Good find! For the LP the refund policy, I guess, is "sell it on Ebay," ha. I actually bought my original LP2 there, because they were out of stock, and I paid more than the retail price at the time, so you probably wouldn't lose more than maybe 5-10% of the purchase price. Still, definitely a point worth considering.
i would love if it the light phone 3 had spotify compatibility!! i think that holds me back a bit from purchasing but im sooo interested in the LP3. the camera looks beautiful
What I do is use a tool called NoteBurner to download my Spotify playlists/albums as MP3's, then upload them via the LP dashboard. I pay for a premium subscription and mostly listen on my Mac, so it seems fair to me.
I've been studying this one out for a while and I've gone back and forth between the LP3 and Kompakt. Thanks for the excellent comparison. I think I'm going with the Mudita Kompakt, but only after it's been out a little while, so they can work early bugs out.
@@AndrewFolts I just decided to pull the trigger on the Kompakt kickstarter. Very excited! And, yes, I contradicted myself and didn't wait. Couldn't pass up that pricing.
E-ink phones appeal to me to prevent temptation to scroll socials, but not being able to do something as simple as order an Uber just doesn't make much sense to me. Btw have you seen the "minimal phone"? Much chunkier than I'd like but based on Android so might be easier to recommend to people like me who dont quite want to disconnect from everything.
Yea, I've seen it. I'm wary of companies that don't provide any info about themselves (CEO/founder/team, etc), because they often turn out to be fly-by-night ventures where they just collect a bunch of preorders and then put out a subpar/glitchy product with no longterm support. Also, although e ink is nice for reducing eyestrain, I found out with my Boox Tab Ultra C that longterm it does nothing whatsoever to prevent social media addiction when you still have full access to Google Play, so I really don't see much point to the Minimal Phone. You'd be better off sticking with your smartphone for Uber, etc, and using a true minimalist phone with no Google Play for when you actually want to disconnect.
@AndrewFolts yeh good point, it definitely doesn't inspire confidence and I would never pre-order. Great insights about social media addiction too, I'm still new to the idea of digital minimalism so your content has been great (and love the barefoot reviews too!)
I listened to lifekits podcast episode on digital detoxing and they brought up light phones. Apparently there is a phone number you can call to order an Uber and a decent amount of other similar services. (This was one of my biggest concerns too) now my only hesitation is how good the directions feature is on light phone II😅
@@MalikaInColor The map view is unusable on the LP2 due to the e ink refreshing too slowly and the screen being too small, but the text and voice based directions work fine.
It's no big deal, just get a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter. amzn.to/3KQjNyP The Apple one is what I've used for years on multiple devices, and it's like $15. I just leave it plugged into my headphones, so it's no less convenient than a dedicated 3.5mm jack. Alternatively, you could buy a splitter, if you need to charge and listen at the same time.
@@Jesus2024-ey1kp Yeah, dongles and alternative headphones do exist. It's just annoying to have to carry them around just to use with a specific device. On paper I know I can, but in reality I won't lol. At least in my case, everything else I use day-to-day has a headphone jack. Plus on all devices I have had that lack a headphone jack in the past (prior to going dumb), the charge ports would always fail from the increased wear. And on a device with no alternative charging method, that concerns me for the Light Phone 3. So I'll avoid using the charging port for audio personally. At least Light seems committed to repair-ability so that would not be too bad, but still. Not ideal.
New subscriber here. I love eink and tech but also learning to intentionally use my phone (less doom scrolling) and gadgets (tablets, ereaders). I like the concept of Mudita Kompakt; I can see myself reading more on it on the go. But it's a bit pricey for me; I'm still waiting for Supernote A5 X2. Maybe the next bigger version of Mudita Kompakt would appeal to me more and my budget. Nonetheless, I'll keep an eye on your Mudita review.
I love the design of it*, the crown as in the Apple Watch, the square shape…as a 2nd device the concept is great. I really like that you can use maps, but I see 2 “massive” downsides in this phone, 1) Not being able to use Spotify and 2) The price, it’s so expensive I really can’t see a “normal” person buying this. Even if you want to see it as a niche thing, I think it would be way more intelligent to target it as a 2nd device for when you want to disconnect. But in a way I can understand that because of being a small company, the costs go up. Don’t want to be rude, but unless they make magic, I can’t see this lasting for so long, the need to improve a couple of software things and cost engineering aspects.
As I understand it, Spotify doesn't currently support third-party apps for streaming, so there's nothing Light can do until they change that policy and give developers access. You can use a tool like NoteBurner to download your favorite Spotify playlists and albums as MP3's, so you can upload the via the Light dashboard, which is what I do. In terms of price, the LP3 started out at $399 for pre-orders, which I feel is reasonable. The LP2 was $299 and that sold well for years, so I'm sure the LP3 will do just fine at $500 or so. They say the final retail price will be $799, but I doubt it'll stay that high for long. Totally agree that very few people would buy at that price. For people who can't live without a smartphone (due to work, etc), the LP can be a great secondary device, although for me I found smartphones to be so addictive that the only solution was to get rid of my iPhone permanently. Overall it does pretty much everything I need, and it's easy to compensate with workarounds for any minor annoyances.
I love these phones, but I wonder when they will add 3rd party messaging apps… having so many contacts using WhatsApp or Signal makes it hard to “cross over”…
Scope creep becomes a problem very quickly for startup companies when trying to include too many apps, both because it adds a lot of dev workload and because it chips away at the goal of being minimalist and distraction-free. People start asking for WhatsApp and Signal and Spotify and Outlook and Audible, etc, and soon enough what you've got is just a regular smartphone. You're better off just exporting/importing your contacts to the LP or Kompakt, which is easily done, or keeping a secondary device to support extra apps and then using a minimal phone for times when you truly want to disconnect.
@@AndrewFolts The challenge with this is that my family and friends live all over the world and they ALL use Whatsapp for calls and messages. While I understand they don't want creep, Whatsapp is the main communication tool for SO many people. I think it's a big miss to leave it out.
Have you checked out the Minimal Phone? Apparently coming out next month. E ink screen, android and it has a physical keyboard to counter the e ink slowness.
Yea, it didn't appeal to me, because I find full Android access way too distracting. It's basically just a normal smartphone at that point. Also, the company website is super sketchy. There's no info about their team, process, etc, which usually suggests a fly-by-night company that puts out one half-baked product, then never provides support and disappears.
Yea, it'll be a hard choice between the LP3's camera and the e ink / battery life of the Kompakt. Maybe I'll duct tape them together back to back and use both. (:
I like the idea of these, starting to look like a good option. I am sensitive to backlit screens. I love photos taking photos on my high end phone and I would miss that the most I think.
Yea, everyone reaches a point where regular smartphones just aren't sustainable anymore. The Kompakt is def the best option if you want to reduce eyestrain, but the LP3 is still significantly better than a normal smartphone screen with the matte OLED and dark/grayscale UI, plus (as far as I can tell) a nice high quality camera.
@@AndrewFolts Eye strain and migraine is the main reason I would do it. Just the thought doing it for real gives me withdrawal fears! How sad it that. I hope this become a big sector in the future.
@@justins_toys For sure, I felt that same anxiety the first few days with the LP2...literally, my heart was pounding. But I can tell you it fades quickly, and after a week or two, you won't miss your smartphone, whatsoever. (:
I’m considering going light and purchasing the Light Phone 3. However, I still want to keep my iPhone with iMessage and use the same number on both devices. Do you know if it’s possible to do that?
Yea, the LP3 supports eSIM, so I think you just have an app on your iPhone, which allows the same number on both. You can also manually switch the real SIM card back and forth.
I wrote to Light Phone to ask this exact question. This was their response on Nov 19, 2024 - Currently, the only number sharing program the Light Phone is compatible with is T-Mobile's DIGITS program. The Light Phone is not compatible with Verizon's Number share, or AT&T's NumberSync.
Actually the Mudita Kompakt has a huge benefit - it runs Android, which while stripped down of google stuff, is still open ended, so you can sideload useful apps (like Uber, Mail, whatever) without the temptations to go on socials, since you need to connect it to a PC every time you want a new app.
They both run on Android, but the question is will they support side-loading. It used to be possible with the LP2, but seems not to work now. Has Mudita specifically mentioned supporting side-loading?
@AndrewFolts oh didn't know LP is android too, that's cool, I'm sure there must be some workaround still to sideload. Anyhow, yes, I can't tell you exactly where I've seen it, might be on their Kickstarter, but I have seen a mention of sideloading.
@@AndrewFolts I saw an interview with the CEO. He didn't recommend side loading because most apps aren't built for e-ink. You can do it, but do you really want to is the question.
No, the only option would be the Boox Palma, which has full Google Play access and no cell service (only wifi calling). You're better off keeping your smartphone if you 100% need those apps (or you could use a tablet), and then using a true minimal phone for when you want to disconnect.
@AndrewFolts Thanks, that's a great idea, use SIM enabled tablet for those apps and minimal phone for wverything else. I did have a minimal launcher on my phone but kept crashing. Thanks and best wishes.
There are elements to these that I find very attractive. Not worried about "smartphone addiction" as much because I HATE cellphones to start with. I know, that's practically sacrilegious; but I'm definitely not opposed to technology. I just like to be less connected most of the time. I like quiet time and undisturbed hikes, and to be in the moment when I'm spending face to face time with others. That being said, I like the ability to watch a video or take decent pictures or look something up online. But, I don't need AI or an "assistant" (Google or Siri, etc...) or anything that's listening to me all the time. I don't need all the SPAM. During the election season, I started leaving my phone at home or in the car when I was doing something because it was non-stop! And its not much better this week, as it became "Early Black Friday Season" practically the moment the election ended. I'd really love to find a device that doesn't force me to have all the unwanted features of Android, but still does what I need it to for work.
Yea, it's really frustrating that we have these amazing tools that start to feel "useless," because they're so overrun with distractions and don't have any real way to turning them off permanently.
I am interested in the LP3 but, as someone mentioned down below, they *need* Spotify and that feels true for me too! I see that there is music and there are podcasts, but what service do they use and do you have to download songs and podcasts from the computer or how does that work? Thanks in advance!
So for podcasts you can subscribe to a feed like any normal app. Light Phone uses an open-source podcast index to download episodes for you. For music, you can upload MP3's via the online dashboard. For Spotify, I used a tool called NoteBurner to download MP3's of my top playlists/albums and uploaded them via the dashboard. Mostly, I listen to new music via Spotify Premium on my Mac, so I only really need a few go-to's on my Light Phone.
Totally looking forward to my Lighphone 3 in January. Also using your link I bought the Mukishoes boiled wool slippers today. Getting rid of my donated “my pillow” house slippers made with plastic where your foot is and leather on the outside. Totally cleaning up my life and wardrobe but it has come at a major cost. Still these new things should last a long time! Thanks for the review bro!
Oh man, that's a great pair for mental/physical calmness. Can't wait for the LP3! Def hurts investing in better quality gear/apparel, but it's always worth it in the long run. Appreciate you supporting the channel and I wish you much coziness/mindfulness for 2025! (:
@@heineor Could be, but they stated in their latest blog post that everything was on track and we're only a couple months away, so it seems unlikely that they would make that claim if they weren't confident in being able to deliver.
@@AndrewFolts In a month they will say that they have everything done but because of the certificates they have to wait with the sale. Certificates always take longer than the official deadlines. Mudita Kompakt will probably come out earlier than lightphone3. Everything will become clear in some time. This is my speculation 🙂
My man does not mention the prices for some reason. $799 Light Phone 3 $439 Mudita Kompakt Both nicely designed, overpriced dumb phones. Especially the Light phone. Just get a sleek $50 Nokia for phone addiction and "digital minimalism" 🥳
The LP started out at $399 and has gradually increased, which they told people all along would happen. That's the benefit of pre-ordering early-you have to wait longer, but you get a huge discount. If a Nokia works for you, then go for it. LP and Mudita priced their phones to cover the costs of developing two unique and premium products for people who prioritize those qualities.
@AndrewFolts my work requires me to use quite few programmes that require 2FA with push notifications. I can always use an iPad as a second device to receive these but it's just a pain. I don't understand why this can't be developed as it's much more useful than the NFC feature for example.
@@Noobtroo Maybe not enough people requested 2FA. I've never used it for anything. All the companies I use just send a text message with a code, which works fine with the LP.
You could use an iPad, which is less addictive due to not fitting in your pocket. But 2FA for a lot of companies means logging into social media apps (like RUclips), so that's not something LP could ever support.
They do have a GPS, but it may be another provider than Google. You can upload MP3's but there's no Spotify at this time. They may do a Beeper integrate, like Light Phone is considering, which combines all messaging apps into one tool, but it's not implemented yet.
Do you mean the LP3 or my e ink monitor? I watch RUclips videos and occasionally do video calls, which work fine, but they're in black and white, so it just depends on what I'm doing and whether I need color.
Light's been talking about doing something like a Beeper integration, which combines all popular messaging apps into one. Not email, tho. That's kind of against both companies' philosophy of distraction-free.
It's got a front and back camera, so that's a feature that they were planning on adding, but whether it'll be before or in the months after the phone launches, they haven't said yet.
@AndrewFolts I hope so, I have family members that like to video chat 😄 I don't have a Light Phone myself, I am interested in buying one the future. If they were to add video chat I would gladly commit to it!
@@MewiesPawpad One thing to consider is preordering now, and then canceling if it turns out they won't be adding video chat either at launch or soon afterwards. That way, you save $300, but still have the option to bail anytime before your order ships. They've said the price will keep increasing from $499 to $799, which is a lot, if so.
You could carry a larger less distracting device like a tablet or laptop and use it with the LP's Hotspot tool to use apps like Uber. You can also call ride share services using the LP's Directory tool.
If these devices worked in the Caribbean, I'd get one but alas. Or maybe its possible to use without a sim card? Maybe? Without whatsapp, a simple email and browser its a tough sell though. Spotify ain't necessary cause I'm used to collecting and sorting my music. And the ability to type , edit and read documents would be a big blow to lose if I had this. Being an artist as well this could kill my ability to research images online, Pintrest and articles as well as RUclips videos. The camera seems okay for now, I'd need to see more and if it can handle nightshots and video really well. Would be nice if people who make these think about work apps as well, those aren't abrasive and do assist people in daily activities when in an emergency e.g writing an assignment or making a spreadsheet. Either way I do like the design aesthetics. Just wish I could get this and keep the options I listed above considering i don't have phone addiction problems.
I read in an article that they were considering adding Beeper, which is a messaging app that aggregates WhatsApp, Instagram, etc, so all your messages are in one place. So there's hope and that would make it useful for relying on wifi alone. In terms of other apps, they're a small company, so it's just too complicated to have all these different integrations to meet everyone's specific needs. You're better of getting an iPad Air, which is less distracting than an iPhone (doesn't fit in your pocket), but still has the apps you need and can run off a minimal phone's hotspot, if need be.
@AndrewFolts Thanks, it's mostly really Whatsapp, though if they could create their own basic browser and email like way back in the days would be nice. Not having Pinterest doesn't really doesn't bother me, I rarely use it, only when I need to make artwork and need references. I already use a Nokia dumphone but the form factor of the Lp3 is what gets me as phones these days are way too big to carry around. I don't Apple products though, so I guess it's a Samsung tablet for work then.
What I did is used the app Note Burner to download MP3's from the albums/playlists I most listen to and then uploaded them to the LP. I'm ok with it, because I pay for Spotify and do most of my listening on my Mac anyways.
Email, I suspect, would be against both companies' core mission of making distraction and addiction-free devices. I see people all the time (and have done it myself) obsessively checking their email every few minutes, so I don't think it's a healthy feature to add to a minimalist phone. You're better off carrying a small tablet or laptop when you need access to email and then using a minimalist phone when you want to fully disconnect.
Now give us a Light Phone Smart which just uses a custom android that blocks 99.99% of apps with no way around it (Messaging Apps, Maps, and Music streaming apps, etc)
The Light team has mentioned a Beeper integration, which allows you to use any messaging app all in one interface, so WhatsApp might be possible at some point.
I know, right?? As I understand it, Spotify is just being difficult not supporting third-party streaming, so there's nothing Light can do until they change their policy. What I do is use a tool called NoteBurner to download my favorite Spotify playlists and albums as MP3's and then upload them via the Light dashboard.
Someone mentioned in the comments that the Light team is planning a Beeper integration, which is an app that combines all your messaging apps into one interface/API. If so, WhatsApp could work on the LP3.
you did not mention the previous eink phone from Mudita: Pure. There were many problems with it, the device was almost unusable, but they claim they learned their lesson and the Kompakt fixes all flaws and hiccups.
Yea, I'm not surprised, the original Light Phone had its fair share of issues too, I've heard. The LP2 fixed a lot of them, so hopefully that will be the case for the Kompakt, as well. They're sending me one when it's ready, so I will certainly test it out and report back.
It's not $800, it started out for pre-order for $399, then $499, and now it's $599. I doubt it'll ever get to $800, and if it does it won't stay there for long. I'd guess $600 will be closer to the longterm price.
I had the original light phone and the first week it fell into a puddle. I pulled it out as fast as I could but it wasn’t waterproof and had no way to remove the battery. Just had to watch it die. I contacted support and they said they don’t cover water damage and the only option I had was to buy a new one. Very disappointed with them. The brick just sits in my drawer as a sad reminder I tried to support them.
Really sucks, sorry to hear that! To be fair, it wasn't LP's fault, and they're a small company, so it's not financially viable for them to cover drops, water damage, etc. The LP3 does have a replaceable battery, which should help, but it's easy for water to destroy any tech device in a small amount of time. Maybe you could find an insurance company who would cover you for the first year for an extra $25 or something.
It just left a bad taste in my mouth as I was trying out a new company at the time. I would have gladly sent it back to see if they could repair or give a discount on another. If was trying to get a loyal fan base on a new product I’d risk losing some if I believed in my product.
@@JordAnakin They could have said the same about you, ya know? Like why should they spend a lot of time and money (shipping, staff, etc) trying to fix something that likely couldn't be fixed when it wasn't their fault to begin with? LP may have been a new company to you, but for them they've already got a loyal fan base and it's not the same thing as replacing a $5 ice cream cone that someone accidentally dropped.
@@AndrewFolts I bought it during startup, and fully supported them. Would have been nice to know I’d get the same support. At least I’m not wiping their butts fending for their shortcomings. But I guess that’s what getting paid to do reviews does. I’m glad some people like them, but not everyone has the same experience. 🤷♂️
@@JordAnakin You supported them by purchasing the LP and they supported you by creating and delivering the LP to you. It was a fair, even trade. Don't complain that they didn't give you extras for free due to you dropping the phone in water.
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Another big difference is that Mudita Kompakt has a 14 day trial period / return policy and the Light Phone 3 does not.
Good find! For the LP the refund policy, I guess, is "sell it on Ebay," ha. I actually bought my original LP2 there, because they were out of stock, and I paid more than the retail price at the time, so you probably wouldn't lose more than maybe 5-10% of the purchase price. Still, definitely a point worth considering.
Yeah, that's why I back the Mudita Kompakt.
i would love if it the light phone 3 had spotify compatibility!! i think that holds me back a bit from purchasing but im sooo interested in the LP3. the camera looks beautiful
What I do is use a tool called NoteBurner to download my Spotify playlists/albums as MP3's, then upload them via the LP dashboard. I pay for a premium subscription and mostly listen on my Mac, so it seems fair to me.
dont be a slave to almighty algorithm, pick your songs and playlists
@ totally! it just feels a bit accessible. im willing to give it a shot though :o)
I’m excited to stray away from Spotify, and go back to managing and finding my music
I've been studying this one out for a while and I've gone back and forth between the LP3 and Kompakt. Thanks for the excellent comparison. I think I'm going with the Mudita Kompakt, but only after it's been out a little while, so they can work early bugs out.
Yea, it's going to be a tough choice for me too. I'm stoked to try them both and see how they stack up.
@@AndrewFolts I just decided to pull the trigger on the Kompakt kickstarter. Very excited! And, yes, I contradicted myself and didn't wait. Couldn't pass up that pricing.
@@ForrestAguirre Cool! It really seems like the best of both worlds, having an e ink screen, but more functionality than the LP2.
Love your page Andrew! Going to order the Kompakt and hopefully will run into someone with one out there eventually! Good luck
Now that you say that I'm realizing I've never met anyone IRL with an LP, although lots of people online. We need a minimal phone convention, ha!
E-ink phones appeal to me to prevent temptation to scroll socials, but not being able to do something as simple as order an Uber just doesn't make much sense to me. Btw have you seen the "minimal phone"? Much chunkier than I'd like but based on Android so might be easier to recommend to people like me who dont quite want to disconnect from everything.
Yea, I've seen it. I'm wary of companies that don't provide any info about themselves (CEO/founder/team, etc), because they often turn out to be fly-by-night ventures where they just collect a bunch of preorders and then put out a subpar/glitchy product with no longterm support. Also, although e ink is nice for reducing eyestrain, I found out with my Boox Tab Ultra C that longterm it does nothing whatsoever to prevent social media addiction when you still have full access to Google Play, so I really don't see much point to the Minimal Phone. You'd be better off sticking with your smartphone for Uber, etc, and using a true minimalist phone with no Google Play for when you actually want to disconnect.
@AndrewFolts yeh good point, it definitely doesn't inspire confidence and I would never pre-order. Great insights about social media addiction too, I'm still new to the idea of digital minimalism so your content has been great (and love the barefoot reviews too!)
I listened to lifekits podcast episode on digital detoxing and they brought up light phones. Apparently there is a phone number you can call to order an Uber and a decent amount of other similar services. (This was one of my biggest concerns too) now my only hesitation is how good the directions feature is on light phone II😅
@@MalikaInColor The map view is unusable on the LP2 due to the e ink refreshing too slowly and the screen being too small, but the text and voice based directions work fine.
I pre-orderd the light phone 3 but the lack of headphone jack still stings a little.
The usbc charge port is used for headphones, for example you can get a pair of apple corded usbc headphones for $19
It's no big deal, just get a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter. amzn.to/3KQjNyP The Apple one is what I've used for years on multiple devices, and it's like $15. I just leave it plugged into my headphones, so it's no less convenient than a dedicated 3.5mm jack. Alternatively, you could buy a splitter, if you need to charge and listen at the same time.
@@Jesus2024-ey1kp Yeah, dongles and alternative headphones do exist. It's just annoying to have to carry them around just to use with a specific device. On paper I know I can, but in reality I won't lol. At least in my case, everything else I use day-to-day has a headphone jack. Plus on all devices I have had that lack a headphone jack in the past (prior to going dumb), the charge ports would always fail from the increased wear. And on a device with no alternative charging method, that concerns me for the Light Phone 3. So I'll avoid using the charging port for audio personally. At least Light seems committed to repair-ability so that would not be too bad, but still. Not ideal.
there headphones with usb c connectivity instead of 3,5 mm jack.
@JonathanAkiraAbbasi *see previous replies*
New subscriber here. I love eink and tech but also learning to intentionally use my phone (less doom scrolling) and gadgets (tablets, ereaders). I like the concept of Mudita Kompakt; I can see myself reading more on it on the go. But it's a bit pricey for me; I'm still waiting for Supernote A5 X2.
Maybe the next bigger version of Mudita Kompakt would appeal to me more and my budget. Nonetheless, I'll keep an eye on your Mudita review.
Oh interesting, are they making another version of the Kompakt? Hadn't heard about that yet.
I love the design of it*, the crown as in the Apple Watch, the square shape…as a 2nd device the concept is great. I really like that you can use maps, but I see 2 “massive” downsides in this phone, 1) Not being able to use Spotify and 2) The price, it’s so expensive I really can’t see a “normal” person buying this.
Even if you want to see it as a niche thing, I think it would be way more intelligent to target it as a 2nd device for when you want to disconnect. But in a way I can understand that because of being a small company, the costs go up. Don’t want to be rude, but unless they make magic, I can’t see this lasting for so long, the need to improve a couple of software things and cost engineering aspects.
As I understand it, Spotify doesn't currently support third-party apps for streaming, so there's nothing Light can do until they change that policy and give developers access. You can use a tool like NoteBurner to download your favorite Spotify playlists and albums as MP3's, so you can upload the via the Light dashboard, which is what I do. In terms of price, the LP3 started out at $399 for pre-orders, which I feel is reasonable. The LP2 was $299 and that sold well for years, so I'm sure the LP3 will do just fine at $500 or so. They say the final retail price will be $799, but I doubt it'll stay that high for long. Totally agree that very few people would buy at that price. For people who can't live without a smartphone (due to work, etc), the LP can be a great secondary device, although for me I found smartphones to be so addictive that the only solution was to get rid of my iPhone permanently. Overall it does pretty much everything I need, and it's easy to compensate with workarounds for any minor annoyances.
I love these phones, but I wonder when they will add 3rd party messaging apps… having so many contacts using WhatsApp or Signal makes it hard to “cross over”…
Scope creep becomes a problem very quickly for startup companies when trying to include too many apps, both because it adds a lot of dev workload and because it chips away at the goal of being minimalist and distraction-free. People start asking for WhatsApp and Signal and Spotify and Outlook and Audible, etc, and soon enough what you've got is just a regular smartphone. You're better off just exporting/importing your contacts to the LP or Kompakt, which is easily done, or keeping a secondary device to support extra apps and then using a minimal phone for times when you truly want to disconnect.
LP is adding Beeper which allows users to use whatsapp
@@Jack-zj1ug Woah, cool! Sounds like a great idea.
Is this official? About beeper? @@Jack-zj1ug
@@AndrewFolts The challenge with this is that my family and friends live all over the world and they ALL use Whatsapp for calls and messages. While I understand they don't want creep, Whatsapp is the main communication tool for SO many people. I think it's a big miss to leave it out.
Have you checked out the Minimal Phone? Apparently coming out next month. E ink screen, android and it has a physical keyboard to counter the e ink slowness.
Yea, it didn't appeal to me, because I find full Android access way too distracting. It's basically just a normal smartphone at that point. Also, the company website is super sketchy. There's no info about their team, process, etc, which usually suggests a fly-by-night company that puts out one half-baked product, then never provides support and disappears.
Mudita Kompact predicts a standby battery life of up to 6 days. I really like that.
Yea, it'll be a hard choice between the LP3's camera and the e ink / battery life of the Kompakt. Maybe I'll duct tape them together back to back and use both. (:
I like the idea of these, starting to look like a good option. I am sensitive to backlit screens. I love photos taking photos on my high end phone and I would miss that the most I think.
Yea, everyone reaches a point where regular smartphones just aren't sustainable anymore. The Kompakt is def the best option if you want to reduce eyestrain, but the LP3 is still significantly better than a normal smartphone screen with the matte OLED and dark/grayscale UI, plus (as far as I can tell) a nice high quality camera.
@@AndrewFolts Eye strain and migraine is the main reason I would do it. Just the thought doing it for real gives me withdrawal fears! How sad it that. I hope this become a big sector in the future.
@@justins_toys For sure, I felt that same anxiety the first few days with the LP2...literally, my heart was pounding. But I can tell you it fades quickly, and after a week or two, you won't miss your smartphone, whatsoever. (:
I did the pre-order last night and I'm excited to use it. I have one question, will I be able to add audio books somehow? Thanks ✨️
Yea, as long as you're able to download audio files for your books, you can upload them via the Light dashboard and sync them automatically.
I’m considering going light and purchasing the Light Phone 3. However, I still want to keep my iPhone with iMessage and use the same number on both devices. Do you know if it’s possible to do that?
Yea, the LP3 supports eSIM, so I think you just have an app on your iPhone, which allows the same number on both. You can also manually switch the real SIM card back and forth.
No, you’ll have to disable iMessages to keep receiving texts on Light Phone
I wrote to Light Phone to ask this exact question. This was their response on Nov 19, 2024 - Currently, the only number sharing program the Light Phone is compatible with is T-Mobile's DIGITS program. The Light Phone is not compatible with Verizon's Number share, or AT&T's NumberSync.
Actually the Mudita Kompakt has a huge benefit - it runs Android, which while stripped down of google stuff, is still open ended, so you can sideload useful apps (like Uber, Mail, whatever) without the temptations to go on socials, since you need to connect it to a PC every time you want a new app.
They both run on Android, but the question is will they support side-loading. It used to be possible with the LP2, but seems not to work now. Has Mudita specifically mentioned supporting side-loading?
@AndrewFolts oh didn't know LP is android too, that's cool, I'm sure there must be some workaround still to sideload. Anyhow, yes, I can't tell you exactly where I've seen it, might be on their Kickstarter, but I have seen a mention of sideloading.
@@AndrewFolts I saw an interview with the CEO. He didn't recommend side loading because most apps aren't built for e-ink. You can do it, but do you really want to is the question.
I need a minimal phone that also does:
Outlook
Whatsapp
Teams
Anything out there?
No, the only option would be the Boox Palma, which has full Google Play access and no cell service (only wifi calling). You're better off keeping your smartphone if you 100% need those apps (or you could use a tablet), and then using a true minimal phone for when you want to disconnect.
@AndrewFolts Thanks, that's a great idea, use SIM enabled tablet for those apps and minimal phone for wverything else.
I did have a minimal launcher on my phone but kept crashing.
Thanks and best wishes.
Hisense a9
@@essenko looks perfect but not available in England... Oof.
There are elements to these that I find very attractive. Not worried about "smartphone addiction" as much because I HATE cellphones to start with. I know, that's practically sacrilegious; but I'm definitely not opposed to technology. I just like to be less connected most of the time. I like quiet time and undisturbed hikes, and to be in the moment when I'm spending face to face time with others.
That being said, I like the ability to watch a video or take decent pictures or look something up online. But, I don't need AI or an "assistant" (Google or Siri, etc...) or anything that's listening to me all the time. I don't need all the SPAM. During the election season, I started leaving my phone at home or in the car when I was doing something because it was non-stop! And its not much better this week, as it became "Early Black Friday Season" practically the moment the election ended. I'd really love to find a device that doesn't force me to have all the unwanted features of Android, but still does what I need it to for work.
Yea, it's really frustrating that we have these amazing tools that start to feel "useless," because they're so overrun with distractions and don't have any real way to turning them off permanently.
I am interested in the LP3 but, as someone mentioned down below, they *need* Spotify and that feels true for me too! I see that there is music and there are podcasts, but what service do they use and do you have to download songs and podcasts from the computer or how does that work? Thanks in advance!
So for podcasts you can subscribe to a feed like any normal app. Light Phone uses an open-source podcast index to download episodes for you. For music, you can upload MP3's via the online dashboard. For Spotify, I used a tool called NoteBurner to download MP3's of my top playlists/albums and uploaded them via the dashboard. Mostly, I listen to new music via Spotify Premium on my Mac, so I only really need a few go-to's on my Light Phone.
Totally looking forward to my Lighphone 3 in January.
Also using your link I bought the Mukishoes boiled wool slippers today. Getting rid of my donated “my pillow” house slippers made with plastic where your foot is and leather on the outside. Totally cleaning up my life and wardrobe but it has come at a major cost. Still these new things should last a long time! Thanks for the review bro!
Oh man, that's a great pair for mental/physical calmness. Can't wait for the LP3! Def hurts investing in better quality gear/apparel, but it's always worth it in the long run. Appreciate you supporting the channel and I wish you much coziness/mindfulness for 2025! (:
I think that the lightphone will not come out in January. They have to wait for various certifications, which cost a lot of money and time.
@@heineor Could be, but they stated in their latest blog post that everything was on track and we're only a couple months away, so it seems unlikely that they would make that claim if they weren't confident in being able to deliver.
@@AndrewFolts In a month they will say that they have everything done but because of the certificates they have to wait with the sale. Certificates always take longer than the official deadlines. Mudita Kompakt will probably come out earlier than lightphone3. Everything will become clear in some time. This is my speculation 🙂
@@heineor Let's hope for the best, then!
My man does not mention the prices for some reason.
$799 Light Phone 3
$439 Mudita Kompakt
Both nicely designed, overpriced dumb phones. Especially the Light phone.
Just get a sleek $50 Nokia for phone addiction and "digital minimalism" 🥳
The LP started out at $399 and has gradually increased, which they told people all along would happen. That's the benefit of pre-ordering early-you have to wait longer, but you get a huge discount. If a Nokia works for you, then go for it. LP and Mudita priced their phones to cover the costs of developing two unique and premium products for people who prioritize those qualities.
@@AndrewFolts Sure 🙏
@@AndrewFolts you can still get on the Kompakt kickstarter for $299, I believe. Price will eventually increase to $439.
The fact that the LP3 doesn't have an authenticator app is frustrating.
What do you need one for?
@AndrewFolts my work requires me to use quite few programmes that require 2FA with push notifications. I can always use an iPad as a second device to receive these but it's just a pain. I don't understand why this can't be developed as it's much more useful than the NFC feature for example.
@@Noobtroo Maybe not enough people requested 2FA. I've never used it for anything. All the companies I use just send a text message with a code, which works fine with the LP.
the main thing missing I need in a phone is 2FA for work or I am going to need two phones all the time.
You could use an iPad, which is less addictive due to not fitting in your pocket. But 2FA for a lot of companies means logging into social media apps (like RUclips), so that's not something LP could ever support.
Can I use google maps, podcasts, music platforms and communication platforms in mudita Kompakt?
They do have a GPS, but it may be another provider than Google. You can upload MP3's but there's no Spotify at this time. They may do a Beeper integrate, like Light Phone is considering, which combines all messaging apps into one tool, but it's not implemented yet.
@@AndrewFolts thanks!
What's the monitor like for zoom calls?
Do you mean the LP3 or my e ink monitor? I watch RUclips videos and occasionally do video calls, which work fine, but they're in black and white, so it just depends on what I'm doing and whether I need color.
Do any of these have Slack or any email app?
Light's been talking about doing something like a Beeper integration, which combines all popular messaging apps into one. Not email, tho. That's kind of against both companies' philosophy of distraction-free.
Does the Lightphone 3 only come in black?
Yes. They did it to match the black background of the dark UI.
Does Light 3 have video chat?
It's got a front and back camera, so that's a feature that they were planning on adding, but whether it'll be before or in the months after the phone launches, they haven't said yet.
@AndrewFolts I hope so, I have family members that like to video chat 😄 I don't have a Light Phone myself, I am interested in buying one the future. If they were to add video chat I would gladly commit to it!
@@MewiesPawpad One thing to consider is preordering now, and then canceling if it turns out they won't be adding video chat either at launch or soon afterwards. That way, you save $300, but still have the option to bail anytime before your order ships. They've said the price will keep increasing from $499 to $799, which is a lot, if so.
@@AndrewFolts Sadly due to financial reasons, I won't be able to get the Light Phone 3 right now 😅
The VERY serious problem for me is no Ride Share ability.
You could carry a larger less distracting device like a tablet or laptop and use it with the LP's Hotspot tool to use apps like Uber. You can also call ride share services using the LP's Directory tool.
If these devices worked in the Caribbean, I'd get one but alas. Or maybe its possible to use without a sim card? Maybe? Without whatsapp, a simple email and browser its a tough sell though. Spotify ain't necessary cause I'm used to collecting and sorting my music. And the ability to type , edit and read documents would be a big blow to lose if I had this. Being an artist as well this could kill my ability to research images online, Pintrest and articles as well as RUclips videos. The camera seems okay for now, I'd need to see more and if it can handle nightshots and video really well.
Would be nice if people who make these think about work apps as well, those aren't abrasive and do assist people in daily activities when in an emergency e.g writing an assignment or making a spreadsheet. Either way I do like the design aesthetics. Just wish I could get this and keep the options I listed above considering i don't have phone addiction problems.
I read in an article that they were considering adding Beeper, which is a messaging app that aggregates WhatsApp, Instagram, etc, so all your messages are in one place. So there's hope and that would make it useful for relying on wifi alone. In terms of other apps, they're a small company, so it's just too complicated to have all these different integrations to meet everyone's specific needs. You're better of getting an iPad Air, which is less distracting than an iPhone (doesn't fit in your pocket), but still has the apps you need and can run off a minimal phone's hotspot, if need be.
@AndrewFolts Thanks, it's mostly really Whatsapp, though if they could create their own basic browser and email like way back in the days would be nice. Not having Pinterest doesn't really doesn't bother me, I rarely use it, only when I need to make artwork and need references. I already use a Nokia dumphone but the form factor of the Lp3 is what gets me as phones these days are way too big to carry around. I don't Apple products though, so I guess it's a Samsung tablet for work then.
I want to downgrade from my iPhone 12 mini to the light phone 3, but I kinda need Spotify
What I did is used the app Note Burner to download MP3's from the albums/playlists I most listen to and then uploaded them to the LP. I'm ok with it, because I pay for Spotify and do most of my listening on my Mac anyways.
Can you add a vpn on it??
No, but you can use the LP's hotspot with a VPN on your laptop. Although maybe that would expose you. Not usre.
Thanks
Not to possible to use email at least? Can you recommend same support email and whatsapp
Email, I suspect, would be against both companies' core mission of making distraction and addiction-free devices. I see people all the time (and have done it myself) obsessively checking their email every few minutes, so I don't think it's a healthy feature to add to a minimalist phone. You're better off carrying a small tablet or laptop when you need access to email and then using a minimalist phone when you want to fully disconnect.
@@AndrewFolts
Thanks
Now give us a Light Phone Smart which just uses a custom android that blocks 99.99% of apps with no way around it (Messaging Apps, Maps, and Music streaming apps, etc)
That would be cool! As far as I know there's no way to do this, but maybe some day.
Can it run WhatsApp?
The Light team has mentioned a Beeper integration, which allows you to use any messaging app all in one interface, so WhatsApp might be possible at some point.
Give me a light phone with Spotify and I’ll never go back
I know, right?? As I understand it, Spotify is just being difficult not supporting third-party streaming, so there's nothing Light can do until they change their policy. What I do is use a tool called NoteBurner to download my favorite Spotify playlists and albums as MP3's and then upload them via the Light dashboard.
Very cool. If I didn’t need Whatsapp, I’d switch from my iPhone on the spot.
Someone mentioned in the comments that the Light team is planning a Beeper integration, which is an app that combines all your messaging apps into one interface/API. If so, WhatsApp could work on the LP3.
@@AndrewFolts That would be awesome. Thanks :)
you did not mention the previous eink phone from Mudita: Pure. There were many problems with it, the device was almost unusable, but they claim they learned their lesson and the Kompakt fixes all flaws and hiccups.
Yea, I'm not surprised, the original Light Phone had its fair share of issues too, I've heard. The LP2 fixed a lot of them, so hopefully that will be the case for the Kompakt, as well. They're sending me one when it's ready, so I will certainly test it out and report back.
Mudita Kompakt won by letting you sideload Whatsapp.
Oh did they? That's cool! I hear LP is going to do Beeper, which supports WhatsApp. No idea on the timeline tho.
Muahaha- it’s 800$! That’s more than a brand new iPad with sim.
It's not $800, it started out for pre-order for $399, then $499, and now it's $599. I doubt it'll ever get to $800, and if it does it won't stay there for long. I'd guess $600 will be closer to the longterm price.
You did not pronounce it right :D
What's the correct way, ha?
@@AndrewFolts something like Michaw Kichinski with CH sounding like it sounds in "kitchen" and N being soft as in "new"
@@mysense7005 Ah gotcha!
I had the original light phone and the first week it fell into a puddle. I pulled it out as fast as I could but it wasn’t waterproof and had no way to remove the battery. Just had to watch it die. I contacted support and they said they don’t cover water damage and the only option I had was to buy a new one. Very disappointed with them. The brick just sits in my drawer as a sad reminder I tried to support them.
Really sucks, sorry to hear that! To be fair, it wasn't LP's fault, and they're a small company, so it's not financially viable for them to cover drops, water damage, etc. The LP3 does have a replaceable battery, which should help, but it's easy for water to destroy any tech device in a small amount of time. Maybe you could find an insurance company who would cover you for the first year for an extra $25 or something.
It just left a bad taste in my mouth as I was trying out a new company at the time. I would have gladly sent it back to see if they could repair or give a discount on another. If was trying to get a loyal fan base on a new product I’d risk losing some if I believed in my product.
@@JordAnakin They could have said the same about you, ya know? Like why should they spend a lot of time and money (shipping, staff, etc) trying to fix something that likely couldn't be fixed when it wasn't their fault to begin with? LP may have been a new company to you, but for them they've already got a loyal fan base and it's not the same thing as replacing a $5 ice cream cone that someone accidentally dropped.
@@AndrewFolts I bought it during startup, and fully supported them. Would have been nice to know I’d get the same support. At least I’m not wiping their butts fending for their shortcomings. But I guess that’s what getting paid to do reviews does. I’m glad some people like them, but not everyone has the same experience. 🤷♂️
@@JordAnakin You supported them by purchasing the LP and they supported you by creating and delivering the LP to you. It was a fair, even trade. Don't complain that they didn't give you extras for free due to you dropping the phone in water.