Light Phone III: A Smartphone for Digital Detox

17 March 2025

The Light Phone has unveiled the Light Phone III, a smartphone designed for digital detox. This model features a large, matte OLED touchscreen display and runs on the LightOS system. The screen is a monochrome digital display similar to an e-ink display.

The new model includes a USB-C port, fingerprint recognition, 5G connectivity, an NFC chip, and a click wheel for the flashlight function.

On the back, it features a camera with a film-camera-inspired function. Unlike traditional cameras, this device has a dual-operation shutter button: pressing it halfway focuses the shot, while pressing it fully captures a photo or records a video. The primary camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels (4,000 x 3,000 pixels) and utilizes a 50-megapixel sensor. An 8-megapixel front-facing camera is also included.

The body is made of metal, while the battery cover and speaker grille use Sony’s SORPLAS recycled plastic. The device also features a click wheel for adjusting screen brightness. Users can unscrew the back to replace the battery, and both the screen and USB port are repairable.

The Light Phone III does not support internet browsing, email, news, advertisements, or other common smartphone functions. However, it does offer GPS, Bluetooth, fingerprint recognition, a noise-canceling microphone, voice-to-text functionality, and a personal hotspot. It does not support music streaming services, messaging apps, or ride-hailing services.

Currently, only an English keyboard and language support are available, but received messages can be displayed in various languages and scripts. Additional language support is under consideration.

Specifications include 5G support, a 3.92-inch AMOLED display, 128GB of storage, and 6GB of RAM. The device has two microphones and built-in stereo speakers but does not support external memory. While there is no headphone jack, wired headphones can be used via the USB-C port.

The Light Phone III will begin shipping to pre-order customers in March 2025, with general availability starting in June 2025.