NZ startup launches the minimalist BoringPhone anti-smartphone on Kickstarter

We all know that we can compulsively pick up our smartphones to see what the latest gossip is or what might be trending on Twitter. Smartphones can become distractions from everyday face-to-face interaction, people go to live concerts and instead of enjoying the performance end up spending the evening recording it. The BoringPhone from a New Zealand-based startup sets out to shake up this entire paradigm.

The BoringPhone runs a custom Android ROM, but ditches a browser, email, social media and any other infinite-scrolling apps or any games. It doesn't even have the Google Play Store for installing these apps if you want them at a later time. Apps that does include are the phone, texting, camera, GPS maps, music, podcasts and the ability to tether it for data. According to the company, "the BoringPhone is for people who want to spend less time on their phone, and more time doing the things that matter to them."

From the viewpoint of specifications, the BoringPhone centers on a 5.5-inch 1080p black and white display covered in Gorilla Glass 3 and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 with 4GB of RAM. Onboard storage is limited to 32GB but is expandable via microSD card. Battery is 3,080mAh while the camera is a 12MP type with an f/2.2 aperture with a 26mm focal length. It can even shoot 4K video.

The first 50 customers who pick up the Early Bird Value Pack can own the BoringPhone a faux leather case and earphones for the equivalent of US$233 plus shipping.