Day 1

Well, there is definitely be some adjusting to do...

After using an iPhone for so long, I've become accustom to things being instantly available right at my fingertips (I'm sure all you smart phone users understand). Things like finding the fastest route to a destination, checking your email, getting instant answers to your questions with a quick Google search, snapping photos and capturing funny moments with my kids on video — I find myself almost reaching for my phone for these actions.

The E-Ink screen is definitely a shift from the high def [super] retina of my iPhone X. Think the old Kindle readers. It's easy on the eyes, but it has its quirks. Every new screen essentially has to refresh, causing it to blink. And although it has a touch screen, the Light Phone II doesn't even compare to Apple's touch technology.

The question I want to know: Is not having fancy phone tech really so bad?

I must say, for a start up who built their own proprietary hardware and software, the Light Phone is pretty freakin' cool.

Oh, and you may be wondering how the battery life is with an E-Ink screen — after 1 day of use: 78%. Although not super impressive, I can understand why. This thing is running on an LTE network, has bluetooth and can be a personal hotspot! Those factors I'm sure play big roles in the battery life of Light Phone. To put it in perspective though, an iPhone charge lasts about 1 day (with normal use) — at this rate, Light Phone is on track to last 3x longer on a single charge.

Day 3

Almost 3 full days on a single charge — that ain't so bad...

The phone finally ran out of juice this evening, but recharged to 100% in a fairly short amount of time.
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My iPhone has been living in my office (a space detached from our house) this week, and I plan to keep it that way during this trial period. I'm still using it for work, as I am actively working on multiple iPhone apps, but only in-office, during work hours. Being the avid user of Figma that I am, I could use their prototyping tool [with that sweet device frame preview] to test designs without me needing the actual device...but it is nice to have the hardware handy.

Day 4

"I think you're more present at lunch time..." - My wife
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‍😊 Hey, I'll take it! Already some noticeable progress and we're only on Day 4.
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Tomorrow we fly to Texas for a week and I'll be posting up at a local co-working spot in Corpus Cristi for work next week. We'll see how this goes...

Day 7

These are my confessions...

I decided to use my iPhone for this week while staying on Padre Island (close to Corpus Christi, TX). Having our whole family of four in an unfamiliar city and working remotely brought some challenges. I've already found myself needing GPS, access to our baby monitor apps, and remote access to my email.

I'm officially delaying the challenge for a week...

Day 7 (🎬 take 2)

Taking a mulligan...

Alrighty, we're home from Texas and another work week is about to start. Tomorrow I'll continue the 30 day Light Phone challenge. Hoping to make it the remainder of the time without another 7 day hiatus...

Day 9

I think I'm just in it for the digital detox...

I know it's hard to believe it, but Day 9 and I'm thinking this whole 30 day, no smart phone thing is going to be temporary. Here's a few honest notes around using the Light Phone thus far:

👍 THE GOOD
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Online Dashboard: I love that Light has put together their own, proprietary, minimal dashboard to manage the Light Phone. I can easily add (or remove) Tools to my Light Phone and have them auto sync. Pretty stinkin' cool.

Lack of Distraction: Not having email, Slack, a browser, or any social media access has left me more present with my family, for sure.
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Size: I actually love how tiny this thing is. Sometimes I don't even feel it in my pocket, which I can't really say for my iPhone. Having a less bulky device is nice.

Podcasts: I was glad for this tool. There's a searchable library inside the Light Dashboard that allows you add your favorite podcasts and sync them to your device seamlessly.
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😣 THE FRUSTRATING
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E-Ink Screen: While it's kinda cool, and I'm sure better for my eyes, using the e-ink display has its set backs. I'm finding it hard to get past the laggy-ness, and the screen refreshes that e-ink requires.

Tiny Keyboard: Again, I think the teeny keyboard is pretty rad, but due to the so-so touch technology on e-ink, and the small keys (plus my larger fingers), I'm constantly mistyping, and one mistake means you have to backspace to that mistake and retype from there on...

Image from LightPhone.com

‍‍Music Tool: I was happy find that Music was available in the Toolbox for Light Phone, however, it requires that you have actual audio files in order to sync them with Light Phone's 1GB of available music storage space 😫. With that caveat, it made this tool unusable for me. As I'm sure many have suggested who've used the Light Phone, a Spotify integration would be clutch.

Day 15

Only halfway there? Not so sure I can make it...

Having a Light Phone is seeming less and less practical for today's world. Not even that one needs an iPhone, but a smart phone, well, people just expect you to have one! Haha.

A few more things I'm missing about my iPhone:

• 💬 iMessages with embedded, clickable links — I've noticed how many links I get via text message that I can't actually interact with on Light Phone.
• ✏️ Being able to tap an area in a text message to fix a simple mis-type – with Light Phone, there's no jumping around your text message to fix errors. You have to delete everything you've written
• 📷 Camera – Having that camera is a nice thing, especially with my little kiddos around.
• 🧭 GPS – Being able to type in a destination and just be guided there is really pretty amazing, and something we all are taking for granted these days.
• 👶🏻 Easily Accessible Baby Monitor – We use Nanit and Wyze to monitor our kids. They were appealing due to their smart phone integration (hey, no external, proprietary monitor to lug around, right?!). Well, without a smart phone, they're not much use to me. (Confession: I've had to use my iPhone 6s as my baby monitor when I'm around the house)
• 🔦 Flashlight – You don't realize how often you use this little phone utility until you don't have it anymore.
• ⌛️ Basic Timer – I use this thing ALL the time.
• 📝 Notes App – My wife and I are constantly sharing notes, particularly a grocery list. When I can't add things to it, well, I forget.

When I do decide to transition back to my iPhone (and that is happening at the end of this trial, or before 😬), I am planning to remain mostly off of social media altogether. That one simple change will make a big difference.

Onward!

Day 24

Life with Light Phone is pretty uneventful...

There's not much to report 24 days into the Light Phone challenge.

However, my wife did tell me the other day that she feels it's harder to get in touch with me now. She feels the need to call if she really needs something, as I frequently miss text messages on the Light Phone. Maybe it's the text tone I've got it set to? Meh, when you're used to having iMessage, not having it puts a bit of a damper on communication.

That being said, one could argue this is part of the point of using the Light Phone — you're just not as available.

Day 30

Let's just say I've been looking at iPhone 12 minis...

I have to be honest. I really wanted Light Phone to work for me. I really did, but it just isn't a practical option for my current stage of life. Everyone in my life expects me to have a smart phone — in fact, every where I go people just assume I have one.

That being said, I'm selling my Light Phone.

In transitioning back to iPhone, I'll for sure be more conscious of the time I spend staring at the screen, and I'm not planning on being back on social media any time soon.

If you're interested in buying my Light Phone II at a discounted price and take the 30-day Light Phone Challenge, reach out and let me know.

Thanks coming along on this journey with me!