Sidephone SP-01 Modular Phone: A Visual Review

A visual overview of the Sidephone SP-01, a modular feature phone with a 2.8-inch screen, swappable T9 or QWERTY keyboards, and an eight-day battery.

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━ 20 Sep, 2026
━ 4 comments

The Sidephone SP-01 rethinks what a feature phone can be. It runs a pared-down Android (AOSP) on a small 2.8-inch screen—just the essentials, really. No app store chaos, just messaging, music, and maps. But here's what actually makes it interesting: you can swap the keyboard. Stick with T9, go QWERTY, or try something custom. Same phone, different feel.

Candybar Shape, Modular Bottom

Swap the bottom module to change the SP-01's input style without replacing the phone. — Fig. 1. Candybar design, early-2000s vibes

Keep the phone slim with a candybar shape that recalls early-2000s handsets. — Fig. 2. Scroll wheel module slides out cleanly.

Slide the keyboard module out to see how the modular system connects. — Fig. 3. Match cases and modules for a coordinated setup

The SP-01 borrows its straight candybar look from phones we used to actually carry. There's a scroll wheel for navigation instead of touch—way more deliberate. Battery lasts up to eight days, which isn't bad. The real centerpiece is that modular keyboard at the bottom. Slide it out, swap it for another layout, slide it back in. Same device, different way of typing. It feels like a purposeful object in your hand, not just a tiny smartphone.

Colors, Cases, Module Mix

Match the case color to the keyboard module for a coordinated look. — Fig. 4. Scroll wheel modules side by side.

Compare T9 and QWERTY modules side by side before choosing your layout. — Fig. 5. Orange case frames the keyboard section.

Use the orange case to frame the swappable keyboard section. — Fig. 6. Pink or blue cases change the look.

Pick a pink or blue case to change the phone's character without changing its function. — Fig. 7. One-handed grip with scroll wheel and rear camera.

You get the phone in silver or dark gray. Cases come in orange, pink, blue, and lavender. The keyboard modules show up in both T9 and QWERTY. The case actually has a cutout that frames the swappable section—it's not just cosmetic. The case and keyboard module are part of the same system, which is kind of the whole point of the SP-01.

Holding It, What's Included

Hold the SP-01 one-handed to check the scroll-wheel navigation and rear camera placement. — Fig. 8. Full kit: phone, modules, and box.

Lay out the phone, box, and spare modules to see the full modular kit. — Fig. 9. Minimal app grid: camera, clock, contacts, files, photos, music, messages, phone, settings.

Run a stripped-back app grid for camera, clock, contacts, files, photos, music, messages, phone, and settings. — Fig. 10. Swap the keyboard module to change input styles.

Pair the T9 and QWERTY modules with the same phone body to switch input on the fly. — Fig. 11. Switch modules to change input on the fly.

In the hand, it feels compact and intentional. There's a rear camera on the back. You get the phone, spare keyboard modules, and the box—which tells you these parts are meant to be swapped around, not locked in. The screen shows a simple app layout: camera, clock, contacts, files, photos, music, messages, phone, settings. That's it. No endless scrolling through folders.

The Takeaway

The Sidephone SP-01 is all about doing less. Small screen, stripped Android, keyboards you can actually change. It keeps the stuff that matters—messaging, music, maps—and leaves the rest behind. If you grew up with candybar phones, the modular keyboard might feel like more than nostalgia. It might feel like something that makes sense.

4 comments

A knockoff phone designed in Huaqiangbei? At $249, even ikko looks like a better value. I’d rather buy a used Apple Watch and a case.

QuietRunner
I’d gladly use it if it weren’t for the massive chin at the bottom.

CopperByte
Where can I buy it?

PixelHarbor
Isn’t this just an Apple iTouch nano?

NovaCircuit