The Phone by Mako was a build-it-yourself wooden phone kit developed in 2019 by Ryland Goldman and Collin Wentzien. The device was powered by an Adafruit Feather 32u4 Fona, an Arduino-based board with a SIM800H module attached. Its features included a 2,500 mAh battery, 2G cellular service, and a 1.3" monochrome OLED display.
We sold the phone on our website, but due to high costs of components, it was $130. We ended up selling only a couple before deciding to turn our attention to an improved second version. Version 2 featured hardware improvements such as a color screen, custom PCB, and thinner frame, as well as, SMS messaging and other apps such as a stopwatch and calculator.
While we were in the midst of developing Version 2, COVID-19 delayed development, increased shipping times, and led to higher costs. After T-Mobile announced they would be shutting down their 2G GSM network, we found that 4G wasn't a viable option to keep the price below our target of $70. Unfortunately, we had to stop the project.
