Minimal Phone 2 raises $1.6M on Kickstarter betting on physical keyboards
A physical-keyboard Android phone just raised over $1.6 million on Kickstarter against a $100,000 goal, proving demand for tactile typing hasn't evaporated. The Minimal Phone 2, from LA-based The Minimal Company, cleared its funding target in minutes and has since unlocked a key hardware upgrade. For anyone who misses the BlackBerry era, this is the most credible successor in years.
The hardware
The phone packs a 3.92-inch OLED display running at 90Hz — a direct upgrade from the e-ink screen used on the original Minimal Phone, which struggled with slow refresh rates. Under the hood sits a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chip with 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and GPS. Because the Kickstarter Campaign crossed the $1.5M stretch goal, every unit will ship with at least 12GB of RAM — generous for a phone pitched around doing less.
We were supposed to wait until 2M.
— Andre (@Youkhna) August 26, 2026
We didn’t.
Every Minimal Phone 2 is now getting 12GB RAM.
Founders Ember: 16GB.
Locked in. Chipsets ordered. pic.twitter.com/wiMqyt5l28
The QWERTY keyboard sits below the display in classic BlackBerry fashion, but with a twist: the key surfaces are capacitive, so the phone can read swipe gestures while you type. Connectivity covers the full modern checklist — physical SIM plus eSIM support included.
The iMessage catch
The phone runs Minimal OS, an Android-based skin built around reducing screen distraction. The headline software feature is iMessage support, but it works through OpenBubbles, a third-party workaround that Apple doesn't officially sanction. Getting it running requires either a Mac left powered on for relay, or a $17-per-month subscription to OpenBubbles' paid tier. That's a meaningful ongoing cost, and Apple's history of closing third-party messaging workarounds means long-term reliability isn't guaranteed.
Price and the crowdfunding caveat
Backers pay $599 for the base 256GB / 8GB RAM model, per Futurescope. Retail MSRP after the campaign is expected to hit $699 — still cheaper than a flagship iPhone or Galaxy, but more expensive than the Unihertz Titan 2 ($499), its most direct QWERTY rival. A Founder's Edition at $899 unlocks if the campaign reaches $2M.
Shipping is targeted for December 2026. Worth noting: the original Minimal Phone shipped six to nine months late after its Indiegogo campaign, so that date should be treated as optimistic. Global shipping is confirmed through Kickstarter, though there are no UK-specific pricing tiers and no carrier partnerships announced.
