Just about a calendar week ago , a rather cool project that started with Indiegogo fundraising embarked on the shipping journey . While that is an achievement in itself for a crowdfunded undertaking , it ’s the machine itself that truly stands out . Say hello toThe Minimal Phone .

The Minimal Phone is the “ First Es - Ink QWERTY Phone , ” proclaims the society . This is not just another minimalist phone with an eastward Ink panel that claims to get your phone dependance in parliamentary procedure by serve a less - appealing monochrome gore .

This one even adds a forcible keyboard to the mix . A tactile QWERTY keyboard , that is .

Now , BlackBerry has long been out of the game . The brand’slast smartphone attempt that aimed to capitalize on its sensational legacy with QWERTY keyboardswas theKey2 series back in 2022 .

A few Chinese mark , such as Unihertz , have go along to betray speech sound with a physical keyboard , but those are ecological niche items . Minimal Company has essentially combined the retro hanker for a forcible keyboard with the idea of an e - ink screen that will help us tone down our digital dependance habits . On the Minimal Phone , you get a 4.3 - inch control board with a 4:3 aspect ratio , reminiscent of LG ’s weird Vu serial publication smartphones .

“ High - operation games or video recording - sullen apps may not provide the best exploiter experience , ” the companionship order it bluntly . It ’s not impossible , though . I did enjoy a few pulls in Angry Birds onthe Boox Palma 2 , which also comes with an vitamin E - ink filmdom .

Thankfully , saner thoughts prevail and the party decided to give it a full Android discussion ( v14.0 , to be precise ) , which means this is a amply functioning phone . But as the company puts it , with The Minimal Phone , the whole point is to “ live more , scroll less . ”

It is not going for the “ phone - like ” coming , but it ’s a proper phone with SIM - drive calling and data facilities . If you live in the US , bad carrier like Verizon , T - Mobile , and AT&T are covered .

The Minimal Phone come equipped with a 3,000mAh battery , but thanks to the low - magnate newspaper publisher - like monochrome control board , it is claimed to last “ several days . ” There are a few other shade on this phone , that might come as a surprise .

There ’s a 3.5 mm phone jak on this phone . Despite rock a black - and - white filmdom , this earpiece pack a 16 - megapixel photographic camera , accepts two SIM cards , and even offers infinite for microSD warehousing expansion .

You also get a side - bestride fingermark sensor integrated into the power button . The company did n’t skimp on the viscera either , it seems . Enthusiasts can pick between form with 6 Gi and 8 GB RAM , with a comparable choice for 128 GB and 256 GB onboard storage .

The phone is powered by an octa - core MediaTek Helio G99 C.P.U. , while camera duties are handle by a 16 - megapixel rearward sensor and a 5 - megapixel selfie snapper . There ’s a physical sailing bar with three buttons right under the display .

bug out at $ 399 , a $ 100 discount rate on its sticker price for pre - orders , The Minimal Phone is now shipping across the worldly concern . It is available in white , black , and a dual - tone black - white format .