designboom · Creativity & design

Meadow: A Minimalist Phone for Essential Tasks

Meadow is a new, compact phone designed to offer a focused experience, encouraging users to leave their primary smartphone behind for certain activities. It prioritizes essential functions over the vast capabilities of typical smartphones.

The Meadow device is a three-inch square phone with a touchscreen that offers a limited selection of apps. It includes calling, texting, maps, ride-sharing (Uber), and music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. Event tickets can also be accessed on the device.

Meadow runs on Android but does not provide access to an open app store, maintaining its curated set of functions focused on navigation, communication, entertainment, and returning home.

The phone features a rear camera with a small mirror for selfies. Unlike standard smartphones, photos and videos are not immediately viewable on the screen; they are synced later, separating the act of capturing an image from reviewing it.

Meadow operates independently with its own cellular connection and phone number, utilizing T-Mobile service in the US, with plans starting at $15 per month. This physical separation is key to its design philosophy.

The device is now reaching its initial preorder customers. Meadow joins a market of phones designed for reduced functionality, with its design literally extracting core smartphone features into a smaller form factor.

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