\u201cCool phone,\u201d the bouncer said, ushering me inside.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d done it. With Meadow\u2019s bare-bones smartphone, I had called an Uber, streamed Apple Music during the ride, and entered the show. Not once did I need to touch my iPhone, which I only brought with me as a backup in case the ticket scan didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith so many dumb phones, the Brick<\/a>, and everything, the messaging is like, \u2018Slow down, focus on your work\u2019 or whatever,\u201d Narlanka says, explaining why his company chose to build a minimal phone. \u201cBut the reason we\u2019re different is because we\u2019re all about getting outside and unplugging and having a sick social life.\u201d<\/p>\n Go online, and you\u2019ll see a growing mass of content and comments from people across the world feeling suffocated by being constantly connected<\/a> via their smartphones and social media feeds. That\u2019s resulting in a new device category that promises a reprieve. Some of these devices, like the Light Phone<\/a>, require users to completely give up their smartphone and switch to a simpler device. Others, like the Wisephone<\/a>, offer a modern touchscreen device with a minimal UI and a few apps. Still others are embracing more tactile form factors, like the Commodore Callback<\/a>, which is a flip-phone with a touchscreen.<\/p>\n Meadow, meanwhile, is taking the middle road, intending to simply supplement your existing device. It runs Android, and so supports apps like Maps, Strava, Uber, Apple Music, and Spotify. It also has native apps for utilities like the camera, voice memos, notes, camera, text, calling, location sharing, and ticket scanning. It also supports Bluetooth, and you can connect 3.5mm headphones to it using a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew there were going to be times where I needed my phone,\u201d Narlanka said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want a full replacement.\u201d<\/p>\n You can\u2019t make calls and send texts with your usual phone number, though \u2014 you\u2019ll have to set up a new plan through a subscription plan with Meadow, which gives you a separate number to use while you\u2019re on the go. <\/p>\n Narlanka recommends his customers take advantage of the iPhone\u2019s \u201cdriving\u201d focus feature, which by default tells your top contacts that you\u2019re on the road \u2014 instead, he says, you can customize the text to say you\u2019re out with the Meadow. This way, you might miss the latest chatter in your group chats, but if anyone needs to contact you urgently, they\u2019ll still be able to reach you.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not Luddites that are going to be like, \u2018Streaming\u2019s bad, and this is bad,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just we don\u2019t want social media, browsing and that kind of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n This sentiment has become an increasingly common one. People talk about reducing their screen time as something that\u2019s universally assumed to be good for you, like eating vegetables or flossing. Even AD\u00c9LA<\/a>, the artist whose concert I attended, used her manager\u2019s phone to publish a celebration post after her debut album hit No. 4 on the Billboard charts.<\/p>\n \u201cI have deleted social media because i want to stay sane!\u201d the 22-year-old pop star wrote<\/a> on Instagram.<\/p>\n Her fans don\u2019t feel the same way \u2014 I saw several people recording the entire show on their iPhones. (There\u2019s nothing wrong with snapping a few photos or a short video for Instagram, but an entire show?)<\/p>\n Speaking of cameras, the one on the Meadow worked well when out and about during the day, but the pictures weren\u2019t great when I tried using it to take photos at the concert.<\/p>\n The camera app also works differently from your usual smartphone fare: You can take as many photos and videos as you want, but you can only see your photos once you get home and use the Meadow app from your main smartphone. And instead of a front-facing camera, Meadow has a tiny mirror beside the camera lens so that you can make sure you\u2019re in the frame of your selfies.<\/p>\n The screen brightness and battery weren\u2019t an issue when taking the Meadow around \u2014 if anything, the display can sometimes be a bit too bright in low-lit areas, but that meant it was always very visible outdoors. <\/p>\n In your hand, the small, square device feels a bit unfamiliar, though it does feel functional enough. This isn\u2019t a device that Meadow wants you to use constantly, so it\u2019s not a problem that it feels less comfortable than an iPhone.<\/p>\n Meadow is still new; it\u2019s only shipped its first bulk batch to preorder customers so far. I ran into some small issues, too, like a glitch that showed my Uber ride had not ended for a while after I left the car (for a second I worried I had accidentally ordered a second Uber). Narlanka tells me, though, that this bug has been fixed now.<\/p>\n Overall, if you can handle the discomfort of managing a second phone number, Meadow works well as a device that helps you disconnect without leaving you fully off the grid.<\/p>\n Though Narlanka is only 25-years-old, Meadow isn\u2019t his first startup. He dropped out of UC San Diego in 2020 when his last company, Scoutapp AI, started gaining traction. The inventory management platform for online businesses ended up being acquired by fashion resale platform StockX<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meadow is Narlanka\u2019s first attempt at making hardware, though his previous success has earned him backing from investors. The company raised funding in December 2024, led by Alana Goyal of basecase capital<\/a>. Angel investors Terrence Rohan, Discord\u2019s founding CMO Eros Resmini, Vercel founder Guillermo Rauch, and Diagram founder Jordan Singer also participated.<\/p>\n When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/meadow-171-of-173-1.jpg\")
Image Credits:Meadow<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/meadow-photos.jpg\")
Image Credits:Photos taken on Meadow by TechCrunch<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-24-at-9.56.24-PM.png\")
Image Credits:Meadow<\/p>\n