The Light Flip Is the Stylish Dumb Flip Phone of Your Dreams

A flip phone with 5G, USB-C, a headphone jack, and a removable battery? Say it ain’t so.

It turns out that the Light Phone III-the dumbphone with pretty hardware, like an all-metal build and a monochrome OLED touchscreen-is “too similar to a smartphone.” That's one of the pieces of feedback that Brooklyn-based Light Phone has received in the past year since it launched the device, even if it doesn't have access to anywhere near the number of apps your smartphone does.

The Light Flip

It's why the company is now introducing the Light Flip-a dumb flip phone with no front screen that looks like a sleeker version of Motorola or Ericsson handsets from the late '90s and early aughts. “They don't want to be seen as using a smartphone,” says Kaiwei Tang, CEO and cofounder of Light Phone, talking about the more than two dozen Gen Z consumers the company interviewed.

But the dumb flip phones currently on the market-made by manufacturers like HMD or TCL-don't meet the bar. Tang says that many of the users he's spoken with have had to replace their devices quite often because they break easily. Some who opt for older devices say that those devices aren't certified to work on the major cell networks. “They describe their flip phone as ugly, stupid, no one is updating the software, some still have social media, no one is repairing the phone,” says Tang. “But they stick with it.” His cofounder, Joe Hollier, says these consumers know it's frivolous, but they're “just so anti-Big Tech.”

Pricing and Subscription

The Light Flip is also designed to be more accessible to the masses. Light Phone says RAM shortages are forcing it to raise the price of the Light Phone III from $699 to $899. (The device already saw price increases last year due to tariffs.) The Light Flip, on the other hand, costs $299. It ships in April of 2027, and you can reserve a unit now.

The company is introducing a 24-month contract option that lets you buy the Flip for $39 per month, which includes a service plan powered by AT&T and T-Mobile's network with 1 GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. (Yes, that means Light Phone is also a mobile virtual network operator in the US, Canada, and the UK.) There's also a plan for the Light Phone III at $59 per month for anyone who can't stomach the near-$1,000 price. “I think people are just so accustomed to the subscription model when it comes to cell phones that we at least have to offer it,” Hollier says.

Design and Features

The Light Flip doesn't have a touchscreen; instead, users have to rely on a D-pad, three function keys, a confirm and cancel button, and old-school T9 typing with predictive text. All the “tools” from the Light Phone III-what Light Phone calls its apps on its LightOS platform-will work when the Light Flip launches next year. It's a pretty limited set, with tools like Phone, Alarm, Calculator, Calendar, and Directions. However, in May, the company announced a software development kit that enables third-party developers to create new tools for the platform, expanding the possibilities. These may need tweaks to perform just as well on the Light Flip.

There's USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 5G connectivity, Nano SIM and eSIM support, even a headphone jack, a perk missing on the pricier Light Phone III. (There is no NFC.) On the front, the lack of a screen keeps up with the distraction-free ethos-it's just a notification LED that flashes when new alerts come through. There's a 12-MP camera on the back, and a replaceable 1,800-mAh battery. Flip it open and there's a 2.8-inch OLED display, stereo speakers, and two microphones.

The whole device is plastic, unlike its all-metal sibling, which helps keep the cost down. That also allows the company to offer it in six colors: black, navy, red, pink, yellow, and light gray. It's IP54 water- and dust-resistant.

Tang points to the recent Summer of Ludd festival that took place in New York City, where he and other Light Phone members were present as participants. Event-goers booed people who pulled out their smartphones to record video. “The sentiment of pushing back on smartphones is so strong; they don't like AI,” he says. “They want these different form factors that make them feel proud or completely separated from smartphone app stores. It makes us feel encouraged that this is exactly what we've wanted to do for 10 years, and now it's getting bigger and bigger and younger and younger.”

Market Context

It's no accident that Light Phone's new flippy handset is being announced a day before Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event, where the mobile giant is expected to debut its latest folding smartphones. Just a month ago, retro gaming brand Commodore announced the Callback 8020, its own version of a smart flip phone resembling an old-school Nokia. The company is channeling the same digital well-being mentality as Light Phone, except Commodore's device runs an operating system that can still download modern-day Android apps. The catch is that social media apps and browsers are blocked; strictly utilitarian apps are available, like Spotify, Uber, and Google Maps. It costs $399 and will ship later this year.

Tang and Hollier were happy to see Commodore's new handset. “They took a different approach to us by doubling down on the retro side, and I think that's awesome,” Hollier says. “We've always said we want more options for people, and the more normalized non-smartphones become, the easier it will be for everyone to make a transition.”