Leave the Phone, Keep Maps: Meadow Sells a Square Companion Handset Built to Skip Social Feeds

San Francisco startup Meadow ships a palm-sized companion phone for maps, rides, and music without social media or browsing, priced at $449 plus a T-Mobile eSIM plan.

SAN FRANCISCO, Meadow, a San Francisco hardware startup founded by Shreyas Narlanka, is selling a palm-sized square companion handset meant to leave your full smartphone at home while keeping maps, rides, music, and a few other essentials within reach.

The device does not replace a primary phone. Narlanka told TechCrunch he wanted a supplement for moments when a full smartphone feels like too much. Meadow runs Android and supports apps such as Maps, Uber, Spotify, Apple Music, and Strava, plus native tools for calling, texting, camera, notes, voice memos, location sharing, and ticket scanning. Bluetooth works, and wired 3.5mm headphones connect through a USB-C adapter. Social media, web browsing, and other open-ended distraction apps are left off by design. There is no app store.

Meadow phone on books Photo: Meadow

Meadow phone held against sky Photo: Meadow

Hardware ships from Meadow’s shop at $449, with free shipping and a 14-day return window listed on meadow.so/product as of Sept. 25, 2026. A separate phone number and data plan ride on a Meadow subscription powered by T-Mobile eSIM service that is certified for U.S. towers only for now. Plan tiers on the product page are $15 a month for 1GB, $25 for 5GB, and $35 for unlimited. Meadow’s private line reaches contacts and 911; the company says callers outside that circle are blocked. Cancel, and T-Mobile recycles the number after 45 days if you do not resubscribe.

Meadow phone in jeans pocket Photo: Meadow

Meadow phone showing Spotify interface Photo: Meadow

TechCrunch’s Amanda Silberling took a Meadow to a concert, called an Uber, streamed Apple Music, and scanned a ticket barcode on the three-inch square screen without opening an iPhone kept only as backup. The camera worked outdoors in daylight but was weaker in dim venues. Photos and videos stay invisible on the handset until they sync over Wi-Fi to Meadow’s cloud for download from a main phone. Instead of a front camera, a small mirror sits beside the rear lens for framing selfies. Battery life is pitched as a full day of maps, music, and camera use for typical outings.

Narlanka, 25, previously founded Scoutapp AI, an inventory platform later acquired by StockX, after leaving UC San Diego in 2020. Meadow raised a funding round in December 2024 led by Alana Goyal of basecase capital, with angels including Terrence Rohan, Discord founding CMO Eros Resmini, Vercel founder Guillermo Rauch, and Diagram founder Jordan Singer. First bulk units have already shipped to preorder customers. The company says it plans travel eSIMs for U.S. buyers and international certification later, but those are not available yet.

Meadow phone in outdoor pants pocket Photo: Meadow

Sources: TechCrunch, Amanda Silberling, “Meadow lets you leave your smartphone at home without sacrificing the essentials,” Sept. 25, 2026 (https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/25/meadow-lets-you-leave-your-smartphone-at-home-without-sacrificing-the-essentials/); Meadow product and FAQ pages (https://www.meadow.so/product ; https://www.meadow.so/).

Maya Chen, Gadgets. Maya Chen is a senior correspondent covering phones, laptops, and consumer gadgets. Previously reported hardware launches for trade titles; based in San Francisco.