Light, the maker of minimalist phones of the same name, is here with its newest offering. The company launched the Light Phone III (Light Phone 3) with some improvements over the second-gen model that arrived in 2019. Most notably, it has added cameras and upgraded from an E Ink screen to an OLED panel. The device is currently available for pre-order.

Light Phone 3 arrives with a camera and OLED display

In May 2017, Light launched a credit card-sized minimalist phone that could only make calls. It had a keypad to dial the phone number and that’s about it. No keyboard, T9 texting, or even a contact list—you could save up to ten phone numbers on speed dial. Two years later, the Light Phone 2 arrived with more features while keeping the same core concept. It could save phone numbers, text, play music, give directions, and more.

Now, we have the Light Phone 3 with more features that, according to Light’s co-founder Kaiwei Tang, “most users just can’t live without.” Tang says people found it difficult to adapt to an E Ink display, so the company upgraded to an OLED panel. The new model, which has the same width as a regular smartphone but is substantially shorter, features a 3.92-inch black-and-white OLED display of 1080 x 1240 pixels resolution.

The phone has a new control wheel on the left side to adjust the screen brightness. The wheel clicks to turn on the flashlight, The Verge noted. The Light Phone 3 features a 50MP rear camera and an 8MP selfie camera. Light has added a dedicated shutter button to the device. Unsurprisingly, the phone lacks editing and sharing features—it doesn’t have access to social media. The cameras are for snapping memorable moments.

The package also contains several other features that might be enough to leave your smartphone at home for good. For one, the Light Phone 3 has an NFC chip for enabling contactless payments in the future. Powered by Qualcomm’s SM 4450 processor, the phone boasts 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There’s also a fingerprint, a user-removable battery, and a USB Type-C port. The phone has aluminum buttons on the side.

Price & availability

Light’s minimalist phones are ideal for people trying to take a break from social media and the internet, like when going for a holiday or spending a peaceful weekend away from all the hustles. The Light Phone 3 cuts off it all while ensuring you remain in contact with your families so they can reach out in case of an emergency. It supports 5G cellular connectivity. This phone is also a great alternative to feature phones and will appeal to privacy-minded people.

Despite the lack of modern technology, the Light Phone 3 doesn’t come cheap. It has a price tag of $799, a massive jump from the Light Phone 2’s $299. Light believes the functional upgrade and sustainability improvements justify this price for its latest offering. That said, you can pre-order it now for half the price, i.e., $399. It’s an early bird offer from the company. Light will use the money to fund mass production of the phone. Pre-orders can be canceled anytime for a full refund.

Speaking of mass production, it is still months away, so your Light Phone 3 won’t arrive anytime soon. The company expects to begin shipping the device in January 2025. It will deliver pre-orders chronologically, so the shipping date will vary depending on when you place your order. Light says it will reach out to you to confirm your address before shipping the device. The firm also plans to lower the final price if it gets enough pre-orders for the phone.