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Confession: I regularly fantasize about destroying my iPhone.
Image courtesy of Huckberry
This fantasy provides approximately two seconds of sweet relief before reality returns.
Ifall asleep with headachesfrom too much screen time.
Curiosity piqued, I reached out to Light for a tester.
I wondered: Was this a solution to my struggle?
Would this dumb phone free me from mydependency on devices?
I decided to test the Light Phone for the duration of my three-day Labor Day weekend.
First impressions
The Light Phone arrived in a slim, cardboard package with sparse instructions.
Its a lot like using a miniature e-reader, with its black-and-white matte e-ink.
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The contacts synced within minutes.
The menu page offers three options: Phone, Alarm, and controls.
The sound options are pleasing; no sirens here, just gentle, spa-like chimes.
I tested the alarm function, which easily allowed me to set one alarm.
Texting on such a tiny keyboard is a painful exercise.
Its not easy, but this did make my texting strategy more concise.
I found myself asking: Do Ireallyneed to text this?
Could this be aphone call?
Could this conversation wait entirely?
All things I never normally consider before firing off a paragraph.
Similarly, calling isnt a seamless venture.
Because Im 84 at heart, I was amazed that a unit that small can receive calls.
But the volume only has four levels, and the speaker is faint.
Perhaps this was also by design because I ended up not calling anyone unless necessary.
Other things I learned using the Light Phone: you might receive emojis but not text them.
You cannot see photos, though you will receive an icon that denotes a photo file.
That said, it was a major relief getting a break from screen time.
The experience made me far more aware of my digital habits and others too.
To feel time pass, if only for a few hours.
