In a world where smartphones get bigger and bigger, one company decided to go against the grain and launch what it claims to be the smallest 4G smartphone. Meet the Mony Mint – tiny in size, but promising to fully replace your phone, while also saving you a few bucks.
There are multiple situations where you fancy using an inexpensive phone rather than a steeply-priced, high-end smartphone. Feature phones do not always fit the bill, since a significant amount of communication is done via apps. This phone is more about the size than offering the latest and greatest Android features. And it’s not like Android 9.0 is that up to date anyway.
Rather than following in the footsteps of leading handset manufacturers that are doling out bigger smartphones, Mony has gone against the grain to launch what it describes as the world’s smallest 4G smartphone. According to the company, Mint is designed to replace the expensive primary phone in situations where using them is inconvenient. For instance, carrying a bulky phone while exercising outside can cause a lot of inconveniences.
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Mony Mint specifications
- Body: 89.5 x 45.5 x 11.5 mm, 75g; Color: Black.
- Display: 3″ LCD, 480x854px resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 270ppi.
- Chipset: Mediatek MT6735: Quad-core CPU (4×1.3 GHz Cortex-A53); Mali T720 GPU.
- Memory: 32 GB storage, 3 GB RAM, no micro SD slot.
- OS/Software: Android 9 (advertised).
- Cameras: Main: 13 MP; Front: VGA.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 480p, EIS; Front camera: 480p.
- Battery: 1250mAh.
- Misc: USB-C port, dual micro SIM slot.
Mony Mint price and availability
The Mony Mint will not set you back a pretty penny. The lightweight phone is available for just $150. However, you can get your hands on the Mony Mint for a lowered price by taking advantage of a Super Early Bird offer on Indiegogo. As part of the offer, the phone will be available for only $100. Aside from that, there are other slots dubbed the Early Bird and Indiegogo Special. Under the Early Bird offer, the phone is available for $115. Likewise, it retails for $130 under the Indiegogo Special offer. The smartphone will start shipping from November this year.
Mony Mint design and size
The phone might be smaller in height and width but is nowhere near as thin as modern devices. It is 11 mm thick, with an extra half of millimeters for the camera bump. There is a power button on the right side and volume keys on the left, and a USB-C port right in between the two speaker grilles on the bottom.
However, they are primarily for aesthetics – the actual speaker is in the earpiece, and it is fairly loud for such a tight package. The overall design is reminiscent of an Apple device, especially with the glossy metallic-looking edge around the phone.
Renders of the phone might mislead someone that it is an iPhone 4, and Mony is not even shying away from the similarities, saying the Mint was inspired by Steve Jobs and is an homage to the late Apple co-founder.
Mony Mint usability
The first question that pops up in the head when people see the phone is “Why”. Why is it so small? Well, Mony says it is “the ultimate answer to any situation where using a heavy, expensive primary phone is inconvenient”.
The Mint is indeed super easy to carry around for outdoor fitness activities. Its size and weight might make you forget you even have a smartphone on you. Our unit is still in development, but we’re pretty confident once it starts shipping with the right OS, it will be able to track runs and bike rides just like any other smartphone with the GPS.
There’s one drawback in the whole fitness activity situation – if you want to change a track, text someone, or do something requiring the tiniest bit of attention, you have to stop in the heat of the moment and concentrate on the tiny screen. That would ruin any personal records and disrupt the momentum, killing the whole sporty vibe.
The phone’s size comes in extra handy during business trips. We all often carry big bags for a laptop, a charger, cables, documents, the occasional hand sanitizer, glasses, and plenty of other accessories. Having a big smartphone in this mess is an inconvenience, but with the Mony Mint, at least this one nuisance is avoided.
At The End
The Mony Mint is a nice gadget that would be a great talking point if you’re tired of conversations about the weather. However, picking one up for actual use is a bit more complicated. There’s a good reason why phones are increasingly bigger these days and why the iPhone 12 mini flopped – our modern digital lifestyles just need a large screen, powerful chipset, and a big battery.
However, the small size makes it the ideal tool for certain use cases – mostly when you need to disconnect, but still want to be reachable in case of emergency.
It is a great device for taking a night out when you really want to connect with your buddies rather than spend half the time scrolling through social media feeds. Or to take out for a run, when you really have no intention of using the phone beyond accepting any emergency calls.
It can also be great for taking to the beach, where its very low price tag means that even if you do damage it there won’t be that bad a loss.
If any of this sounds like you, it might be worth paying the Mony Mint Kickstarter page a visit.
