- Kendrick Lamar enters the tech space with a collaboration on the Light Phone 2.
- Lamar's creative agency released a limited edition version of the phone on Thursday and it sold out.
Phones that are less smart and more practical are garnering some mainstream support.
The Light Phone 2 is getting some particularly strong star power courtesy of rapper Kendrick Lamar's creative agency pgLang. His company, which he runs alongside childhood friend Dave Free, has released a limited edition version of the "dumb" phone.
The minimalistic phone has no web browser and its screen is paper-like similar to that of some e-readers. In its simplest form, you can call, text, set an alarm, and use it as a hotspot, but there are add-on tools that include a music player, notes, a calculator, directions, and more.
PgLang's Light Phone 2 went on sale Thursday with a price tag of $299. The 250 devices have already sold out as of Friday morning, according to pgLang's official website.
Unlike the traditional Light Phone 2 sold by Light, pgLang's version comes with the company's name inscribed on the back of its light grey case.
It also comes with a "language" tool that acts as a magic 8-ball. Users are invited to ask the phone a question and shake it to find out an answer.
It's not clear if Lamar himself is an avid user of the pared-down device, but more people are turning to "dumb" phones to cut down distractions and screen time.
Some Gen-Zers are dumping their smartphones for less complex options that only allow calling and texting. HMD Global, the maker of Nokia phones, reported tens of thousands of its flip and slide phones were sold in each month of 2022.