The Minimalist Light Phone Partners with Andrew Yang’s Noble Mobile to Reward You for Putting Down Your Phone

Looking for the perfect moment to try a “dumb phone”? Here it is: the stylish, minimalist Light Phone is teaming up with Noble Mobile, a network created by entrepreneur and politician Andrew Yang, which rewards users with cash for consuming less data.

On Tuesday, 500 units of the Light Phone III will be available for immediate shipment through Noble Mobile. The catch? You need to enroll in a two-year Noble Mobile phone plan at $50 per month, totaling $1,200 over the contract duration.

For those curious about the Light Phone, this marks the first instance where the Light Phone III can be purchased immediately and without the upfront price of $699. Without the Noble Mobile plan, estimates suggest you wouldn’t receive the phone until September.

“What’s exciting about the Noble launch is not only that the barrier to entry is lower, but also that the Light Phone III is available for immediate purchase for the first time,” said Light co-founder Joe Hollier to TechCrunch.

Hollier and co-founder Kaiwei Tang connected in 2014 at Google’s 30 Weeks incubator, which focused on artists and designers. They developed the Light Phone, which has created considerable buzz and intrigue over the past decade.

The Light Phone serves as a middle ground between a fully connected smartphone and a traditional flip phone with a T-9 keypad, attracting a growing demographic of individuals who feel their smartphones have become a burden. However, as a small startup facing competition from giants like Samsung and Apple, Light Phone has faced challenges in delivering its devices affordably and promptly, exacerbated by the ongoing RAM shortage. Since launching the Light Phone III last spring, the company has shipped 20,000 units.

The “catch” of signing up for a Noble Mobile plan may be a net positive for some users. At $50 per month, the unlimited talk, text, and data plan is quite reasonable. The unique twist with Noble Mobile is that if you use less than 20 GB of data in a month, you receive a dollar back for each unused gigabyte (e.g., if you consume 11 GB in a month, you get $9 back from your $50 fee — and yes, you can opt to keep data usage low by staying on Wi-Fi). This refund can be received in cash or utilized as credit card points, redeemable later for rewards.

“The Light Phone is intended for minimal usage, aligning perfectly with the Noble ethos,” Hollier remarked.

How does the Light Phone work?

The Light Phone III offers many features expected in a smartphone. Users can place calls, send texts, and perform other basic functions, but the creators have acknowledged that modern life makes it challenging to fully embrace minimalism. The device includes a navigation app and a directory feature, which proved helpful for one Reddit user who recounted using the phone’s limited capabilities to find a towing service after a car breakdown (“thanks to the Light Phone, I was able to *intentionally* reflect on all my life choices while waiting 45 minutes,” they wrote).

The main challenge for the Light Phone has been discerning the desired level of minimalism among users. Is integrating rideshare apps a feature for safety, or is it a concession to tech giants? What if someone wishes to connect with family abroad through WhatsApp?

Hollier mentions that while most Light Phone users use it as their primary device, some retain an older smartphone without a SIM card, using it through the Light Phone hotspot if needed. While this compromise makes sense, some users may shy away from carrying two phones in the quest for simplicity.

“It’s fascinating to observe how people integrate [Light Phone] into their lives… Some switch between two phones, and we’ve noticed a trend with users acquiring two separate phone numbers, balancing work and personal use,” Hollier stated. “It’s exciting to see the diverse ways individuals incorporate the Light Phone, as it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.”

In contrast to previous versions of the Light Phone, the latest model features an OLED screen instead of an e-ink display. With the color OLED display, the designers opted to include front- and back-facing cameras, which will be beneficial once the phone starts supporting video calls.

Nevertheless, Light’s founders were cautious about incorporating a camera. Both Hollier and Tang are avid film photographers, and while they see the value smartphones bring to photography access, they’ve also noticed that the overwhelming nature of smartphone photography can detract from the genuine joy and intentionality of the craft.

“We heard from individuals who took 27,000 iPhone photos last year but never revisited them, as it’s just the same meal over and over,” Tang shared with TechCrunch. “I can tell you how many film photos I snapped last year.”

Eventually, they concluded that a camera is a necessary component, but they designed it with their unique vision.

“We aimed to construct our camera by removing elements that distract users from being present, such as sharing and seeking validation from reactions,” Hollier explained. “Our camera features a physical shutter button, opens with one touch, and allows for half-press focusing. We wanted it to be enjoyable and somewhat nostalgic, without AI enhancements or touch-ups, reminiscent of an old point-and-shoot camera.”

However, the Light Phone has notable limitations—it lacks support for the widely-used RCS texting standard, relying on basic, insecure SMS instead. In practice, this means awkward group chats, messages that lack end-to-end encryption, and compressed photos and videos. But perhaps the target user isn’t concerned with how their texts appear to iPhone users. They might also resonate with the mission behind Noble Mobile.

“It’s about finding a balance: not asking people to entirely abandon technology or to embrace an AI-driven 6G smartphone,” Tang expressed. “There exists a middle ground with the right technological tools, minus the distractions and advertising layers.”