Japanese Android Flip phones

[Drael646464]

Anybody played with these?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmFF0uFK22g

This one costs like a lot, but it seems to take decent pictures, several day battery life, fits easily in a pocket, comes in English, unlock, LTE and has military grade water, dust and shock protection.

Kind of a curiosity. Not touch screen (has like a touchpad under the t9 keys?). Doesn't come with google play, so you'd be limited to like amazon store apps, if sideloaded.

I'd half consider getting something like this if it had qwerty. There's another one here that they do 18 angles of 1.8m drop tests on and has crazy sensors like temp, humidty etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy-rheaoW30

A lot of these also have fingerprint sensors, facial recognition and such.

 

[Ryujingt3]

These look very interesting. I like how they still fit in your pocket as well. Sadly though, the lack of Google apps means that most people in the West won't be interested in them.

 

[Drael646464]

These look very interesting. I like how they still fit in your pocket as well. Sadly though, the lack of Google apps means that most people in the West won't be interested in them.

I think with some of them it is possible to get google play on there. But given the obscurity of what these even are, even youtube videos about them in English are rare.

Clamshell is such and excellent design for pocket fit, and ruggedness. Maybe we'll get back there one day with foldables.
If was a rich man I'd collect odd phones.

 

[Ryujingt3]

I think with some of them it is possible to get google play on there. But given the obscurity of what these even are, even youtube videos about them in English are rare.

Clamshell is such and excellent design for pocket fit, and ruggedness. Maybe we'll get back there one day with foldables.
If was a rich man I'd collect odd phones.

If I recall, Nokia especially has made tons of odd phones. It would be nice if these clamshell Android phones took off in the West but sadly they won't, short of being in a major Hollywood blockbuster movie or something. Maybe going back to smaller phones would be a good thing?

 

[Drael646464]

If I recall, Nokia especially has made tons of odd phones. It would be nice if these clamshell Android phones took off in the West but sadly they won't, short of being in a major Hollywood blockbuster movie or something. Maybe going back to smaller phones would be a good thing?

Well there's two kickstarters for new nokia communicator type devices, with qwerty slide outs running android. One is arguably more tiny laptop meets phone (proper keys), another more of a use in your hands jobby (keyboard but for thumb typing). Their millions of dollars in crowdfunding reminds me of how the industry underestimated classic top down RPGs back in the days of pillars of eternity. Now microsoft has brought both companies making that style of game.

Clearly, there is a demand, and a good one, for something between a phone, and a tiny laptop, still. Ie, a pda-ish device. Manufacturers just don't know yet, but they will, as they did with the tiny laptops. Both can also be had at decent prices pre-production, and they'll both get made I'm sure.

HMD (nokia's company) has commited to making more LTE feature phones ala 8810 etc, because they are selling like gangbusters especially in india (and some in the west). 10 million units in a year for the whole range of reborn classics. HMD's ceo's words were 'we are doubling down on LTE feature phones'.

I have my fingers crossed they'll make something qwerty. They had a lot of qwerty way back when. But we still should see some life in nokia's design team yet.

CAT also made one KaiOS based phone, just a ruggedized candy bar t9, that appears to have sold out everywhere. Looks like you could blungeon a tiger with it. Maybe they'll dip their toes again. QWERTY seems unlikely, but a flip? Maybe, maybe not. Probably something.

Of course china has it's hand it pumping out unusual things too. Like those tiny laptops (started a whole trend those guys). Mainstream western OEMs ended up copying them at least once.

I think the thing is, there are markets for these things. Odd things could even catch on. But only the hungry dare take the risk. Nokia has nostalgia and brand to stand on, and a long way to climb to get back to it's glory days. Chinese OEMs fight for notice in a tech-savy, tech hungry society.

Of course there's now the dual screens as well, that I'm sure, as plastic screens have some dents to iron out. But probably things we can't imagine coming from that.

Smaller would be nice tho. I'm shopping around for my next phone and my god it's impossible. Everything's to be to comfortably pocket, or if it's small has a crappy camera. s7 seemed to be about where everything went to hell outside of apple. Now some are slimmer, admittedly, but still stupidly tall.

Perhaps if they can make that new tall size fold, I could be happy in dual screen fashion! (or my pockets at least)

 

[Drael646464]

If I recall, Nokia especially has made tons of odd phones. It would be nice if these clamshell Android phones took off in the West but sadly they won't, short of being in a major Hollywood blockbuster movie or something. Maybe going back to smaller phones would be a good thing?

BTW, I found a good compact phone. The xiaomi mi 9 SE.

It's WILDLY popular amongst online tech enthusiasts, as it's somewhat perfectly sized, high-end specs, affordable, as well as sporting a killer triple camera setup. I'll definitely be getting it. This thing is going to outsell the pocofone.

Surprising OEMs don't realise how many people want their phones to fit their pockets.

 

[Ryujingt3]

BTW, I found a good compact phone. The xiaomi mi 9 SE.

It's WILDLY popular amongst online tech enthusiasts, as it's somewhat perfectly sized, high-end specs, affordable, as well as sporting a killer triple camera setup. I'll definitely be getting it. This thing is going to outsell the pocofone.

Surprising OEMs don't realise how many people want their phones to fit their pockets.

I am actually on a Xiaomi phone, the A1. It isn't high-end, but it meets my needs.

 

[Drael646464]

I am actually on a Xiaomi phone, the A1. It isn't high-end, but it meets my needs.

I was looking for two things with my next phone (mainly). Small enough to pocket, good camera.
Ruggedized and qwerty keyboard would have been a bonus, but the camera samples surprised me. It's got wide angle, portrait bokeh, and 2x optical zone, great quality daylight shots, and even pretty decent night shots. Processor isn't killer top end but seems snappy enough (new processor). Price is more than acceptable.

A1 certain ain't a bad phone. Think it's custom rom-able, which this isn't yet. I've got a mi band 2, and a mi box as well. Pretty fond of the company, but surprised they made such an awesome compact, when even Samsung hasn't made one for ages.

Keen to get it and play with those lenses.

 

[Ryujingt3]

I was looking for two things with my next phone (mainly). Small enough to pocket, good camera.
Ruggedized and qwerty keyboard would have been a bonus, but the camera samples surprised me. It's got wide angle, portrait bokeh, and 2x optical zone, great quality daylight shots, and even pretty decent night shots. Processor isn't killer top end but seems snappy enough (new processor). Price is more than acceptable.

A1 certain ain't a bad phone. Think it's custom rom-able, which this isn't yet. I've got a mi band 2, and a mi box as well. Pretty fond of the company, but surprised they made such an awesome compact, when even Samsung hasn't made one for ages.

Keen to get it and play with those lenses.

I am actually pleasantly surprised with Xiaomi too. I get a nice, bloat-free Android experience, that kind of reminds me of Windows Phone.