The Minimal Phone is now shipping (E Ink phone with a QWERTY keyboard) - Liliputing
The Minimal Phone is now shipping (E Ink phone with a QWERTY keyboard)
But it has a slow screen refresh rate, which makes it less than ideal for watching videos, playing games, or other actions.
I love how this is one of the first criticisms, as if that wasn't the entire point of this device.
MediaTek
Ah yes, I forgot THAT'S why I didn't go for this thing.
I just watched the video in the article, and the slow refresh rate also makes the touch controls frustratingly unresponsive. I love the concept, and might be interested in the next generation of this device, but the poor responsiveness is a deal breaker.
I wish they could be like overclocked to make the most of one if you're stuck with a mediatek chip device. I got a new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite several months back and yeah it was very cheap but its SOOO sluggish! Lag lag lag for almost every single thing! I'm considering selling it off unless I can manage to find a GSI build because all of the few ROMs that were posted for it are not online anymore. If I can manage to find anything it could be made to perform quite well, but as it is with Samsung's awful One-UI it can literally sometimes not handle entering the settings app!
If you are considering this device I suggest if your current phone has a grayscale mode, turn that on for a week to see if you can get used to it.
I always wind up turning it off.
Yeah. I have it set to turn on automatically when it's bedtime or when I manually set "Do Not Disturb". Makes me not to want to use my phone.
I don't think it's a fair comparison. The greatest aspect of e-ink screens is not giving strain to the eyes. Looking at a greyscale phone will just have the downsides of both worlds.
TCL is releasing a new phone later this year with a toggle-able e-ink mode. So you can use it with in full color when you want, and switch to e-ink when you want. It's in a more conventional aspect ratio so apps will look more "normal". I can say from experience with my Boox e-reader that a lot of apps do not work well in 4:3.
https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/6/24335983/tcl-60-xe-nxtpaper-e-ink-specs-ces
Might be my next phone if the CPU and software is not awful (big if).
E ink like mode. It’s not actually e ink it just makes the screen black and white. In the video they talk about how it’s just more of a low power/distraction free mode.
I despise the marketing of these eink-like screens. None of the biggest benefits of eink with all of the biggest drawbacks? The fuck?
Oh huh. I didn't know there even was a video. Perhaps my ad/tracker blockers cut it.
Just found a hands-on CNET video: https://www.cnet.com/videos/at-ces-2025-tcl-debuts-new-tcl-60-phone-with-e-ink-display/
Never used TCL's "Nxtpaper" so not totally sure how it compares.
I always like these concepts, but they are always so expensive. Why is it so hard to just do a $50 eink phone. It doesn't even need the latest and greatest hardware just decently usable.
It's unfortunate but I think the niche aspect of the phone makes it more expensive. I'd wager a guess that at 50$ a phone they won't recoup development and manufacturing fees without big sales.
Don't forget order sizes. If you produce 500 a batch, your costs are going to be way higher than if you produce 10k a batch
Niche means expensive.
Huh, actually a properly different way of doing a phone. I guess the key question is what we can expect in terms of support and openness, i.e. how do we know the company won't go bust in six months and leave us with something we can't put a custom ROM on?
Is the Maps app just... a map lol
The x marks the spot
Phone is good and interesting. The price point though isn't.
Would love to see the phone drop down in price.
Oh wow, super interesting
I would really love something like that, or like the phones made by hisense. I love e-inks and they fit very well my phone usage pattern. Too bad I was born in the poor side of the world and will never have the cool stuff
Somos dois, amigo.
