Don’t like the look of this unusual new phone? The company really doesn’t mind

By Andy Boxall September 26, 2016

uhans u300 news first pic — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is the Uhans U300 smartphone, and it’s OK not to like it. In fact, the Chinese company isn’t bothered at all if you don’t. It’s a most unusual approach when we’re bombarded by phones (and many other products) that are rather faceless, or have had design flairs from early concepts removed to make them more marketable, easier to manufacture, and to have wider appeal.

“We know the design is controversial, and that we may lose many potential buyers who don’t care for this kind of design,” Uhans CEO Eric Wu told Digital Trends, continuing, “We design it for someone, not everyone. We don’t need everybody to love it.”

The U300 is the third model in Uhans “U for Unique” phone range. The previous models were controversial due to a visual similarity to Vertu’s luxurious, expensive smartphones. However, the new version’s design shifts away from this, but still retains an air of luxury appeal with rugged intention.

Wu continued, saying the U phone models, “Aren’t for the general market, but for the minority who’re looking for unique phones.” Again, it’s less about pleasing everyone, and more about carving out a niche. As a former car designer, Wu says when he conceived the U300, he wanted to bring BMW’s chic design and Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to luxury and safety to the mobile industry. Uhans believes this is an underserved, niche mobile market and that the U300 has got what it takes to attract buyers.

The specification for the U300 is still being finalized, but we do know it will have a 5.5-inch screen covered in Gorilla Glass 4, a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage space. The rear camera will have 13-megapixels, but there’s no word on the processor, the version of Android to be installed, or what materials will be used in the device’s construction. It’s expected to go on sale in November.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

Mobile

Don’t you dare moan about the new iPhone SE’s higher price

iPhone SE 2022 colors.

The iPhone SE (2022) is more expensive than the iPhone SE (2020), and there’s a chance some may see this as a reason to knock Apple, or deem the cheapest brand-new iPhone as less of a bargain offering than before. In reality, it’s the opposite. Yes, the price has increased by $30, but you get a whole lot more than $30 worth of value in the new iPhone SE.
Value-driven features
Launched during Apple's Peek Performance spring event, the two big new features in the iPhone SE (2022) are the A15 Bionic processor and the addition of 5G connectivity. Launched today, with pre-orders starting Friday, the new SE has the same chip as the iPhone 13, which starts at $799. It has a six-core Central Processor Unit (CPU), and a four-core Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), plus a 16-core Neural Engine. All this means more speed, more power, more multitasking ability, and crucially, more longevity.

The A15 Bionic also adds more computational photography features to the camera, making it more fun to use, and potentially longer battery life due to increased efficiency. Longevity is also the big benefit of the new 5G modem. Not everyone will want or even be able to use 5G right now, but that will change. Having 5G as an option means you may not have to upgrade your phone as soon as you would a phone without it.

Mobile

Not all Pixel 6 phones have mmWave 5G, but here’s why it doesn’t matter

Pixel 6 Pro in the pocket

Google released its Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones at its Fall Pixel Launch Event. The new Pixel 6 comes with a Tensor chip for enhanced AI/ML and computational photography capabilities, significantly better cameras that let in more light and allow for better photos in low lighting, better battery performance, and new features and upgrades all around.

The Pixel 6 has 5G, which provides faster speeds than 4G. But depending on the model you get, your new Pixel 6 may or may not have the most optimal 5G speeds available. Why? Because some Pixel 6 models have a network technology called mmWave and others don’t. They use a different 5G technology called Sub-6. In other words, all the Pixel 6 models are 5G, but the type you get will be different depending on where you buy it from.
What is 5G and why does it matter for the Pixel 6?

Computing

These new Asus Chromebooks start at just $230 — but don’t look half bad

asus cover image

Designed to enhance productivity on the go, the Chromebook CX1 series is the latest line of laptops from Asus. Promising a lightweight and ultraportable design with military-grade durability, these Chromebooks are meant serve as your travel companion.

Featuring the CX1100, CX1400 and CX1500 models, the CX1 series promises immersive visuals packed inside a stylish body. They are powered by quad-core Intel Celeron processors and sport 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of eMMC storage. The processor being budget-friendly is a major factor in keeping the price of the device affordable -- just don't expect them to speed along quite as fast as an Intel Core chip.