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2018 was a breakthrough year for the smartphone industry. Models with a fingerprint scanner built into the display were the first to appear on the market. The technology itself was announced by vivo at CES 2018 in January. A month and a half later, the same company, but already at MWC 2018, showed the first phone with a retractable front camera. At the end of spring, Xiaomi announced the world's first Android smartphone with Face ID technology, and in the summer Motorola presented a flagship with support for 5G mods. During 2022, we saw several sliders, 10 GB of RAM in the device and the first phones with bendable displays.
2020 was not so generous for this, but we saw several interesting announcements. Perhaps the reason for this was the coronavirus pandemic. In this article, we will look at the five most unusual smartphones of the past year. Looking ahead, this top will not include a single model from Huawei, Xiaomi, Apple or even Samsung.
Fairphone 3+
The unusual name is just one of the many fun things about this model. Perhaps the main and attention-grabbing feature of the device is the location of the rear cameras. On the back there is a 48 MP dual lens, a large light sensor and a flashlight. Together, these components form a small triangle, adding some ergonomics. For a small additional payment, the user receives a model covered with a glitter texture.
Advantages:
- ergonomics;
- camera;
- 5G.
Flaws:
- difficult to find in the market.
Price: 48,000 rubles.
OnePlus Concept One
Flash forward to early 2022 at CES. At an event in Las Vegas, the only full-fledged exhibition this year, OnePlus showed off its Concept One flagship smartphone with a disappearing camera.
The model received a leather back with a glass insert, where three optical modules were located along with the flash. All this is visible only when the camera application is running. The rest of the time, the modules and flash are visible only from certain angles.
The transition takes less than a second. In this case, the level of darkness can be adjusted during shooting depending on the lighting level. This effect is achieved thanks to electrochromic glass. Almost a year has passed since the presentation of OnePlus Concept One, but the smartphone has not entered the market.
Fujitsu Arrows NX9
The model name is difficult to pronounce because the phone is manufactured by a Japanese company with a name that is quite difficult for foreigners. Despite the fact that outwardly this model does not betray a paradoxical assembly, it is slightly different from conventional smartphones.
Firstly, the installed 6.3-inch screen is wide enough, and therefore perfect for playing games and watching videos. True, it is extremely difficult to carry such a device in your pocket. Secondly, the phone's security complies with the MIL-STD-810G standard, which means it is not afraid of falling from a height of 1.5 meters.
Advantages:
- security;
- display;
- performance.
Flaws:
- difficult to carry in your pocket.
Price: 70,000 rubles.
Nanex
As you may have guessed from the name, this is a mini smartphone for enthusiasts. The 2.45-inch display is not only the world's smallest smartphone, but also water- and dust-resistant. It has IP53 water resistance certification, a 1GHz processor and runs on Android 4.0 ICS. It may not be the most cutting-edge smartphone today, but it is certainly one of the most unique.
Hiby R8 LTE
And next in the ranking is a model that we strongly do not recommend using in a lying or sitting position. The thing is that the total weight of the device is 520 grams, which is 3 times more than conventional smartphones. To be more precise, this is not a smartphone, but an advanced flagship music player. A 10,000 mAh battery is hidden inside, which allows you to use the gadget for about a week without recharging. The case has several AUX inputs and a volume control.
Advantages:
- autonomy;
- sound quality;
- mechanical regulators.
Flaws:
- weight.
Price: 159,000 rubles.
ASUS ROG Phone ZS600KL 512GB
A real gaming smartphone from ASUS, which, in addition to its unique design, has received several other interesting features.
For example, the display refresh rate is 90 Hz, and the response time is only one millisecond. The cooling system is GameCool, which is based on a special evaporation chamber. USB Type-C - two at once, so that you can also connect additional accessories, which, by the way, are no less interesting than the smartphone itself.
- Screen diagonal: 6 inches
- Screen resolution: 2160×1080
- Weight:200g
- Number of SIM cards: 2
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
- Memory capacity: 512 GB
- RAM capacity: 8 GB
- Battery capacity: 4000 mAh
- Rear camera: dual 12/8 MP
- Front camera: 8 MP
- Memory card support: no
Honor Play 4 Pro
After several models from barely known manufacturers, it is quite surprising to see the familiar Chinese brand Honor on this list. In principle, this model does not have any fancy functions or built-in components. It made it into our top thanks to its bright design and futuristic pattern on the back cover. Separately, it is worth noting the built-in premium Kirin 990 5G processor and 8 GB of RAM. Internal memory, by the way, is 128 GB.
Advantages:
- amount of memory;
- bright screen;
- optimized OS.
Flaws:
- not noticed.
Price: 39,000 rubles.
Lenovo Moto Z
Lenovo Moto Z: Comes in an extremely flat glass and metal body that contains top hardware such as Snapdragon 820 and 4GB RAM, and offers magnetic connection for modules ( Moto Mods ) to expand the range of features such as mini Projector, stereo speaker , an extra battery, or a Hasselblad camera with optical zoom.
Lenovo's module concept for the Moto Z was successful because it was easy to use. For the Moto Mod you can pay half as much as for a smartphone (RRP: 699 euros). Disadvantages of the Moto Z include only 32GB of internal storage and cameras, the quality of which was not convincing in the test. Another departure from the rule: the Moto Z doesn't offer a headphone jack.
LG V60 ThinQ
If you think that nothing can surprise you, then this is not so. Next up is a model that comes with an additional case with a separate working display. The main display has a diagonal of 6.8 inches, and the additional one is only slightly smaller in size. Notably, the second screen also has a small display that displays important information even in sleep mode.
Advantages:
- size;
- compactness;
- security.
Flaws:
- The second screen does not always work.
Unfortunately, we were unable to find a store with the exact price of the device.
BlackBerry KEY2 64GB
The BlackBerry KEY2 can hardly be called a revolutionary smartphone, since the use of a mechanical keyboard is the company's signature feature, but the KEY2 is still impressive with this feature.
Another unusual feature is the 4.5-inch display: small, but the dimensions of the device itself with a separate keyboard are quite familiar.
- Screen diagonal: 4.5 inches
- Screen resolution: 1620×1080
- Weight: 168 g
- Number of SIM cards: 1
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
- Memory capacity: 64 GB
- RAM capacity: 6 GB
- Battery capacity: 3500 mAh
- Rear camera: dual 12/12 MP
- Front camera: 8 MP
- Memory card support: yes
Nokia 9000
There is hardly a word that can evoke indescribable nostalgia as quickly as “Nokia”. The company dealt not only with push-button phones, but also with individual switches, to which this model belongs. Externally, it is a kind of mixture of a PSP console and a laptop computer with a keyboard, display and function buttons on the sides. This model, by the way, was released back in 1996.
Advantages:
- number of buttons;
- evokes nostalgia;
- compact.
Flaws:
- functional.
Price: 15,000 rubles. Of course, this is not the official cost, but the price of a used product.
Land Rover S18 3 SIM Extra Power – for very active people
There are a certain number of people who want to buy a smartphone with 3 SIM cards. There are very few devices in this area, and if there are, then support for a large number of SIMs is their only advantage. The Land Rover S18 push-button device is not quite a smartphone, but it’s close to it. In addition to supporting 3 SIM cards, the device is interesting for its protection from water, shock, dust and any other influences. The device has an external antenna for stable navigation via GPS, which makes it suitable for use in hard-to-reach places. There is a powerful 10,000 mAh battery installed here, which is enough not only for long walks in the forest, but also to recharge friends’ smartphones. The device is equipped with a loud speaker and allows you to use WhatsApp and some other social networks.
Advice! Our rating will help you choose the best protected smartphone model.
- protection from water, shock, dust;
- capacious battery;
- support for 3 SIM cards;
- loud noise;
- can be used as an external battery;
- stable navigation.
- there is no full access to the Internet;
- no LTE support;
- heavy weight.
Land Rover S18 3 SIM Extra Power on Yandex Market
Nokia 3250
And this model from the same legendary manufacturer is assembled with a clear emphasis on photography. No, the camera in the device is extremely weak, and the focusing leaves much to be desired. But the lower part of the body can rotate 180 degrees. On the front, you can install either a regular keyboard or control buttons for the camera.
Advantages:
- camera control method;
- weight – 130 grams;
- autonomy.
Flaws:
- difficult to find.
Price: 3,000 rubles.
Arubix Portal
The gadget is equipped with a flexible 6-inch touch screen. The screen has a special protective coating that protects it from scratches, and the entire structure of the device is reinforced with Kevlar and polyurethane.
The smartphone is designed to be worn on the forearm, for which a special mount is used. Flexible design, includes a flexible 3200 mAh battery.
Although all these projects remained prototypes, they gave the opportunity to such gadgets as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold
Nubia Z20
While dozens of engineers around the world are straining their brains in the hope of finding the ideal location for the front camera, the creators of this smartphone simply decided to remove it. Indeed, the front of the case is equipped with a 6.65-inch infinity screen. No camera, just a solid screen and that’s it. But three lenses on the rear side with a resolution of 48 MP take excellent shots, which is good news.
Advantages:
- design;
- photo quality;
- size.
Flaws:
- lack of a front camera.
Price: 55,500 rubles.
Samsung Galaxy S6/S7 Edge
Just when everyone thought Samsung would never make a properly designed smartphone, they shocked the world by showcasing their innovative series. They first included a curved display on one edge in their series before launching the Galaxy S6 Edge, where both edges of the display are curved.
Although their next generation S7 Edge is more or less similar to the S6 Edge except for some improvement, it is still one of the most unique smartphones in the world.
Royole FlexPai 2
This smartphone is perfect for those who like to watch movies or play games on big screens. The fact is that the phone can fold in half, forming two separate screens, or expand to the size of a tablet with a diagonal of 7.8 inches. Not to say that this is a unique technology, because it is also used by Huawei, Samsung and several other companies. However, it is in this model that it is implemented in the most unusual way.
Advantages:
- compactness;
- size;
- durable folding mechanism.
Flaws:
- price.
Price: 110,000 rubles.
OPPO X 2022
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Let's start with the most recent announcement. It took place in the middle of this month. As part of InnoDay 2022, OPPO showed perhaps the most unusual smartphone of the last few months. It's called OPPO X 2022. The main feature of the new product is the display, which can be rolled up on the sides into a tube.
The maximum diagonal of an organic LED panel is 7.4 inches. When "tight" the size decreases to 6.7 inches. To automatically stretch the screen, just slide your fingers along the side end from top to bottom.
Two Roll Motors are responsible for smoothly stretching the display. The company has not yet said anything about the technical characteristics of the smartphone, nor about the possible release date of OPPO X 2022 on the market. Judging by the name, we could see the device on sale next year. But it is not exactly. Let us remind you that one of the most striking concepts of 2022, Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha with a wrap-around screen, never appeared on the market, but organized a world tour in many countries.
Sharp Aquos R5
Another “limitless” device, but with support for the 5G communication standard. Yes, today every second new product is equipped with this feature, although it is still difficult to use it in the CIS. But this model is considered one of the first to integrate new generation communication technology. However, this model will bring a lot of benefits to residents of the Russian Federation, because this phone supports 4G communications, and very well at that. The device also has two cameras with a bangs form factor.
Advantages:
- 5G;
- performance;
- optimized OS.
Flaws:
- not noticed.
Price: 100,000 rubles.
Monohm Runcible – a strange anti-smartphone
A model with a very unusual design was announced in 2015. Initially, it was supposed to run Firefox OS, but due to the cancellation of its support, the developers found another option - BuniOS, an operating system developed based on the open source Android. What is remarkable about the device is its material, as well as its shape. The device is completely round, the front side is a round display with 640*640 pixels, diagonal – 2.5 inches. The back is made from either valuable wood or recycled plastic waste collected from the ocean. Price – $600 for a wooden case, $249 for an environmentally friendly plastic one. Filling: Snapdragon 410, 1 gigabyte of RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 950 mAh battery. The device has a 7 MP camera.
The manufacturers themselves call their device an anti-smartphone, since it does not even have half of the classic functions of the device. The model is clearly not designed for everyone, and it is rather a way to shock the public. Positioning is a device for those who want to minimize the time they use their smartphone. There's not even Google Play support here. The creator of the device himself says that he has no idea for whom the device was created, and what customers the company will have to work with in the future. Despite its apparent uselessness, the device makes it into the rating due to its unusual shape.
- original design;
- natural materials;
- environmental friendliness.
- minimum functions;
- ergonomics;
- filling;
- price;
- lack of app store support.
Monohm Runcible on Yandex Market
