Given the ongoing interest from Aussies when it comes to so-called dumb-phones, it’s probably not a huge surprise that the region is a key market for the makers of the Light Phone.
Speaking to WhistleOut Australia at Mobile World Congress, Light co-founder Joe Hollier revealed that Australia is likely the brand’s fourth-biggest market for Light’s stripped-down handset after the US, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“Australians like it. They like the idea and they’re interested in it. Because our operating system is in English, it makes it a little bit easier to be one of the English-speaking countries,” he said.
Since its inception, the Light Phone has been pitched as a phone for people who want to spend less time on their phone. It features limited functionality, an e-ink display and a minimalist design.
Although the device does support a few apps, the company behind the device have said it will never support browsing, news, emails, or anything else that you can end up doom-scrolling for hours on end.
Although Australians have likely been importing the Light Phone since it launched, the cost of shipping the device across the Pacific only recently became more reasonable.
Hollier explained that this was due to the company getting a second fulfilment centre — located in Dubai — for non-US orders to avoid paying tariffs. While he wasn't thrilled at the time, this decision has proven to be a blessing in the long run.
“We were kinda forced to get a second partner outside of the US, but that also makes shipping to places like Australia cheaper and easier,” he said.
Of course, cheaper shipping costs is only the first bit of good news for Australian Light Phone fans.
Light is currently gearing up to launch its mobile plans in the United Kingdom, following a similar rollout for its customers in the United States and Canada. Now, it sounds like Australia might be next in line.
Hollier said that the company wanted to “figure out Australia out”, acknowledging the issues that Light customers using the Telstra network might have encountered.
“We need to figure out Australia because we want to provide the phone and service there [as] more of a complete customer offering."
"We understand that Telstra is the overwhelming big carrier there and, right now, the phone doesn’t work on Telstra. We can’t guarantee it and, historically, it hasn’t worked well on Telstra,” he said.
Citing the time and cost involved with certification for Australia’s largest mobile network, Hollier said the company haven’t been able to much do move towards a better situation for Telstra customers. Instead, he gestured at the alternatives available to Australia-based Light Phone customers.
“Optus and Vodafone, it usually works quite well but, from our understanding, those carrier services are quite regional and not necessarily as usable as Telstra all over the place,” he said.
Still, if all goes to plan, that status quo might be coming to an end.
“We definitely want to figure that out and have like a really good clean option for Australia," Hollier said.
Disclosure: WhistleOut Australia's coverage of Mobile World Congress 2026 is supported by OPPO.
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Fergus Halliday
Digital Content Editor
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