to be downloaded to a PC first, texting is slow and picture messages are sent to your email, which your phone will never have).

This low functionality is basically what The Light Phone is shooting for. They want to make a phone that does everything you need it to, but does not pull you in and is not used all the time, like the smartphone. I think they strike a great balance of functionality and usability while making the device as bare-bones as possible.

Here are the chief advantages that I've noticed from replacing my smartphone with The Light Phone:

• Less time online. There are plenty of situations where you're out and about, or trying to sleep, or waiting in line, and you end up mindlessly scrolling on your phone. Now there's nothing to scroll, just like the olden days when I got my first cell phone.
• Better awareness of my surroundings. The maps are unreliable enough that I have to pay much closer attention to where I'm driving. I am growing to know my way around better without having the phone do it all for me.
• A more positive connection to my phone. I got the feeling with my smartphone that I was using the device more as an unhelpful escape than as a positive tool. The smartphone's aim is to gain control of your mind, gain control of your data, and use them to force you to stare at it for as many hours per day as possible. Not really fun when you think about it. The Light Phone's aim is to let you live your life, while helping you make calls and texts, and listen to good podcasts. Not a bad trade-off overall.

I would highly recommend the Light Phone to anyone who is interested in increasing freedom and reducing the amount of control their phone has over them, if that is something they struggle with. Let's be clear: this is not a magic cure for your internet problems. It is simply a helpful tool that can help drag your mind back out of the glowing blue light. 

The only real obstacle I've faced is work-related communication. The Light Phone doesn't do GroupMe, and my job does. But thankfully GroupMe functions fully as a desktop app, and I've been able to move forward without trouble. However, if your job relies more heavily on the phone or certain apps, you may need to plan more carefully. 

Also, there are many people who have good control over their smartphones and find great utility in their amazing range of functions. If so, then The Light Phone might not be a step up for you. But I am willing to bet that most people are a little more addicted to the screen than we would care to admit. 

Finally, the painful price tag might also be something that turns you off, which is absolutely understandable. However, the phone is durable and not built to become obsolete within two years like most smartphones of a comparable price point.

Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the job this small company has done in building their own hardware and software, coming up with a true gem of a device that checks all the boxes for a dumb phone fan. Thanks for the great product, excellent customer service, and strong positive experience so far!

Rating: 9.5 / 10