The Sidephone is a modern phone with an Android-based operating system and a touchscreen display. But it also looks like a classic dumb phone with a candybar-style layout featuring a small screen above a numeric keypad.

But what really makes this phone unusual is that the number pad is a removable module that can be replaced with other input “tiles.” Sidephone introduced the phone earlier this year and shared more details over the summer. Now the company is taking pre-orders for $249 and expects to begin shipping the phone in January.

The most exciting thing about the phone is the modular input section. By default the phone comes with a number pad and support for T9 predictive text typing. But the company has already introduced the first alternate tile.

Sidephone’s Sundial keypad is a $29 accessory that looks like an iPod scroll wheel. Pop out the number pad and replace it with a Sundial and you can easily control music by clicking on different zones to control media playback.

The Sundial tile isn’t really an iPod-style wheel: it’s really just a set of 9 buttons with a circle cover layered on top.

Out of the box, the center button works as a play/pause button, while you can click the left, right, top, or bottom sections for previous, skip, volume up and volume down functions.

You can also click the corners of the keypad to launch phone, messages, camera, or clock apps. But all of those buttons can be remapped to perform other functions.

Sidephone says the Sundial tile will be available and ready to ship at the same time as the phone. Current estimates put that at January, 2026.

Button remapping isn’t limited to the Sundial keypad: Sidephone has also posted a video showing how the button mapping software can also let you customize the experience of using the default number pad:

The company is also hoping to offer additional modules in the future, including a QWERTY keyboard that could be ready in March. But somewhat pragmatically, the company suggests that potential customers should order the phone based on the modules that are already confirmed rather than the promise of upcoming modules which may or may not arrive.

Once the phone is generally available, the price is expected to rise to $299 + additional charges for any extra keypad tiles. Before you spend any money though, the company wants to manage your expectations by making it very clear what the phone is, and what it isn’t.

With a 2.8 inch, 480 x 640 pixel touchscreen display, a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and an 1800 mAh battery, Sidephone isn’t positioning this as full-fledged smartphone. Instead it’s meant to be more of a distraction-free device for folks who want to be able to make calls, send messages, and run some Android apps… ones that play well with entry-level hardware and small screens.

There’s a long list of limitations that the company wants customers to be aware of. Among other things, it’s not certified for Google Mobile Services and ships without the Google Play Store pre-installed. Banking apps and other apps that rely on the Google Play Integrity API may not function.

The phone should support AT&T and T-Mobile’s 4G LTE networks in the US, but it won’t work with Verizon. And it won’t be certified by wireless carries or be PTRCB certified, which means you won’t be able to buy it from carriers – it will only be available for purchase from the Sidephone website for the foreseeable future.

There’s also no support for RCS, no barometer, and no IP rating – the phone is not waterproof.

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