The Top 9 Minimalist Cell Phones

When the time comes for a new cell phone, you may not want a brand-new smartphone with all the bells and whistles. Not only are those phones much more expensive, but they can also take a while to get used to. Plus, why spend the extra cash if you won't use all their features?

Instead, you might be better off picking up a minimalist cell phone. Fortunately, many high-quality and affordable minimalist cell phones are on the market today.

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Let’s break down nine simple phones with impressive specs that you might consider purchasing in the future.

The Best Minimalist Phones: A Breakdown

1. The Light Phone II

First up is The Light Phone 2: a tiny yet very functional and versatile cellular device designed to help you spend less time scrolling on your phone. Indeed, it's about the size of a credit card, so you can quickly put it in any pocket, purse, or workplace bag.

This minimal-feature phone allows you to make calls, send text messages, and act as a hotspot in addition to helping you manage your work calendar.

According to the micro mobile phone’s creators, it will never be upgraded to have advertisements, an internet browser, social media, or email capabilities.

This can be appealing if you want a phone you can rely on for a long time, and future updates will never ruin that.

With one to two days of regular usage in terms of battery life, and enough memory to store nine phone numbers on speed dial, The Light Phone II is an excellent mobile device. It harkens back to the earlier, simpler days of so-called “dumbphones” — flip phones that were only used to talk and text rather than do everything else.

2. Nokia 225

The Nokia 225 is technically a successor to the Nokia 3310. The 225 is a little less aesthetically attractive than its counterpart, but it is very cheap and minimalist — most importantly, it can run on a 4G network instead of a 3G network.

This sturdy phone boasts a fantastic battery life, good call reception, and quality. On top of that, you’ll benefit from features like an FM radio, a few basic cell phone games, and consistent texting capabilities.

Since this phone is under 50 bucks, it’s also an ideal emergency phone or a good primary work phone if you don’t need a lot of bells and whistles with your work device.

It comes with 32 GB of memory in the form of a microSD card, which allows you to save a decent amount of data on this essential device.

3. Nokia 8110 4G

Nokia’s 8110 4G phone, also called the Banana Phone, is an old-school device featuring a curved aesthetic (hence the name).

The Matrix films originally popularized this classic cell phone. If you’re looking for something genuinely old-school, you’re in luck here, as it comes with a slide mechanism that lets you answer or hang up your phone call without pressing a button.

This revived Banana Phone has 4G connectivity capabilities, enabling it to work as a hotspot projector. While it doesn’t have as good of battery life as the Nokia 3110, it still has enough battery to last for over seven hours of talking or over 25 days on standby.

This phone is available in black and yellow, and it comes with a primary two-megapixel camera with flash functionality.

Pick this up if you want an utterly cool and minimalist cell phone that can do most of the things modern smartphones can do except browse the web and annoy you with advertisements.

4. Mudita Pure

The Mudita Pure is a minimalist phone from Poland featuring a retro aesthetic and design in either black or gray colors. It offers low electromagnetic radiation and only boasts the core features you need from a mobile device: calling, texting, and 4G LTE connectivity.

TYhe Mudita Pure features 16 GB of memory and capacity for up to two nano-SIM cards. Note that the phone will only allow Internet connectivity via hotspots and won’t come with a camera.

5. Easyfone Prime-A6

The Easyfone Prime-A6 is an excellent minimalist emergency phone, making it ideal for the elderly or children if you need to keep in contact with key family members.

It features large and embossed buttons on the front, so it’s difficult (if not impossible) to mistype phone numbers. It also features a uniquely customizable SOS button: perfect for quick dialing emergency services if necessary.

The Easyfone further features a bright flashlight and a charging dock or stand. Although this phone isn’t compatible with Verizon or AT&T operators, most other carriers are supported.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a 16 GB SD card, though it can take such a card for memory purposes.

6. Palm Phone

The Palm Phone is another excellent minimalist cell phone to check out if you’re trying a digital detox.

Think of this as a companion smartphone with a comfortable, small size and a very durable design. It's not as simplistic as the other cell phones on this list, as it features the same OS as an Apple Watch (and indeed as many of the same things).

The Palm Phone may even have more features than an Apple Watch. Time tracking, web surfing, email checking, and much more are available on this small, handheld device.

At the same time, it may be a better choice if you find yourself at risk of being addicted to social media or Internet surfing, as the small screen makes these activities less engaging and visually rewarding.

You can alternatively activate the Palm Phone’s Life Mode, which shuts off any disturbances or notifications whenever the screen is shut off. This enables you to work even better as a minimalist cell phone for folks who still want modern conveniences.

7. Jelly 2

The Jelly 2 is arguably the world's smallest 4G phone overall. It's even smaller than a credit card, so fitting it in any size pocket is easy. However, that's where the minimalism for this phone ends.

It runs on a modern Android operating system and lets you do practically anything else you'd expect from a typical smartphone, including connecting to Wi-Fi and using popular apps.

In this case, it might be a good choice if you like the functionality and versatility of modern smartphone devices but are tired of those phones getting bigger and bigger and impossible to hold with each year.

This tiny 4G phone can run for about a week on a single battery charger and has memory slots for micro SD cards (in addition to two nano-SIM cards). Calling, texting, Internet, and camera functionalities are all available on the Jelly 2.

8. Punkt MP02

The Punkt MP02 is a simplistic cell phone that enables texting and calling rather than just one or the other.

While it looks a little clunky — in fact, many might think you are brandishing a calculator when you whip this out — the Punkt MP02 is very well designed and durable that comes with a decent battery life that lasts for 12.5 days on standby and 4.2 hours when talking.

The phone comes with 16 GB of memory and 4G LTE connectivity. Although it doesn’t come with a camera, it does come with a nano-SIM card for easy contact transferring if and when you eventually upgrade or switch devices.

9. Unihertz Atom

Last but not least is the Unihertz Atom, which is rugged, minimalist, and Android. It has a durable outer shell plus a Gorilla Glass screen. As a result, it will withstand much more punishment than other small, minimalist phones.

Note that this phone does come with all the modern conveniences you’d expect from a more expensive device, like fingerprint detection. But its size is only suitable for making calls, checking messages, and basic web surfing rather than streaming shows.

It features 14 hours of battery life, 64 GB of memory, and even a decent working camera compared to Apple iPhone or Samsung devices. All in all, the Unihertz Atom is an excellent 4G minimalist phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are dumb phones coming back?

Yes, dumb phones (also known as feature phones) are making a comeback, especially among younger generations who seek digital detox and simplicity in their lives.

What is a minimalist phone?

A minimalist phone is designed to provide only the essential features of a mobile device, focusing on simplicity and functionality while avoiding the distractions of modern smartphones. These phones typically strip down to basic functions like calling, texting, and sometimes a few other utilities (such as an alarm, calculator, or calendar), but they exclude apps like social media, email, or games.

Is there a device for texting only?

Yes, there are devices designed primarily for texting and basic communication, without the distractions of modern smartphones. One such example is the Light Phone 3, a study in minimalism and functionality.