Meadow, a minimalist Android phone from founder Shreyas Narlanka, is designed to supplement your existing smartphone rather than replace it. The device supports apps including Maps, Strava, Uber, Apple Music and Spotify, along with native apps for the camera, voice memos, notes, text, calling, location sharing and ticket scanning.
Users cannot make calls or send texts with their usual phone number. They must set up a separate number through a subscription plan with Meadow. Narlanka recommends customers use the iPhone's "driving" focus feature, customising the automatic reply to say they are out with the Meadow, so urgent contacts can still reach them.
"We're not Luddites that are going to be like, 'Streaming's bad, and this is bad,'" Narlanka said. "It's just we don't want social media, browsing and that kind of stuff."
The camera app works differently from a standard smartphone: users can take as many photos and videos as they want, but can only view them once home using the Meadow app on their main smartphone. Instead of a front-facing camera, Meadow has a tiny mirror beside the lens for checking selfie framing.
Meadow has only shipped its first bulk batch to pre-order customers so far. Narlanka said a glitch that showed an Uber ride had not ended after leaving the car has been fixed.
Narlanka, 25, previously founded Scoutapp AI, an inventory management platform for online businesses that was acquired by fashion resale platform StockX. Meadow raised funding in December 2024, led by Alana Goyal of basecase capital, with angel investors Terrence Rohan, Discord's founding CMO Eros Resmini, Vercel founder Guillermo Rauch and Diagram founder Jordan Singer also participating.