The Unihertz Atom — the world’s smallest 4G rugged smartphone — has managed to hit a Kickstarter funding target in less than 60 seconds following the campaign’s launch on June 5.
You might not have heard of the Unihertz Atom, but based on the reception the Kickstarter campaign received, it’s fair to say it has a dedicated following, with the Atom currently sitting at $586,975 — over eleven times more than the initial goal of $50,000.
So what are all these people getting excited about? Unihertz Atom is a rugged 4G smartphone, and the follow-up to last year’s Unihertz Jelly phone. With a tiny 96 x 45 x 18 mm body and a 2.4-inch display, the Atom aims to become the second phone of choice when heading out into the wilderness, or a capable alternative to a smartphone industry that’s getting larger and larger. It’s built ruggedly with chunky bezels and plenty of textured surfaces for grip, and it looks like it could survive falling down a mountain.
But it’s not just the small footprint that’s caused excitement — Unihertz has packed a whole lot of specifications into that tiny body. The Atom comes with an octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, as well as a staggering 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage as standard. That’s an awful lot of numbers for such a small phone.
The fun doesn’t stop there either — the Atom comes with a full suite of utility tools, including NFC, USB on-the-go (so you can connect accessories with an adapter), and an IP68 waterproof rating. It’s not short on biometrics either, thanks to a front-facing fingerprint scanner, and face unlock. There’s a 2,000mAh battery — which should last a good time, considering the tiny screen it’s powering. Best of all, boot it up and you’re greeted with the latest version of Android — Android 8.1 Oreo. It’s not even underpowered on the camera front, with a 16-megapixel lens on the back of the phone, as well as an 8MP selfie snapper around the front.
The Unihertz Atom is taking on the modern smartphone industry’s trend for larger and larger smartphones — and it makes a strong case. The Atom’s Kickstarter campaign will run until July 10, during which a range of discounts will be taken off the phone’s $300 price tag. At the moment, the $160, $180, and $200 reward tiers are completely sold out — but you can still get an $80 discount by pledging on the $220 tier. As always, be aware of the benefits and drawbacks of Kickstarter campaigns.
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