When Sony Ericsson launched the Xperia Pureness in 2009, it was marketed as the world’s first phone with a transparent display. Although it wasn’t a commercial success, its see-through display was enough to pique interest in the phone, which many considered flawed otherwise. That era gave us many experimental phones with brands such as LG and Nokia taking the lead.
Today, things are a little different. The commodification of smartphones means brands are less willing to take risks and refuse to get outside their comfort zone. While they are able to grow the business at scale, what’s missing is a little more imagination to create phones that are bold and different.
After years of lying low, it appears that some brands are coming out of the closet and experimenting with new form factors and designs. It is unlikely that all of them will succeed but this new experimental phase is what the phone industry desperately needs at the moment. The question is for how long this phase will continue and if it does, what are the chances that some of the technologies being incorporated into those devices will become a part of mainstream phones of the future? Only time will tell.
For now, we look at how some brands are planning to stage a ‘surprise’ with different phone designs by challenging conventional ideologies that need a fix.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4
Samsung is making it very clear that it sees its Galaxy Z foldable phone line to be as popular as its ‘mainstream’ Galaxy S series by 2025. This forward-looking statement tells a lot about what Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker, thinks about the future of foldable phones. The newest versions, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4, introduced last week, need to be successful both critically and commercially to prove that there are enough takers for foldable phones. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 costs $1000 and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 starts at $1800, while Apple’s most premium model, the iPhone 13 Pro Max sells for $1,100.
Although sales volume remains small, Samsung says more people are buying its foldable phones. That level of confidence for a niche phone category that targets an affluent customer base shows Samsung’s ‘instinct’ about foldable phones. Both Fold 4 and Flip 4 have received subtle refinements over their predecessors. While the Fold 4 takes the concept of phone/tablet to another level, the Flip 4 is an ode to classic clamshell phones of the past.
Both phones are expensive and are out of reach of average users, but unlike other smartphones, they fold and that’s the biggest reason why someone wants to buy these devices in the first place. Samsung’s foldable phones offer the promise that there will be a big enough market for such devices in the future, but right now the biggest hindrance to mass adoption of these devices is weak user experience and software alongside their high prices.
The Nothing Phone (1) looks different from smartphones from established manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
Nothing Phone (1)
While the foldable phone form factor continues to grab headlines, Nothing Phone (1) applies the principles of ‘experience design’ to recreate a smartphone that is already familiar to people. Nothing 1’s creator, Carl Pei, who co-founded OnePlus, isn’t trying to sell a smartphone that is radically different from a phone you already own.
The £399 Nothing Phone 1 has a translucent back featuring hundreds of light-emitting diode (LED) lights that function as notifications. It’s a clever trick, and although one can debate over its usefulness (Nothing calls it “Glyph” lighting system), the thought behind putting 900 white LEDs on the back of the phone reflects an unconventional and different approach.
For a young UK-based start-up that is a few months old, the fact that its debut phone has managed to turn a boring, ordinary phone form factor into something modern, mysterious and cool is truly remarkable.
The Nokia 5710 XpressAudio houses a set of wireless earbuds on the back behind a slider mechanism. (Image credit: HMD Global)
Nokia 5710 XpressAudio
The existence of the Nokia 5710 XpressAudio is proof that phones can be weird. At first, it looks like a throwback to the original Nokia 5710 XpressMusic that came out 15 years ago. The new Nokia 5710 doesn’t rotate but it has the media-controlling buttons on the top right side. Yes, it is still a dumb feature phone with the T9 keypad but what made our tongue roll is a sliding mechanism in the back that hides wireless earbuds. Now that’s something unique, interesting, and very useful.
The new 5710 XpressAudio comes in black and red or white and red, but what steals the show are the wireless earbuds that can be hidden away in a compartment on the back of the device. And the best part is that the included wireless earbuds can be paired with other devices as well. For £75, the new Nokia 5710 is affordable and has a fantastic sense of style.
It’s minimalist, bold and sure to be a conversation starter among the retro collector community or anyone who wants a feature phone.
The Balmuda Phone is an unusual smartphone, thanks to its curved back and a 4.9-inch display. (Image credit: Balmuda)
Balmuda Phone
Maybe you will never spend $900 on the “Balmuda Phone”, a compact Android smartphone from the luxury Japanese toaster maker. Still, it’s a very thought-provoking type of device that certainly gets you thinking about how mobile phones can look different with a little different treatment. Instead of conventional smartphones that all look like slabs of glass, the Balmuda Phone has a curved, plastic, pebble-shaped back, and a rounded 4.9-inch 1080 screen that feels natural to hold in your hand.
It’s a phone designed around human hands and is small enough to easily slide into a pocket. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 765 with 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage and runs Android 11 with a custom home-screen interface. The one big downside to the Balmuda Phone is its tiny 2500mAh battery.
The Balmuda Phone is an attempt to create a small(ish) phone that is far-fetched from the idea of noticeably big and bulky smartphones that we are all around these days. Combined with Japanese design aesthetics and a fresh concept of a phone designed to be held, the Balmuda Phone looks rich without being flashy.
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