With a handful of so-called “dumbphones” entering the consumer market over the past year, such as the Light Phone 3 and the Mudita Kompakt, the Minimal Phone 
It’s kind of a funny trick, actually. You can watch videos and load Instagram on this phone, but it’s such a bad experience that you don’t really want to. If you turn the e-paper display’s refresh rate all the way up, it’s functional for limited cases, but all it takes is a few seconds of video content, and you’ll likely be closing the app.
Instead, you’ll gravitate toward using it as an e-reader or to listen to audiobooks, which are far more optimized for this phone. The 4.3-inch e-paper display features an 800 x 600 pixel screen size, and around 230 PPI (pixels per inch) — less than other e-paper displays like the Boox Note Max or the Kindle Scribe (both with 300 PPI). All the usual e-paper points apply, with refresh rate adjustment (directly correlating to battery drain), and a fair amount of visual ghosting.
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But if you’re not looking at the display and want to listen to music or podcasts, it works great. With 5.2 Bluetooth connectivity, a headphone jack, and a USB-C port, you have all the regular options for connecting earbuds or headphones.
The phone’s physical form is rather nondescript but calls to mind other devices, both past and present. Its sharp edges lend it a certain sleekness that makes it look less like a smartphone and more like a miniature Kindle. Conversely, glancing at the 35-key physical QWERTY keyboard, you could see a reimagined Blackberry.
As a Blackerry owner in the mid-2000s, I appreciate a physical QWERTY keyboard. However, the design needs to be intentional. As such, I would say the Minimal Phone’s keyboard needs some refinement.
The keys are very small, and they have a squirmy feel that resists fast typing. Additionally, the space bar has a strange double-sided click that always feels like you’ve somehow missed the key. Lastly, typing special characters requires a moment to find their locations. There is some logic to the mapping, but there is a learning curve.
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The phone also has a compass, NFC chip, and supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 5, making it, in essence, a typical Android device. It runs stock Android 14 OS, and out of the box utilizes its Minimal launcher — one thing on this device that certainly IS minimal. It looks a lot like the display on the Light Phone 3 with a text-only design.
If you want to try out other launchers like Nova or Niagara, I absolutely recommend it, as they look better optimized for the e-paper with high contrast icons and a more visual interface.
Even though the physical design could use some refinement, its approach is refreshing. Ultimately, the Minimal Phone is not made for the user who wants to completely disconnect but reduce the scope of their phone’s capabilities. In that sense, I recommend it as a secondary device or as a daily carry you keep on your person, with a smartphone anchored at home or in the office.
The recent US tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India aim to boost domestic manufacturing but are likely to drive up prices on consumer electronics. Products like smartphones, laptops, and TVs may become more expensive as companies rethink global supply chains and weigh the cost of shifting production.
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Smartphones are among the most affected by the new US tariffs, with devices imported from China and Vietnam facing steep duties that could raise retail prices by 20% or more. Brands like Apple and Google, which rely heavily on Asian manufacturing, may either pass these costs on to consumers or absorb them at the expense of profit margins.
The tariffs could also lead to delays in product launches or shifts in where and how phones are made, forcing companies to diversify production to countries with more favorable trade conditions.
Source : ZDNet