Content
- Conquest S23
- Motorola Edge (2022)
- Volla Phone 22
- Tianyi #1 (2022)
- Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimension Edition
- Sony Xperia Pro-I
- Honor Magic V
- Gigaset GX6
- Tosot G7
- Planet Computers Astro Slide
In 2015, for the first time, we decided to rankcool but little-known smartphones from around the world. Since then, the smartphone market has changed a lot, and the smartphones themselves have not exactly remained the same as they were, but every year we continue to make this article. In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to find worthy devices for her, but their distinctive features have become more and more interesting. Therefore, today we will tell you what interesting smartphones are in store in the farthest corners of the world market.
Conquest S23
Let's start with Conquest - one of the Chinesemanufacturers of secure smartphones. And not just “one of”, but, of course, the most crazy one - because while other companies have 1-2 features in each armored vehicle, Conquest packs everything it can into each model. So the S23 received a giant battery (10,000 mAh), a thermal imager (0.05 MP), an IR night vision camera (20 MP), 66-W fast charging, a deafening speaker, and Ex MA KA explosion protection, and a connector for branded accessories (endoscope or RJ45 port). The only thing missing is satellite connectivity, although other Conquest phones have it. Hardware – decent average: Dimensity 900, 108-megapixel main camera, 6.58″ IPS screen (FHD+, 120 Hz). The older version with 12+256 GB can be bought in China for 3988 yuan (34,000 rubles).
Motorola Edge (2022)
As you know, there are two types of 5G bands, conditionallycalled sub-6 GHz (up to 6 GHz) and mmWave (much more than 6 GHz). And, if you didn’t know, almost no budget or mid-range 5G smartphones support mmWave, limiting themselves to sub-6 GHz only. MediaTek decided to fill the niche of budget mmWave mobile phones with its Dimensity 1050 chipset. However, so far only Motorola has responded to the call with its strong mid-range Edge (2022) for the US market. It also received 8+256 GB of memory, 6.6″ OLED screen (FHD+, 144 Hz), 50-megapixel main camera with OIS, 13-megapixel autofocus wide, 32-megapixel front camera, stereo speakers, NFC, 5000 mAh battery, in-screen finger scanner and wireless charging. The entire set costs $499.99 (31,000 rubles), but will not be sold outside the States.
Volla Phone 22
In Europe, more and more people are dissatisfied with the “dictatorship”big tech" and want to buy phones that are free from E Corp services. Google and other giants. Instead of just buying Huawei, many of them for some reason create their own firmware and even devices - such as the German company Volla. The hardware is nothing more than the branded German-assembled Gigaset GS5 (6.3" IPS screen, Helio G85, 48+8 MP autofocus cameras, removable 4500 mAh battery, 15-W wireless charging), but the software is unique. By default, the smartphone comes with Volla OS - Android-based firmware without Google services with a very strange black and white launcher with an orange button in the corner. As an alternative, you can choose any of the mobile Linux distributions: Ubuntu Touch, Sailfish OS, Droidian, Manjaro and so on. There is even a multiboot - that is, you can install several operating systems and, when you turn on the phone, choose which one you want to use. The issue price is 452 euros (27,800 rubles).
Tianyi No. 1 (2022)
A couple of years ago, UniSoC introduced a lineTanggula 5G chipsets. The youngest of them, T740, instantly became popular among nonnames like 5GHyun and SmartWasp, who rushed to sell 5G smartphones for 10,000 rubles. But no one needed the older models. For example, the first smartphone based on the “flagship” T770 (it is slightly more powerful than the Snapdragon 765G from Pixel 5, LG Wing and OnePlus Nord) appeared only this year. It was released by the company Tianyi, which you have hardly heard of, because the peak of its popularity occurred during the time of Xiaomi Mi 1. The main feature was a quantum encryption chip - but it is not clear how to use it. Specifications include a 48-megapixel main camera, a 90-Hz FHD+ screen (6.5″), a 5000 mAh battery with 20-W charging and 6+128 GB of memory. The issue price is from 1,463 yuan (12,600 rubles).
Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition
On July 4, Xiaomi held a press conference as part ofwhich announced the flagship 12S series - 12S Pro 12S Ultra. “Ultra” attracted the main attention, the upgrade of 12 and 12 Pro to “esque” also remained in memory… but there was another smartphone: the very strange Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition. It differs from the regular 12 Pro in three ways. First, of course, the chipset: Dimensity 9000+ debuted in this model. Secondly, the cameras: for some reason they are from the younger 12S, that is, instead of a 50-megapixel wide lens and a 50-megapixel telephoto lens, there is a 13-megapixel wide lens and a 5-megapixel telemacro lens. Finally, the largest battery in the line: 5160 mAh with support for 67W charging (instead of 4600 mAh and 120W). No changes only 6.73″ OLED screen with Quad HD+ resolution and a frequency of 120 Hz, a 50-megapixel main camera and, of course, appearance. The smartphone did not find much popularity, despite the tasty price: from 2999 yuan (25,600 rubles).
Sony Xperia Pro-I
Second generation of “professional” smartphonesSony was marked by a very unusual main camera: 20-megapixel 1″ a sensor with giant 2.4 micron pixels, from which only the central 1/1.33″ (60%), which is why the photo resolution is only 12 megapixels, and all this is under optics with OIS and a variable aperture of f/2.0 / f/4.0. Compared to the regular Xperia 1 III, you had to pay for it with a simplified telephoto (2x instead of a periscope up to 4.4x) and wireless charging. But they added a strap mount, which is a rarity in a modern smartphone. Other characteristics: 6.5″ 4K screen (21:9, 1644p), IP68 water protection, Snapdragon 888, 12+512 GB of memory, 12-megapixel wide and 4500 mAh battery. You can buy Sony Xperia Pro-I in the USA for $1,100 (68,200 rubles).
Honor Magic V
At the very beginning of 2022, Honor unveiled its first flexible smartphone, the Magic V, which became the most sophisticated flexible smartphone at the timeJudge for yourself: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 7.9" 90Hz screen inside, 6.45" 120Hz screen outside, triple camera 50 50 50 MP (base, wide, UV), two 42MP front cameras, 12 256 GB of memory in the base, stereo sound and batteryAt 4750 mAh with 66W fast charging.Yes, instead of a telephoto lens, they put a 50-megapixel plug, and competitors have 120-Hz internal screens, but the Magic V is somewhat more compact, which is probably why it is more convenient.Or not.We don't know.Due to the very high price (9,999 yuan or 86,300 rubles), the smartphone never became popular.
Gigaset GX6
A little higher in the selection was the branded Gigaset, interesting for its unusual software, and now let's talk about the "real" Gigaset, which has the most ordinary software (pure Android 12), but the hardware is decent.MediaTek Dimensity 900, 6 128GB storage, 50MP main camera with OIS (1/1.55"), 16MP main camera, removable 5000mAh battery with wireless charging, NFC, IP68 with three-month warranty, 110dB speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack and scannerAll this in a heavy (278 g) shock-resistant case, assembled at the factory in Bocholt, Germany.This is the first European 5G smartphone, and hopefully not the last.
Tosot G7
The Chinese company Gree, which is the world leader in the production of air conditioners, has been for many yearsHe is trying to produce smartphones, and even produces devices with good stuffing, but he fails to achieve any significant sales.The last attempt was the Tosot G7 (Tosot is a sub-brand of Gree), which received a 6.67" OLED screen (FHD , 120 Hz), a chipsetSnapdragon 870, 64 8 2MP triple camera, 13MP front camera and batteryUnlike previous models, this Gree was not developed by herself, but ordered from the side - and the contract manufacturer sloppily slipped it a Meizu 18X.As a result, Tosot fans can buy an average Meizu at a greatly inflated price (3,099 yuan or 26,400 rubles) - and since there are no Tosot fans, then the Gree smartphone once again turned out to be useless.
Planet Computers Astro Slide
Planet Computers specializes in the production of smartphone laptops, or as it calls them old-fashionedly, PDA.But in 2020, the company decided to try to create a device in the format of the legendary Nokia E7, and even with 5G support, but due to the covid pandemic and a shortage of chips, it was able to start sales only two years later.Yes, yes, you heard it right, this is a 5G smartphone with QWERTY, and whatever: five rows, backlight, a bunch of control keys, Cyrillic alphabet from the factory, and even a hingeRockUp lifts the display when pulled out for easy use in laptop mode.The hardware is not top-of-the-line, but tolerable: a 6.39" AMOLED screen (Full HD ), Dimensity 800, 8 128 GB of memory, NFC, an audio jack, a 4000 mAh battery with wireless charging, as well as a 48-megapixel main and 13-megapixel front cameras.And the price, to put it mildly, is frightening: $1253 (77,700 rubles).
Yesterday in Telegram, we offered our readers a guessing game – we took renders of all ten models, smeared the manufacturers' logos in Paint, and offered to name what these devices are.Many of you were surprised to see the Xiaomi 12 among them (but it took the collective mind quite a while to determine the Dimensity version) and the Sony Xperia Pro-I (which turned out to be the most famous smartphone in the compilation).The Gigaset GX6 was mistaken by most for Nokia (European design!), and the Tosot G7 was definitely recognized as the Meizu 18X (although you have noticed that the inscriptions are not the same, and there is no such thing as a gray 18X).The team fromAnton TMN_Anton_Fen, Der Kater, FellowDiman and Ivan ivan100193, which successfully guessed 7 devices out of 10. Tosot, Volla and Tianyi were never named.
Which device out of ten did you likemost? Share your thoughts in the comments. If you know about some cool, but little-known phone that we didn’t mention, write too. Well, you can read articles from past years: there are 70 more extremely curious phones.
Articles from previous years:
2015 | 2016 | 2017
2018 | 2019 | 2020
2021
© Oleg Lazarev.