This teeny-tiny Android phone is the size of a credit card

Edward Munn November 7, 2017

Japan sometimes appears to be one step ahead of the rest of the world in cultural and technological terms so if FutureModel’s newest smartphone is anything to go by, smaller phones could be making a comeback.

In recent times it’s become increasingly difficult to get your hands on a smartphone smaller than 5in. The iPhone SE and Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact are two such devices, but both are just as pricy as many of their larger rivals.

For many people, smaller phones represent a simpler era when we weren’t drowning in a sea of notifications, and this could explain why FutureModel has announced the tiny and aptly named NichePhone-S. It runs Android 4.2, but the OS doesn’t feel feel like an important feature because the phone is roughly the size of a credit card, is only partially screen and doesn’t let you install apps. From the the promotional video, it’s not even clear what the interface looks like, but we do know that the NichePhone-S can access 3G networks and lets you make calls, send texts and listen to music.

It’s set to launch in Japan on 10 November and will cost around 10,000 yen (~£60), so it’ll definitely save you money compared to buying the iPhone X. While the idea of having fewer distractions could appeal to some, we can’t help but feel that a 3G device should have at least a basic email and messaging apps to stay relevant in a modern world. Not that that model worked too well for BlackBerry, but you know.

We’ll update this story if the NichePhone-S ever looks like it’s coming to the UK, but until then the Nokia 3310 3G probably represents the closest thing in terms of price and features, and also comes with basic apps for Facebook, Twitter and – most importantly – Snake.