The Minimal Phone offers a unique design with E Ink display and physical QWERTY keyboard, running on Android 14.
The phone includes features like a 16MP camera, dual SIM card slot, microSD slot, fingerprint reader, and USB-C port.
The base model with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is priced at $399, and there's a model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage for $100 more.
There are tons of phones that are released every year and no matter how much brands try to make their devices stand out from the crowd, we're always left with something that isn't all that distinct. With that said, that's understandable to a degree, since it's not easy making something that feels completely new without straying too far from a formula that could lead to sales success.
All I want is an E Ink phone that works properly in the US
A good E Ink phone is a dream I refuse to wake up from
Of course, every so often, there are exceptions, and it looks like 2025 is going to be a year that has more unique options. While we've seen E Ink phones before, the Minimal Phone was something that popped up on our radar back early in 2024. While it looked utterly fantastic, we were skeptical, marking it down as vaporware. Luckily for backers, that doesn't look to be the case, as the device is now reportedly finally shipping out and getting into some eager hands (via The Verge).
Now we say "finally" because at the time of the original Indiegogo campaign launch, there was a commitment to have this phone ship by September 2024. But like any project, not everything went as planned, and that timeframe eventually slipped. While the campaign page had an updated shipping date set for December 2024, the brand eventually shared an update with shipments starting just this month.
When it comes to the design, you're getting something that looks fairly simple, with the one stand out feature (besides the E Ink display) being a physical QWERTY keyboard. While it looks quite simple, it actually runs Android 14, and you will have access to the Play Store to download all your favorite apps. For the most part, things look pretty good, but you can judge for yourself by checking out the unboxing video.
In addition to the above, you get a 16MP camera on the rear, a dual SIM card slot, along with a microSD card slot if you need to expand the storage. You also get a power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader which will keep things secure, along with a USB-C port for charging and data transfer. The phone also packs a 3.5mm audio jack, just in case you aren't fond of using Bluetooth earbuds.
When it comes to pricing, you can grab the base model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage for a special price of just $399. There's also a model that has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage that costs $100 more. Both models can currently be purchased from the brand's website. Of course, this isn't the only E Ink phone that's being released this year.
The Light Phone 3 is one that we've covered before, making its debut back in mid-2024. While this model has been available for preorder since that time, it still hasn't gotten a proper launch. While it was originally set to be made available in January 2025, there have been delays (surprise, surprise), and the best timeline now has the company setting its sights for March 2025.
This phone offers a minimalist design and also attempts to strip down the modern phone experience. Light Phone takes things further by locking down its OS and only allowing the user access to a few basic and necessary apps. Of course, it's really your choice, but we think both the Light Phone and Minimal Phone are both worth taking a look at.
Minimal Phone
$399 $499 Save $100
This is the phone to get if you're looking to go with something different. It has a simple design, E Ink screen, and physical QWERTY keyboard.
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