By popular demand, here is my Minimal Phone review. And it's not just a quick first-impression kind of thing. I've been using this phone as my daily driver for four months now. It replaced my Punkt MP02, and I have quite a few thoughts to share.

I don't usually do phone reviews because there are better channels for that. But I do think I have something worthwhile to say about this particular kind of device. I have real experience with dumb phones. I was using the Punkt MP02 for a very long time. Half of my family uses a Punkt MP02. My daughter uses one right now. And the Punkt is a really dumb phone - classy, very well designed, but really dumb. It just does calling, texting, and a very basic calendar. That's it.

So the Punkt is dumb and a smartphone is really too smart. The Minimal Phone sits right in between. And that's where it gets interesting.

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Research and Further Reading

Here are peer-reviewed studies and reputable sources related to the topics covered in this article:

E-ink displays and eye health:

• Rogers, R. et al. (2023). Study on the effect of displays on human retinal cells. Journal of the Society for Information Display. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. DOI: 10.1002/jsid.1191
• Siegenthaler, E. et al. (2012). Reading on LCD vs e-Ink displays: Effects on fatigue and visual strain. PLoS ONE. PubMed
• Maducdoc, M. et al. (2017). Visual consequences of electronic reader use: a pilot study. International Journal of Ophthalmology. PMC
• Benedetto, S. et al. (2013). E-Readers and Visual Fatigue. PLoS ONE. PMC
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Blue light and circadian rhythm disruption:

• Hatori, M. et al. (2017). Global rise of potential health hazards caused by blue light-induced circadian disruption in modern aging societies. NPJ Aging and Mechanisms of Disease. PubMed
• Tähkämö, L. et al. (2019). Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm. Chronobiology International. PubMed
• Haghani, M. et al. (2024). Blue Light and Digital Screens Revisited. Journal of Biomedical Physics and Engineering. PubMed
• Wahl, S. et al. (2019). The inner clock - Blue light sets the human rhythm. Journal of Biophotonics. PMC
• Ouyang, X. et al. (2020). Blue light disrupts the circadian rhythm and creates damage in skin cells. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. PubMed
• Harvard Health Publishing (2024). Blue light has a dark side. Harvard Health
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Screen time, children, and parental modeling:

• Canadian Paediatric Society (2017). Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world. Paediatrics & Child Health. PMC
• Merkaš, M. et al. (2025). Effects of Parents' Smartphone Use on Children's Emotions, Behavior, and Subjective Well-Being. Frontiers in Psychology. PMC
• Alrasheed, M. et al. (2025). Impact of Screen Time on Development of Children. Children. PMC
• Harvard Medical School (2024). Screen Time and the Brain. HMS

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