Most phones arrive ready to use, sealed shut, and deeply opposed to you poking around inside. The CircuitMess MAKERphone 2.0 takes a friendlier approach: it arrives in pieces and expects you to build it yourself.
Unlike the original 2018 MAKERphone, which required around seven hours of soldering, version 2.0 clicks, screws, and plugs together in about two hours. No soldering or previous electronics experience is required, and LEGO-style illustrated instructions and video guides walk users through the process.
Once assembled, it becomes a proper 4G phone. Insert a nano-SIM, and you can make calls, send SMS messages, manage contacts, set alarms, play music, and enjoy more than ten built-in retro games on its 1.77-inch color screen. The 104 g (3.7 oz) handset runs on an Arduino-compatible ESP32-S3 chip and packs a 1,000 mAh battery, USB-C charging, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, a headphone jack, a numeric keypad, and a joystick.
It is also modular. Its UMAX expansion port supports six automatically detected add-ons, including a camera, a 2 W speaker, a flashlight, an environmental sensor, an infrared controller, and a DIY prototyping board.
Programming happens through VibeBoy, CircuitMess’ AI-assisted coding studio. Beginners can describe an app or game in everyday English and let the system generate the code. As their skills improve, they can inspect, modify, and eventually write their own programs using MicroPython or Arduino C++. Each phone includes three months of unlimited AI features and permanent access to VibeBoy’s free tier.
Joining it is the MAKERband, a buildable programmable smartwatch with a 0.96-inch color display, 15 watch faces, five mini-games, and notification syncing. It connects to the MAKERphone 2.0 over Bluetooth but also works with regular iOS and Android devices.
Kickstarter pledges for the MAKERphone 2.0 currently start at US$129, while a US$189 MAKERPACK bundles it with the MAKERband. Deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027. Finally, a phone that actively encourages its owner to take it apart.
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Images: Circuit Mess.
