Light III First Prototypes | The Light Phone
Light III First Prototypes
June 2024
For this initial pre-order launch we were able to make our first hand-assembled prototypes of the Light Phone III. It allows us to verify the hardware, the architecture of the LightOS, and to showcase the phone with all of you!
We've been taking our community's feedback seriously since the beginning, and we began exploring what another model might look like a few years ago.
One of the hardest parts was finding the right size screen since so many existing screen modules were designed to be used for smartphones and felt too large for a Light Phone. We eventually were able to work with LG on a custom matte screen display which we are really pleased with.
It was really important to us to retain the calm simplicity of the black & white E-ink screen from the Light Phone II. We'll be using a custom etched matte glass for the front screen which feels drastically different than any smartphone screen on the market. It keeps the essence of the E-ink screen.
Once we locked down the screen we were able to work towards the final form factor.
testing haze levels for our matte glass
CURRENT STATUS:
The prototypes use all of the components and design of the final phone, including the PCB, camera sensor etc.
This prototype does not have the final matte glass, but we have applied an external layer of matte plastic to mimic the look. You might notice some imperfections on the prototype that won't exist on the final product.
The wheel's design is a work in progress. The tension, shape, and size might change. Our next EVT production will help us verify the design and fine tune these aspects.
Functionality wise, only the power button and volume buttons currently register in the software. We will be able to update the software as we work out support for other buttons/wheel.
It is running the underlying Android we will be building the LightOS on top of, but it currently only has a prototype LightOS app. The prototype helped us commit to our software architecture, ensuring it will be fast enough. It also enables us explore gestures like scrolling on the new screen. We've been experimenting with building the LightOS keyboard natively, and will continue to finesse this. It also has a slideshow where we were able to load different interface mocks to begin to fine tune how we want those to look. The process of integrating the full LightOS functionality will take months.
PROCESS PHOTOS:
the camera module
the screen module
the wheel sample
testing matte coating
metal chasis
PCB board - will be black for mass production
various components of the phone
hand-assembled sample
technical drawings overlayed
TIMELINE:
We've just kicked off our EVT production run which we expect to finish around mid-July. There will be two more pilot production runs (DVT & PVT) before mass production late-December, with shipping in January.
Software integration work is ongoing and we'll share updates around those milestones. We're working on the image tuning & processing of the camera module. It may be a few months until we can show actual photos from the Light Phone itself.
*timeline subject to change
EVT (Engineering Validation Testing):
EVT is the process to get functioning prototypes. This allows further verification of the mechanical and electrical components of the phone. It is the first assembly operation in the factory. We will build a small quantity for testing across our teams (i.e software, life cycle, drop test etc.)
We will be able to make engineering changes if needed.
DVT (Design Validation Testing):
DVT focuses on perfecting tools and techniques for a consistent run and ensures products meet cosmetic and environmental requirements using both mass production tools and parts.
The phones from the DVT build will be used to submit for FCC, PTCRB and Carrier certifications test.
PVT (Production Validation Testing):
PVT is the ramp up to mass production. Our QA (quality assurance) and QC (quality control) procedures are finalized during this build, which will ensure our mass production quality. Once performance and quality have been verified and signed off, it’s onto mass production!
We look forward to sharing our progress here as we get closer to our January launch! We'd love for you to be a part of the journey.