Light made a flip phone — it’s colorful and it’s cheap - TechCrunch

What the report says

TechCrunch reports that Light, the startup behind the minimalist Light Phone line, is developing a new flip-style handset called the Light Flip. The company’s co-founder Kaiwei Tang, who helped create Motorola’s Razr more than two decades ago, told the publication that younger users have been embracing flip phones despite complaints about poor build quality. Light co-founder Joe Hollier said the idea is to bring the company’s existing Light Phone OS and tools into a tactile, non-touchscreen format.

The Light Flip is positioned as the company’s lowest-priced device so far, at $299. That is well below the $799 unlocked Light Phone III, with savings coming from the removal of a touchscreen, NFC reader and front-facing camera, as well as a plastic body instead of aluminum. The device will be offered in black, red, yellow, pink, navy blue and light gray.

According to TechCrunch, the phone will include a 2.8-inch internal OLED display, no exterior screen, a front notification light, 5G and 4G LTE, USB-C charging, eSIM and Nano SIM support, a 12-megapixel rear camera, Bluetooth and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Light is also testing service contracts: the Light Flip will be available on a two-year plan for $39 per month, while the Light Phone III will cost $59 per month under a similar arrangement.

The Light Flip is expected to ship in April 2027, a long preorder window the company plans to support with a “Flip Your Life” program and biweekly newsletters. The launch matters because it reflects continued demand for lower-distraction alternatives to smartphones, while showing the trade-offs involved in making minimalist hardware more affordable.