So you’ve been doomscrolling all morning and here you are. Welcome. Take a breath and a look at the unlikely phone in these images. It’s the Minimal Phone, designed with an eye-friendly screen and just enough smartness to keep your life connected, but without reducing you to a phone-slave addicted to the next cat video, vintage motor rallying moment or essential advice on wool trousers. We’re speaking of ourselves here, naturally.
The Minimal Phone is the first product produced by the minimally named The Minimal Company of Glendale, California. It’s the brainchild of cousins Armen Youssefian and Andre Youkhna who decided that they’d had enough of lying awake after scrolling and scrolling on conventional smart phones, whose blue light is often said to be associated with insomnia. Issue for the cousins was that while basic phones existed, none had the sort of useful everyday connectivity that we’ve come to take for granted.
Minimal Phone: Hitting the sweet spot
“I kind of had to have a happy medium,” says Andre Youkhna, "between having a really dumb phone and a very smart phone.” The idea for the Minimal Phone was born. Display is E-ink, of the sort used on many dedicated reading tablets, using a technology designed to mimic ink in electronic form, and in doing so minimising eye strain and insomnia. Downside is that it doesn't refresh so quickly as you might be used to, but then that’s likely to keep you off the more addictive of time-devouring apps.
Control is, refreshingly, through a proper, actual, physical keyboard for analogue-style interaction. It’s all part of the slow down a bit ethos of The Minimal Company. You’ll be reassured to know that all the standard smart phone features such as wi-fi and Bluetooth are present and correct. Pre-installed is a limited series of applications for your calendar, notes and other essentials. Email, texting and calls are all - naturally - supported. There’s a basic music player and an e-reader, too. Screen is a touch-screen when needed: so you’ll still be able to order that Uber, just in case you’re wondering.
Bad news for Apple fans
Operating system is Android-based. And no word yet if there’s going to be a version for Apple fanatics. There’s a front and rear camera and unlocking is via fingerprint. You can see how the Minimal Phone nicely treads the line between too-basic and totally overwhelming. E-ink display should mean more rapid charging - and a lighter use of power all round - reaching a full charge from totally empty in an hour.
From minimalist capsule wardrobes to minimalist mobile phones, we’re always great fans of stripping things back. And of form follows function design. The Minimal Phone hits both targets and naturally we’re interested. If you are too, Minimal are ready and waiting to take your pre-order, at pre-launch prices. We configured our basic model for a cost of $399 or about £320. Not a bad price for a good night’s sleep. Time to order that Uber now...
Next up: 5 of the best phone cases in 2025.
