Top 5 Most Unusual Modern Phones. Too Bad There Are So Few Of Them

Chinese brands now occupy three positions out of the top five global mobile phone brands. Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo are all in the top 5, and few people are surprised by this anymore. If Huawei hadn't had to face sanctions, it would probably be at number one on the list.

After more than 10 years of rapid growth, it can be argued that the Chinese handset market is the backbone of the global smartphone industry. However, one of the problems in this market is the homogeneity of products.

This means that there are not many unique devices in the industry, but there are some. At the very least, there are their concepts that have made it to the shelves in one way or another.

These unusual phones might not be around for long, but they remind us that innovation is still alive. If you're looking to stay ahead of the curve, you might want to check out how to get the most out of your tech experience.

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While these unique phones may not be on every store shelf, there is still plenty to look forward to in the world of technology.

The best modern phones

We can now buy a wide variety of phone models, thanks to a highly developed and wide manufacturing chain. However, there is a lot of standardisation now.

Yes and manufacturers have come up with one commercially correct design. It is for this reason that the prosperity of the button phone era, which was more than 10 years ago, is now impossible to replicate for smartphones.

In fact, manufacturers are aware of these issues and are putting a lot of effort into design, colour and materials of manufacture to make the look of their phones different from others. Moreover, thanks to the efforts of some brands, several devices with incredibly original looks are now available in the market. They are listed below.

Meizu Zero – hermetically sealed phone

Most flagship phones on the market today have IP68 dust and water protection, which is better not to use. However, if a phone is made into a fully sealed device, it deserves a place on the list of unique. Has any manufacturer attempted to do this?

Meizu Zero is not yet on the market, but it is a special endeavour of the company to show something unusual. And it may be the company's most emblematic model in recent years.

There are no holes in the Meizu Zero, as mentioned earlier. There are no gaps in the body of the phone at all, and charging is only wireless. Apart from the lack of speaker holes, this phone delivers sound using a unique screen sound technology.

The actual buttons have also been converted into virtual buttons. The eSIM technology has replaced the SIM card slot. In the end, Meizu has created a pretty daring phone by combining all these technologies.

Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha is the most frame-less phone out there

This is a unique phone that costs an incredible 19,999 yuan (about $2,900 USD). However, Xiaomi has not officially launched this device. Samsung unveiled its first foldable screen phone in 2019. While foldable displays existed before Samsung's device, they weren't popular enough to generate public interest.

While Xiaomi didn't release a foldable phone in the same year, it did showcase something unique. The company decided to take a different approach and released the MIX Alpha, a smartphone with a rounded screen.

There is no left or right bezel here, but there are very thin top and bottom borders. The screen of the phone curves backwards on both sides. The screen also covers most of the back panel, leaving just a thin ceramic strip. That's pretty much all you touch when holding the MIX Alpha in your hands.

However, just like the Meizu Zero, the Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha never saw the light of day and remained just an exhibit in Xiaomi's showroom.

LG Wing is the strangest phone ever

LG once held an important position in the smartphone industry. This South Korean company also introduced an endless number of iconic products to the market. Unfortunately, it has no place left in history. At the moment, LG has completely stopped competing in the mobile phone industry.

However, the LG Wing was one of the models released by LG in the final years of its mobile division that is worth mentioning.

Indeed, it is one of the most unique phones in the world. The LG Wing was released in the second half of 2020 with a rotating screen – at the same time as Xiaomi released the MIX Alpha, and Samsung and Huawei released foldable phones.

This device has a split design. The top half serves as a fulcrum, its main screen can rotate 90 degrees, exposing an additional screen underneath. As a result, the design unfolds in a “T” shape. There's no denying that this design can give the LG Wing access to a wider variety of usage scenarios.

For example, you can use the secondary screen to control camera settings and use the main screen as a viewfinder. Surprisingly, the LG Wing phone weighs 260 g. It was 52 g lighter than the Samsung Note 20 Ultra of the same year.

Tecno Phantom X2 Pro – a phone with a pop-up camera

The Tecno Phantom X2 Pro is another unique phone. Obviously, it is not as unique as the Meizu Zero, Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha and LG Wing. However, it is unique in its own way.

The Tecno Phantom X2 Pro has a lot of positives despite its looks. It is the world's first phone with a retractable 50MP portrait lens. And it slides out not to the top, as it already was, but as if out of the camera itself, making it bulkier and solving the trade-off between body thickness and camera quality.

Most other smartphones don't have this feature. Unlike the other three unique phones above, the Phantom X2 Pro has seen the light of day and remains on the market.

Lenovo Legion Y90 is the best gaming phone out there

Mobile gaming devices have been in development for years. Manufacturers like Black Shark and Red Magic have had success in the industry. But Lenovo Legion Y90 actually deserves our attention more in terms of design originality compared to other models.

When it comes to the design of rear camera modules, there are currently two main categories for smartphones. One is the centre camera, which can be found on devices such as the Huawei Mate 50 Pro, OnePlus 8 Pro, Redmi K30 and others.

The other is the side camera, which is the most common camera on the market. There are always a few individualists among the large masses, and the Legion Y90 falls into this category. Its camera module is located in the middle part.

The Legion Y90 was designed as a gaming phone with the user holding it horizontally in mind, so the lens module is moved much lower. Many believe that this was possible due to the company's intimate knowledge of product positioning.

I'd like to believe that even in a couple of years we'll have something to talk about. That companies will try to offer something different, not just the standard tiles that are currently crowding the market.

Conclusion

Modern smartphones often face the challenge of standardization, which makes it difficult to find truly unique devices.

However, some brands are still pushing the boundaries of design and functionality. For instance, the Meizu Zero stands out with its fully sealed body and wireless charging, while the Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha impresses with its wraparound display.

The LG Wing offers an innovative rotating screen, adding versatility to its usage. Additionally, the Tecno Phantom X2 Pro features a retractable camera, and the Lenovo Legion Y90 caters specifically to gamers with its uniquely positioned camera module.

Although many of these devices did not achieve widespread success, they highlight the ongoing quest for originality in a crowded market. These innovations show that even in an era dominated by uniform designs, there is room for creative and groundbreaking ideas.

Looking ahead, we can hope for more unique and exciting smartphone concepts that will continue to capture our imagination and challenge the status quo.