Forget the smartphone, the LIGHT Phone could be all you need

From smartwatches to smart kitchens, people are increasingly demanding internet-enabled, app-driven products.

But for one pair of designers, the smart revolution has gone too far.

In response, the New York-based team has created the Light Phone – a device which they claim is the ‘anti-smartphone’.

The simple credit-card sized gadget can only be used to make calls and send texts.

It was created by Joe Hollier and Kaiwei Tang at Google's recent 30 Weeks incubator in New York.

Described as ‘your phone away from phone’, the Light Phone is 3.4 inches x 2.0 inches and lasts 20 days on a single charge.

The display is dot matrix LED, it weights just 36.5g and ten numbers can be held in memory for speed dialing.

By stripping back the features, the inventors say owners of the Light Phone won't be obsessed with checking their phones constantly.

‘We aren't creating new technology, we're using the best existing technology in a new way,’ the pair write on their Kickstarter page. 

‘We have stripped away everything but the phone itself, the only essential connection that the user needs. 

‘The phone is packaged into a smarter design with an interface that respects the user with its simplicity.’ 

The device comes pre-loaded with 500 minutes, a SIM card, and an app to connect it to an existing smartphone.

Its inventors say it could be used as a simple standalone device to give children so that they can contact their parents in emergencies.

The Light Phone can also be paired with another smartphone to use at a backup in situations where power is hard to come by, such as at a festival.

Alternatively, they say it could be used to give people a break from the constant notifications on their smartphones.  

Users can pledge $100 (£64) on its Kickstarter to get their hands on the device, which is due to be shipped in May next year.

(dailymail.co.uk)