Light plans $299 flip phone for users trying to avoid smartphones
The Light Flip is due in early 2027 with LightOS, physical keys and no outer screen, according to The Verge.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Light is preparing a flip phone aimed at people who want a more deliberate break from smartphone-style devices. The Verge reported that the Light Flip is scheduled to ship early next year, with a $299 price and the same stripped-down software approach used on the Light Phone III.
Light cofounder Kaiwei Tang told The Verge that customer reaction to the Light Phone III pushed the company toward the new design. That earlier model kept Light’s minimal approach, while adding a phone-sized touchscreen, camera and other features that made it closer in shape and feel to a conventional smartphone.
Tang said some users, especially younger ones, told Light they disliked smartphones and did not want to be seen using something that resembled one. The recurring request, he said, was a Light Phone in a flip-phone body.
A phone built around opening and closing
The Light Flip has a 2.8-inch display on the top half, according to The Verge. It does not use a touchscreen; users control it with a number pad, a D-pad and function buttons on the lower half.
The device runs on a MediaTek MT8873 processor and includes 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, The Verge reported. It also has USB-C charging, a headphone jack, one rear camera and a notification light on the front cover.
Light chose not to put a screen on the outside of the phone. Tang told The Verge the company wanted users to open the device on purpose, then close it and put the technology away.
The design also marks a visual shift for Light. The Verge reported that the Light Flip will come in multiple colors, unlike the all-black Light Phone III, while keeping the company’s thicker, utilitarian design style.
Priced below the Light Phone III
Tang told The Verge that Light sees the Flip mainly as a second phone, meant to let people leave an iPhone or Galaxy device at home rather than replace it in every situation. He said the Light Phone III had a similar goal, though its $699 price drew much of the negative feedback he heard.
The Light Flip will sell for $299, according to The Verge. Light also plans to offer it for $39 a month with Light’s cellular service; after 24 months, the customer owns the device.
The phone runs LightOS, the same operating system used on the Light Phone III. Tang told The Verge that the main missing feature is tap-to-pay, because the Flip does not include an NFC chip.
Other LightOS tools, including the camera, notes and navigation, are expected to work the same way, The Verge reported. Light has also released an SDK for its app “toolbox,” allowing users to write software for their own phones or submit apps to a broader library.
Light opens the door to user-made apps
The Verge reported that some Light Phone III owners had already hacked full Android onto the device to run apps they wanted. Tang said Light cannot build every software tool users need, and he framed the SDK as a way to let owners solve their own needs without adding those tools for everyone.
Tang also told The Verge he expects some developers will add AI agents or build links to OpenClaw-running Mac Minis at home. He said he is not focused on making that easier, and added that young people he interviews do not ask for an AI button on a phone.
The Verge reported that Tang sees the Flip less as retro nostalgia than as a form factor that ended too soon. He said younger users like the idea that closing the phone makes it go away.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.