Minimalist Phones Face Significant Hardware and Usability Issues

The minimalist phone trend is picking up steam, with the Minimal Phone MP01 being the latest example. But can these devices really help us break free from our smartphone addiction?

Let’s take a closer look. The Light Phone III, for instance, has a small 3.92-inch OLED screen. The Minimal Phone and Mudita Kompakt have slightly larger 4.3-inch screens, but they use e-paper, which isn’t ideal for a modern smartphone.

The camera is another letdown. The Minimal Phone has a single 16MP rear camera, which WIRED describes as “abysmal.” The Light Phone III’s camera isn’t much better, and this is a common problem with most minimalist phones. To make matters worse, the Light Phone III’s fingerprint sensor doesn’t even work yet.

People have also complained about the Minimal Phone’s ghosting effect on the screen and its cheap plastic chassis.

Now, let’s talk price. The Light Phone III costs a whopping $600. The Mudita Kompakt and Bigme HiBreak Pro cost $439 each, while the Minimal Phone costs $400. These devices aren’t cheap, especially considering what you get. For $400 or more, you can get a mid-range smartphone with better performance, build quality, and features.

Take the Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro, for example. It costs around $280 and offers a 120Hz AMOLED screen, a Mediatek Dimensity 7300 Pro processor, and a triple rear camera setup. Compared to conventional smartphones at similar price points, minimalist phones just don’t offer good value.

The idea behind minimalist phones is appealing, but these devices make too many sacrifices. They lack essential apps like banking, authenticators, password managers, ride-hailing, and messaging services. This means you’d need a second, more capable device to manage your daily life, which defeats the purpose of having a minimalist phone in the first place.

For now, minimalist phones are more of a niche product than a practical solution for everyday use. They compromise on hardware quality, charge a premium price, and offer limited functionality. Maybe one day, we’ll see a minimalist phone that gets it right, but until then, they’re not worth the investment.

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