Testing Five Unusual Smartphones with QWERTY Keyboard, Mini Housing, and More!

Five unusual smartphones in the test: with a QWERTY keyboard, mini housing and Co.

Off-the-shelf smartphones are great for most people’s needs, but sometimes you need something different that typical smartphones cannot offer. There are models that stand out with their unique features and their own functions, and in this article we take a closer look at five such smartphones that serve niches with very special requirements.

First, let’s take a look at the Titan Pocket from Unihertz. It attempts to bring back the real keyboard that was popular during the old Blackberry days. Such smartphones rarely come onto the market, but they do stand out.

Next, the Jelly 2E, also from Unihertz, is one of the tiniest devices on the market. It can easily fit in the coin pocket of a pair of jeans. The Nothing Phone (1) wants to delight with its back, which is equipped with a multi-part LED element.

The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 takes a unique approach with two charging cables, a fan for cooling, and other built-in features. Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2 reinterprets the concept of foldable smartphones with two conventional displays instead of one flexible display.

These smartphones are designed differently from the vast majority of devices, and they must be able to perform typical smartphone tasks as well as their own unique functions. If they cannot do so, they become nothing more than lead on the shelves. However, these technical experiments often turn out to be useful further developments.

It is worth noting that the devices from Microsoft and Lenovo may be difficult to obtain as new but can be found at certified used dealers. Overall, these smartphones serve niches with their unique features and are definitely worth taking a closer look.

If you’re interested in reading more exclusive tests, guides, and background information, consider subscribing to the digital subscription for IT and technology. With one subscription, you can access all exclusive content from c’t, iX, MIT Technology Review, Mac & i, and Make, and read c’t photography directly in your browser. Try it now, risk-free, with the first month free and then only monthly payments starting at €9.95. Magazine subscribers even get an even cheaper rate.

Leave a Reply