It kept the physical keyboard and let the grayscale screen go
The first Minimal Phone was an argument. Make scrolling physically uncomfortable, and people will look at their phone less. So it used a grayscale E-Ink screen. Instagram, YouTube, all of it left ghosting trails and stuttered on E-Ink. That discomfort was the feature. A phone made deliberately slow to break the dopamine habit.
In August 2026, the Minimal Phone 2 arrived. And its biggest change is that it gave up that very E-Ink.
The Minimal Phone 2 has a 3.92-inch AMOLED screen. 1080 x 1240 resolution, 90Hz. The grayscale E-Ink of the first generation was fully replaced with color OLED, resolving the ghosting and sluggish response that were the original’s biggest complaints.
Here lies the paradox. The Minimal Phone’s whole reason for existing, dopamine detox, came precisely from that uncomfortable E-Ink. Remove it, and doesn’t it just become an ordinary small smartphone? There was genuine debate over this decision. The Minimal Company’s answer: intentional friction doesn’t have to mean unusable. Make the screen usable, but maintain focus through the small size, the physical keyboard, and purpose-built software.
The physical QWERTY keyboard stayed. It’s the phone’s identity, after all. It now has backlighting, remappable shortcuts, and metal dome switches for improved tactile feedback. The physical keyboard that people who miss BlackBerry are looking for.
The body changed too. From the first generation’s blocky, plain plastic shell to a curved aluminum body. Two colors, black and silver. At 122.6 x 72 x 9.48mm, it’s compact enough to pocket despite carrying a keyboard. The front camera, awkwardly placed near the Alt key in the first generation, moved to a proper spot above the display.
The chip is a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 with 5G. Cameras are 50MP rear and 20MP front. A 3,000mAh battery with 27W wired and 15W wireless charging. And a 3.5mm headphone jack, the one that has vanished from most modern phones.
Pricing starts at $599 on Kickstarter. The 8GB/256GB model is $599, the 512GB is $675, and the 12GB/512GB Founder’s Edition is $899. Shipping is scheduled for December 2026. It proved its demand by raising over $800,000 on Kickstarter, more than eight times its $100,000 goal.
Honestly, $599 is more than a midrange Android phone with a bigger screen and no keyboard. The bet here is clear: there are enough people willing to pay a premium for a phone that makes them waste less time.
Editor’s Note
Film died and returned, CD died and returned, and the physical keyboard returns too. The Minimal Phone 2 joins that list of revivals. But this phone poses a slightly more complicated question.
When a phone that sold digital detox adopts a better screen, is that evolution or betrayal? For those who loved the friction of E-Ink, it’s a loss. For those who couldn’t reach for it because of that friction, it’s welcome. There’s no right answer. What’s clear is that people still miss the feel of a physical keyboard under their fingertips, and objects for them keep getting made.
A small screen, a clicking keyboard, and a phone you look at a little less. For the person that’s enough for, the Minimal Phone 2 earns its price.
Minimal Phone 2 | From $599 on Kickstarter | Shipping December 2026
Display: 3.92-inch AMOLED · 1080×1240 · 90Hz (changed from Gen 1 E-Ink)
Keyboard: backlit physical QWERTY · remappable shortcuts · metal dome switches
Chip: MediaTek Dimensity 8300 · 5G | RAM/Storage: 8–12GB / 256–512GB
Camera: 50MP rear · 20MP front | Battery: 3,000mAh (27W wired / 15W wireless)
Body: aluminum (black/silver) · 122.6x72x9.48mm · 3.5mm headphone jack
Price: $599 (8/256) · $675 (512) · $899 (Founder’s Edition)
Maker: The Minimal Company (California, USA, est. 2023)
