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nubia Z60 Ultra Review: Challenging Conventions

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PROS:


  • Distinctive boxy design

  • Gorgeous, hole-less screen

  • Large, long-lasting battery

CONS:


  • A bit on the bulky and heavy side

  • "Metallic glass" material attracts dust too easily

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Taking the road less traveled, the nubia Z60 Ultra's unconventional rectangular design, flawless screen surface, and choice of camera focal lengths are sure to leave a lasting impression on consumers tired of the same old things.

Despite how smartphone manufacturers try to differentiate the designs of their products, most of them still jump on the same trends, like the curved edge screens of the past, today’s flat sides, or camera bumps of different shapes and sizes. The same is true even for features you don’t immediately see, like camera sensors and lenses that everyone is using, just advertised under a different marketing name. It’s almost too easy to just do what everyone else is doing, riding the waves in the hopes of making a large catch as everyone else. Fortunately, there are outliers that dare to take a different path, and the nubia Z60 Ultra easily stands out as a nonconformist, so we take a closer look to see if it has more to offer than just a different yet oddly familiar face.

Designer: nubia

Aesthetics

The design of the nubia Z60 Ultra is admittedly divisive. Some will appreciate a fresh break from the smooth curves of the current breed of smartphones, while others might scoff at the blast from the past. Anyone who still remembers the Sony Xperia of the past might indeed see some resemblance to this late 2023 newcomer, and it’s not exactly a bad light to be in.

The nubia Z60 Ultra is unabashedly flat and angular, giving off an air of maturity and hardness at the same time. Even the camera bump diverges from circles, squircles, and any other round shape found on most smartphones. Two of the three cameras sit on a strip, not unlike the Google Pixel 8’s visor, except it’s also completely flat and more like a thin block stretching across the width of the phone. This boxy aesthetic is going to be subjective, even more so compared to other phone designs, but there’s no denying that it will leave a lasting impression, positive or otherwise.

If the shape and back of the phone are what immediately catch your attention, it will be the large 6.8-inch display that will probably draw you in. Admittedly, it’s not the brightest nor the most colorful panel, but it’s the flawless, unbroken surface of this screen that will really impress you. Under-display cameras (UDC) aren’t exactly novel, but they’re so rarely used that you’d still be surprised to see one up-close. Even better, the nubia Z60 Ultra uses the company’s fifth-generation UDC technology that improves the pixel density of that spot above the front-facing camera. The result is a screen that is full from edge to edge, and thanks to its completely flat surface, also visible and usable in its entirety.

There are different colorways available, including a “Starry Night” that makes no effort to hide its Van Gogh inspiration. nubia introduces an “AG Metallic Glass” material that covers the rear of the phone, and for the most part, it does offer your hand a new sensation that almost feels like metal. Unfortunately, for some reason, it also seems to act as a huge magnet for dust. It may stay free of oily fingerprint smudges, but you’ll still want to put on the included clear case to keep it clean, among other reasons.

Ergonomics

There’s still an ongoing debate on which design is better for your hand and your grip. Curved edges are claimed to be gentler on the skin, but some claim it makes the phone slip more easily from your grasp. Flat edges and sharp angles add a bit more tooth to improve your grip, but there are those who feel uncomfortable with how it bites into their palm. The latter, of course, is what applies to the nubia Z60 Ultra’s sharp figure, and like its design, is going to split camps.

What everyone will agree on, however, is how bulky and heavy the phone feels in your hand. At 8.78mm thick and 246g heavy, it’s definitely going to give your hand a bit of strain when held up for long periods of time. Add that to the phone’s sharp edges, and you might indeed find your hand feeling a bit uncomfortable sooner rather than later, at least with the protective case that makes all those moot. Fortunately, that heft isn’t without good reason, but it’s still something that prospective buyers will need to consider if they prefer phones that are impossibly thin and light instead.

Performance

The nubia Z60 Ultra has been compared to its gaming-focused cousin, the RedMagic 9 Pro, and the comparison isn’t without basis. Both sport top-notch hardware available in the mobile market, starting with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that can be paired with up to 16GB of RAM. In terms of raw performance, the nubia Z60 Ultra is pretty much a gaming phone, sans the bells and whistles like a tiny fan or extra buttons on the edges. In a way, this is the more subdued and stylish version of the RedMagic 9 Pro.

The phone’s extra-large battery definitely supports that use case and then some. Rated at 6,000 mAh, it’s definitely one of the highest capacities in the market today, and while you might not hit that advertised 47-hour uptime with average use, you’ll get pretty close to more than a day’s worth. Charging, however, won’t be blazing fast, given it only supports 80W wired charging, pushing the charging time to a little over 30 minutes. This chunk of power is definitely to blame for the nubia Z60 Ultra’s size and weight, but it’s a price worth paying for those who value battery life over comfort and thin profiles.

It isn’t only in design that the nubia Z60 Ultra bucks the trend. While it does put a heavy emphasis on its cameras like any other flagship smartphone, it’s the details that truly make it unique. In a nutshell, nubia has opted to adopt narrower fields of view compared to most smartphones in an effort to appeal to photography enthusiasts who would be more familiar with these focal lengths.

The main 50MP camera, for example, has that 35mm focal length used by classic camera lenses, which is great for taking sharp photos, especially with a natural bokeh effect. Unfortunately, this field of view will be too narrow for videos that will look cropped at the edges. That’s probably why nubia used an ultra-wide camera with a similar 50MP sensor (though from a different manufacturer) to make the transition to a wider view look more seamless. That said, this ultra-wide camera is also narrower than what you’d find in the market, using an 18mm focal length only.

In practice, the nubia Z60 Ultra’s cameras perform impressively, producing images with rich detail, at least in well-lit environments. The small exception is the 64MP telephoto camera with an equally narrow 85mm focal length, which makes close-up shots less doable. The narrow field of view might find fans among more seasoned photographers, but it is also an odd and awkward detail for those already used to the wider range of camera smartphones, especially when it comes to video recording.

Sustainability

So far, the nubia Z60 Ultra is proving to be quite the nonconformist, embracing designs already eschewed by most manufacturers as well as camera specs more popular among photographers than smartphone users. It would have been even more impressive if nubia also became a rebel and embraced sustainable materials and practices wholeheartedly for this smartphone. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

In this regard, the nubia Z60 Ultra is pretty typical when it comes to composition, durability, and repairability. It’s your typical mix of plastic, glass, and metal, none of which were made from post-consumer recycled materials, at least none that nubia is telling. The silver lining here is that the phone is IP68 rated, so it’s not going to join the masses of e-waste littering the planet after a slight splash or dive into water.

Value

The nubia Z60 Ultra is a premium flagship through and through, and its extra-large battery, hole-less screen, and pixel-dense camera sensors push it even higher among its peers. For all of that, you’d expect it to cost as much as your next late 2023 or early 2024 high-end handset, but here’s the clincher: it’s almost half that!

While it does start at $599 for a rather modest 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the highest configuration with double that memory is only $779. And it’s not like nubia is a new, unknown, and unreliable brand, so such a price tag is downright crazy. Of course, there’s the matter of being able to buy one in the first place, since nubia isn’t available in all markets, but in those regions it does serve, the nubia Z60 Ultra is bound to make an irresistible proposition to go with its undeniable presence.

Verdict

While there is some wisdom in going with tried and true traditions, it’s never an excuse not to think outside the box. There’s no certainty that you will do better or worse, but what’s certain is that you will make some impact. That’s the kind of legacy that the nubia Z60 Ultra will have with a design that is both fresh yet classic, and features that have a clear purpose, even if it swings away from the mainstream smartphone crowd.

It definitely gets a lot of things right, like its impressive performance, its memorable design, and its blemish-free screen, but it’s far from being perfect. There’s no denying that part of its imposing character is its bulk and weight, and the narrow field of view will probably trip up some mobile shutterbugs. With a head-turning price tag, though, you might be willing to look past these flaws, especially if the flaws are features you actually value. Needless to say, the nubia Z60 Ultra is doing quite a difficult balancing act, and to its credit, it’s doing quite an admirable job in keeping on its toes.

The post nubia Z60 Ultra Review: Challenging Conventions first appeared on Yanko Design.

How much is the Galaxy S24: Is it worth the price

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Although it didn’t do so at the recently concluded CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Samsung is still starting the year with a bang with its own Unpacked event. To no one’s surprise, the stars of the show are, of course, the new Galaxy S24 trio, though the much-rumored Galaxy Ring also made a very brief appearance as an unambiguous teaser. Samsung’s early 2024 flagships are bringing the expected upgrades in terms of hardware, but they’re also riding on the AI train in their own, unique way. But with every new Samsung phone also comes the question of whether its price is worth its weight in gold. We take a cursory look at what the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra have to offer to bring you that answer.

Designer: Samsung

What’s New

Of course, there are the customary hardware upgrades you’ll see every year, but there are a few surprise twists here and there. All three, for example, are powered by a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 “for Galaxy” chipset that’s marketed as a special flavor designed just for Samsung’s newest darlings. It’s presented as being optimized for hard AI work that we’ll get to later, but the exact performance differences between this and a vanilla Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 are probably going to be subtle.

Also subtle are the slightly larger displays on this year’s generation of Galaxy phones, at least for the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+, and only by 0.1 inches. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s screen remains the same large 6.8 inches, but the design change is actually greater in some other areas, as we’ll soon see. All three get brighter panels, though, so reading under the sun shouldn’t be a problem if it was before.

While most of the features are similar across the three models, differing mostly in screen size, things take a very different turn when it comes to the cameras. Suffice it to say, the Galaxy S24 and S24+ do not get any meaningful upgrade in terms of camera hardware, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra seems to take one step forward and one step back with at least one of four cameras. One of the two telephoto cameras gets a denser 50MP sensor but halves the optical zoom from 10x to 5x. Samsung assures, however, that the quality of a 10x “hybrid” zoom from that new sensor will just be as good, thanks to some AI tricks, of course.

Bold Direction towards Flat Design

The Galaxy S24 series looks nearly identical to its predecessor at first glance, but once you take a closer look, you will notice some subtle yet important differences. The Galaxy S24 and S24+ now adopt a completely flat design on its front, back, and sides, except for the rounded corners that help it avoid a completely boxy appearance. This refinement, though small, does put it in the same boat as many notable premium smartphones these days, particularly the latest iPhones.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra only changes its screen design, but that actually has the biggest repercussion in this generation. Gone are the curved edges that used to mark high-end flagships, with a screen that’s completely flat across the surface. It gives it a more modern look, at least as far as current design trends go, but the more important consequence is that owners now have full access to the entire screen using the included S Pen. No more avoiding or accidentally sliding off the edges because you can now utilize every single inch and pixel on that large screen.

AI for a Price

With AI still reigning as the buzzword in consumer electronics, it was really only a matter of time before Samsung joined the bandwagon in this industry as well. There are plenty of AI-powered features being advertised on the Galaxy S24 and, to Samsung’s credit, they really do show what the technology can do and how we can harness it for our benefit.

Real-time translations are one of the best examples of this artificial intelligence, and both two-way Live Translate and split-screen Interpreter help break down language barriers when communicating with people around the globe. Samsung Notes also gets an AI-assisted Notes Assist for summaries and template creation, while Voice Recorder gets Transcript Assist for transcribing audio recordings. And, of course, there are also tons of AI-powered image editing features in the Camera and Gallery apps.

There is one particular application of AI that also demonstrates the continued cooperation between Samsung and Google, former frenemies on the Android platform. As the name clearly states, Circle to Search lets you simply draw a circle around an image or even a block of text on your screen to initiate a Google Search.

As useful as these may sound, it seems that Samsung will be taking a rather controversial approach to providing AI features on its gallery phones. Samsung’s suite of Galaxy AI features will apparently be available for free on these devices only until 2025, after which it could charge a subscription fee for using them. It doesn’t exactly state how much that will be or which features will be covered by this limitation, though Google’s Circle to Search and other third-party AI features are most likely going to be exempt. Nothing’s set in stone yet, but this will surely lessen the appeal of relying on these features heavily.

Should you buy it or upgrade?

And now for the most critical part of the decision-making process: the price tags. The Galaxy S24 starts at $799.99 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the Galaxy S24+ will go for $999.99 for 12GB RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. These are pretty much the same launch prices as the Galaxy S23 and S23+, which isn’t surprising considering very little has changed.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra, however, is a chunky $100 higher than last year’s model, now starting at $1,299.99 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s a considerable price jump, especially when you consider you might be asked to pay for those trendy Galaxy AI features in two years. That new telephoto camera might be partly to blame, among other things.

If you’re looking to jump into the Samsung ecosystem for the first time, then it’s really only a choice between the smaller and more affordable Galaxy S24 and the larger, fully-featured Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Galaxy S24+ might sound like it has the best of both worlds, but it’s actually the opposite. Its only winning grace is the larger screen and battery, both of which will set you back $100 more than the Galaxy S24 but still won’t have the better cameras of the Galaxy S24 Ultra at the very least.

Considering all these, it’s going to be tough to recommend upgrading to any of the three models if you still have a perfectly fine Galaxy 23 or even a Galaxy 22. Even the Galaxy S24 Ultra, with a creator-friendlier flat display, is going to be a hard sell considering it’s also more expensive. The jury is still out on the camera improvements, though it’s probably not going to be too mind-blowing compared to the already decent quartet on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Of course, if you have a Galaxy S21 series or older, then there’s almost no more doubt about making the jump or not.

The post How much is the Galaxy S24: Is it worth the price first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Twitter (X) Smartphone sports an X-shaped camera and a dedicated rear display for notifications

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While the world’s been living on a prayer of a Tesla phone some day, designer Antonio De Rosa had a much better idea – why not build a phone centered around a much more smartphone-centric company? The Object-X is every microblogger’s dream device, with its own dedicated display unit just for Twitter (ahem, X). You can see notifications, browse the app, send tweets, and even access your Tesla right through the rear display. For everything else, a normal front display serves its purpose. Oh, and extra points if you noticed the X-shaped camera bump…

Designer: Antonio De Rosa

Just given the company’s (and its founder’s) trajectory over the past year, the Object-X may not be for everyone, but as a concept and design exercise, it makes for a pretty nifty piece of hardware. It builds on all of Elon’s companies’ most smartphone-centric features, from the social media app to Tesla integration, AI-based computational photography, and even enhanced connectivity thanks to Tesla SpaceLink.

The Object-X sports a 6.9-inch (nice) screen on the front, with a slightly asymmetric design and a sharper corner on the bottom right, with a dedicated X button that doubles as an Action Button, allowing you to do things like fire up the social media app, start your Tesla, or even chat with Grok (X’s ‘free speech’ AI chatbot). No, it probably isn’t made from the same metal as the Cybertruck, but it’s nice to think that maybe this could be possible one day.

The rear display is the Object-X’s most visually iconic feature, giving Twitter-addicts their dedicated supply of the microblogging platform. Although it’s really impossible to get any typing done on that small screen, it’s perfect for browsing tweets, retweeting, checking notifications, and liking tweets from your feed. A sidebar lets you also toggle between Twitter and Tesla applets, so you can also do things like locate your car, auto-park it, unlock it, or even remote-start your vehicle.

If the secondary display didn’t excite you, the quad-cam system probably might. Shaped to look like the X logo, the cameras are augmented by Twitter’s GROK AI that processes the photos to give you great images every time… or at least that’s what designer Antonio De Rosa envisions with the phone. The four cameras cover a wide range of scenarios, while a flash in the middle handles low-light photography.

The Object-X is clearly just a concept phone, but it explores possibilities more than it does feasibility. I doubt most people would trust Musk with a smart device that knows everything about you (no single person deserves all that power), but hey, you never know… the Cybertruck still has 1.9 million preorders as of last year, with no clear delivery in sight. People clearly have money to spare when it comes to Musk’s visions.

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SHARGE Icemag Hands-On at CES 2024: A Cool-looking MagSafe Power Bank that Cools your Phone

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Touted as the world’s first power-bank with its own turbo-cooling feature, the Icemag power bank keeps itself (and your phone) breezy while charging. An ultra-silent fan moves at speeds of 8000 RPM, actively cooling the battery pack inside while the Icemag wirelessly charges your phone, preventing anything from heating up during the charging process.

Sharge has pretty much solidified its reputation for building some of the most incredible-looking charging equipment of our time. Whether it’s the transparent 170W power bank with its own LED display, or the tiny yet indomitable Flow Mini power bank that’s small enough to blend right into your phone’s design, becoming its dedicated second battery, Sharge’s built a rather wonderful ecosystem of charging gear that’s both powerful and unmistakably eye-catching. The Icemag joins that ecosystem as a first for both Sharge and the world – the 10,000mAh MagSafe battery pack comes with its own active cooling system that pushes hot air out from around the lithium-ion battery, increasing its life and overall efficiency as it charges your phone. It also comes as a rather opportune time, as Apple silently killed its own MagSafe power bank, leaving a void in the marketplace.

Designer: SHARGE

Click Here to Buy Now

The Icemag has the same proportions as Apple’s MagSafe power bank, albeit with that aforementioned cooling system and a whopping 10,000mAh battery that charges your entire phone twice over with enough extra juice left to spare for a third charge. It sports Sharge’s unmistakable aesthetic, with a transparent panel on the front that lets you peer into the electronics inside – namely the lithium ion battery, the PCB, and that active cooling system.

The active cooling system kicks in the second the Icemag is connected to a device (whether through MagSafe or via USB-C cable). The tiny fan outputs an impressive 8000 RPM, helping circulate air within the Icemag to keep the battery actively cooled (rather than relying on a metal heat-sink like other charging apparatus). The fan operates at a deadly silent <25dB, and it was practically inaudible in the buzz and chatter of the CES floor. What was noticeable, however, was the RGB lighting around the fan that changed colors as the Icemag juiced your device. It served as a nice visual indicator of the Icemag’s activity, especially given Sharge’s tech-geek and gamer-centric audience.

The compact power bank snaps satisfyingly onto the back of your MagSafe phone, beginning the charging process instantly. An indicator on the side shows exactly how much power the Icemag’s battery still has, while a USB-C port on the base supports both power in as well as out. This means the USB-C port can be used to charge the Icemag itself or can be used to connect the Icemag to another phone to charge it conventionally (without using the MagSafe wireless charging feature). The Icemag supports pass-through charging too, letting you charge it while it wirelessly juices your smartphone, and as far as charging speeds go, the Icemag’s wireless charging coil outputs a maximum 7.5W. If you want to tap into higher speeds, connecting your phone/device via USB-C gives you an output of 20W, charging your gadgets significantly faster for when you’re in a bind.

The Icemag balances its responsibilities of being handy, eye-catching, and functional rather well. It’s compact for its capacity and weighs just 223 grams (7.9 ounces), allowing it to securely attach to the back of your phone without any problems. The 10,000mAh battery is absolutely perfect for people who blow through their phones during the day, giving you an extra battery that can support your phone multiple times. The transparent aesthetic and active cooling system, however, steal the limelight for the gorgeous nerdy-cool aesthetic they give the Icemag. The term nerdy-cool probably gets used literally in this sense because of the Icemag’s ability to keep itself at manageable temperatures as it charges your phone. I dare you to find a MagSafe power bank that’s as gorgeously functional as this one…

Click Here to Buy Now

The post SHARGE Icemag Hands-On at CES 2024: A Cool-looking MagSafe Power Bank that Cools your Phone first appeared on Yanko Design.

mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 15 revives long-forgotten battery case design

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Power banks might be so common and boring these days, but there was a time when people thought they were more trouble than they were worth. Having to fumble around for a battery pack and cable to quickly plug in a phone may sound like too much of a hassle, so mophie, one of the oldest players in this game, came up with an alternative solution a long, long time ago. The battery case was the answer to that problem, making the iPhone “wear” its extra battery at all times. That design, however, hasn’t been seen for years, making you think battery cases have gone extinct. That was almost the case, pardon the pun, until the recent announcement that the mophie Juice Pack is making a comeback, but apparently only for three out of four iPhone 15 models.

Designer: mophie (ZAGG)

When you first hear about it, battery cases sound like the best of both worlds. You get an extra battery to make sure your phone never runs empty, but you also don’t have to juggle with a separate pack like with a normal power bank. That’s theoretically true until you realize just how much that extra power will cost you in other aspects. Especially when you consider that batteries from five years ago were pretty thick despite having low capacities.

With significant improvements in this area, mophie thought it was time to bring its juice pack back to life, offering a battery case for the current generation of iPhones. The basic concept remains the same, with the battery “hiding” inside the sizable case that wraps around the iPhone like a very thick bumper. Of course, it also functions as a protective case, so that rugged and bulky appearance isn’t without its merits.

Like in previous iterations of the juice pack, there are LED dots on the back to indicate just how much charge the case has left. It also supports passthrough USB-C charging, so you don’t have to worry about having to remove the case just to charge the iPhone itself. That said, given the thickness that the battery adds to the back, it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that it also prevents any sort of MagSafe functionality from working.

The mophie Juice Packs will go for $99.95 for all three iPhone models, though there are different capacities, starting at 2,400 mAh. The iPhone 15 Plus is notably missing from the list, apparently because mophie didn’t want to waste resources on a model that isn’t even selling well. Then again, it remains to be seen how many iPhone users will be willing to bulk up their phones and lose MagSafe compatibility at the same time just for the convenience of not having to plug in a power bank.

The post mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 15 revives long-forgotten battery case design first appeared on Yanko Design.

Regular Phone Cases are Dead… These Phone Stands from TORRAS offer Ultimate Hands-free Ergonomics

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It’s 2024, and your phone case should do a LOT more than just protect your phone. The folks at TORRAS believe that too, which is why they’ve been spearheading the ‘phone stand’ movement since as early as 2018. In fact, even renowned global research firm Ipsos has ‘declared’ the phone stand as the next generation of phone cases… and after a 6-year headstart, they’ve labeled TORRAS as the global leader in this domain.

Even though the company has a wide product range, going all the way from phone accessories to neck-worn fans, the phone stand dominated the TORRAS showcase at CES this year (so much so that their booth had a massive phone stand on the front of it too, making it recognizable from a distance). The company launched two new stands this year – the simple yet delightful Lstand, and an improvement on their existing Ostand, now with a rotating ring (called the Ostand R). They also refreshed their neck-worn cooler line with the COOLiFY Cyber, which can now adjust its temperature based on your surroundings, making it the most advanced neck-worn ‘air-conditioner’ on the market!

Designer: TORRAS

Click Here to buy a TORRAS Phone Stand (20% Discount)

The Lstand on the left, and the Ostand R on the right.

The Ostand R is an impressive case given its abilities. For starters, the case has a ring on it that folds flat when not in use, but opens up into an angle-locking stand that can be used in landscape and vertical modes (or even as a ring to support your finger as you hold the phone). Moreover, it rotates on its hubless axis, giving you the ability to position the ring wherever you want, all while still managing to support the iPhone’s MagSafe and wireless charging features.

You also (obviously) get the benefits of a case, with a soft bumper frame around the sides and even the camera bump. The edges have an air cushion that gives your phone even more security from bumps or accidental drops. The frosted polycarbonate back is a great way to show off your phone’s color, while the Ostand R’s colors on the TPU rim and the metallic buttons complement your smartphone from top to bottom.

It isn’t easy building a phone case that has its own stand which rotates, while still maintaining a slim profile… but TORRAS lifted the veil on the Ostand R’s design to show the amount of research and innovation that goes into every detail. A specially designed hinge measures a mere 1.2mm (0.04 inches) thick, but can resist tens of thousands of folds, and can even hold its angle like a laptop hinge (while taking the weight of your phone). The hinge is also accompanied by a hubless rotating element that lets the ring orient however you want it to, giving you the kind of freedom you wouldn’t get with other cases.

A quick breakdown of the Ostand R shows all the innovation gone into its features and details

The Lstand, on the other hand, is for people who want a smooth case with nothing on the back. Research from TORRAS’ customer base showed that while the Ostand was a hot favorite, there were some who liked the appeal of the company’s older stands that were either built into the bottom of the phone, or the sides. To cater to these people, TORRAS built the Lstand, a stand case with a fold-out element around the camera lens. The robust ring adds an extra layer of beefed security to your iPhone camera, but pop it open and it transforms into a nifty stand to rest your phone on.

The two stands, while impressive, come backed by an Ipsos paper that puts Torras at the forefront of the upcoming phone stand trend. Ipsos mentions that the rise of digital nomads and of social media has prompted a lot of people to rely on their phone for staying connected, and entertained. Given that phones are now growing bigger, flatter, and heavier, it’s becoming more and more important to shift focus from merely ‘phone cases’ to phone stands that allow people to hold their phones better, and to rest them on surfaces for work, leisure, and everything in between. Phone cases aren’t going anywhere, because people inherently need to have protective accessories for their expensive smart-devices… but more than 52% of people mention that they want their phone cases to have a hands-free feature, while a staggering 59% mention the need to still maintain a minimalist sleek design. The Ostand R and Lstand (along with Torras’ other stands) maintain these considerations, resulting in smartphone accessories that don’t protect the phone… they enhance the phone’s experience too.

When asked about TORRAS, the Ipsos study revealed: “Through continuous innovation and research and development, TORRAS integrated upgraded protection and portability, restoring the design style of bare phones. At the same time, it pioneers a new design of phone case with the combination of kickstand and magnetic suction, which performs excellently and has won many international design awards, patented innovations, and industry honors, leading the development and progress of the kickstand and magnetic suction phone case products.” They added that “TORRAS is the next generation of phone cases.”

Click Here to take a look at the Ipsos study on the future of Phone Stands

The COOLiFY range also saw some changes with the Cyber, TORRAS’ latest neck wearable. Building on the existing line, the COOLiFY Cyber comes with a larger cooling plate and air ducts, creating a bigger impact. The air ducts blow wind (cold or hot) towards the neck and face, while the cooling plates rely on an electric current that passes through a semiconductor to rapidly cool down. With 3 speed settings to choose from, 3 heat/cool plates, and a total of 36 outlets, the COOLiFY Cyber is the equivalent of wearing an air conditioner on your neck.

The COOLiFY Cyber sports an incredibly slick design that can easily be worn around any neck thanks to its flexible horseshoe-shaped design. It’s made to be lightweight, it charges via USB-C, and from personal experience, it feels a lot like wearing an ice or heat pack around your neck – something you’ll probably appreciate in the harsh summers and winters. The neck’s unique location (near the face and connected to the spine) makes it a perfect spot for something like the COOLiFY Cyber, as its cooling/heating effect can be felt all over you (and not just your neck). The COOLiFY Cyber is slated to launch around March, which is when additional details like battery life and pricing will emerge.

TORRAS even partnered with the Dallas Maverick to create special Mavs-branded merchandise for them and their fans

Click Here to Buy a TORRAS COOLiFY Portable Air Conditioner (20% Off)

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SHARGE Flow Mini Hands-On at CES 2024: A Tiny yet Mighty ‘Power Backpack’ for your Smartphone

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Power banks have a reputation for being bulky. Nobody really likes carrying them in their pockets given how large and heavy they can be, which often means most power banks spend all their time inside backpacks and purses. The Flow Mini, from Sharge (formerly Shargeek) has a different story to tell. It’s extremely handy, with a compact design that fits into pockets and even around your belt loop (should you choose) and a 5000mAh battery that’s enough to charge your phone. It also boasts a nifty transparent outer design that makes it the kind of power bank you wouldn’t mind flaunting to people around you. Measuring just about as wide as your smartphone, the Flow Mini practically ‘piggybacks’ onto your smartphone’s form factor, blending right into its design in ways that most power banks don’t.

Designer: SHARGE

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Over the years, Sharge has pretty much nailed its core design DNA, focusing on functionality combined with a unique design that uses transparency to help create curiosity and a feeling of being able to see products for what they are. Sharge’s products aren’t for mere masses, they’re more aimed at people with a distinct penchant for design and power-use, as seen with their Shargeek 170, a whopping prism-shaped 170W charger with a transparent design and an LCD screen that lets you accurately measure the power output delivered to each port (along with things like battery percentage and other data-points). The Flow Mini, albeit too small to have its own display, comes with a transparent outer housing and a cylindrical base that’s reminiscent of pencil batteries or a roll of camera film (if you’re from that generation).

Designed to plug right into the base of your phone, it comes with an integrated port that lets the power bank itself attach to your device. This makes things a lot easier because you don’t need to hunt for a charging cable to connect your phone and power bank. However, the Flow Mini DOES have a cable that doubles as a lanyard or loop-grip when not actively in use.

The Sharge Flow Mini comes equipped with a tiny yet mighty 5000mAh battery that’s more than enough to take your dead smartphone from 0 to 100, or to juice your battery multiple times in the day for that extra boost.

The tiny design blends right into your phone’s overall form factor, allowing you to hold/ use your phone even with the Flow Mini attached. Perfect for people who prefer not carrying around a 10,000mAh brick along with them everywhere.

Given the fact that the world is still divided by USB-C and Lightning users (and will be for at least the next 4-5 years), the Flow Mini offers the option to alternate between USB-C and Lightning variants. The battery unit stays the same between both designs, with the only change being the primary port on the front. However, Sharge lets you detach the primary port and swap between USB-C or Lightning variants. Meanwhile, a lanyard/loop cable sits on the side, letting you charge another device simultaneously, or charge the Flow Mini itself by directly plugging it into a power outlet.

Th Flow Mini is Sharge’s smallest charger, but its size shouldn’t be taken for granted. While Sharge does make larger, powerful, and more feature-rich charging banks for the tech-nerd and power-user, the Flow Mini is perfect for on-the-go battery. In fact, the folks at Sharge call it your phone’s second battery, because plug it in place and it sits flush against your device, adding power to it without adding all that extra bulk and weight!

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The post SHARGE Flow Mini Hands-On at CES 2024: A Tiny yet Mighty ‘Power Backpack’ for your Smartphone first appeared on Yanko Design.

realme 12 Pro wraps a premium telephoto camera in a luxurious watch design

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Almost all smartphone makers try to advertise their design-centric processes and products, but few actually live up to the expectations they set. Of those few, realme has had a track record of teaming up with big names in the industry to come out with a variety of designs that target different audiences, from youngsters to travelers to connoisseurs. This year, it seems that realme is aiming to tickle the fancy of watch lovers with a flagship that takes deep inspiration from these masterpieces of design and craftsmanship. Of, the realme 12 Pro isn’t just a pretty face and promises to also elevate your mobile photography with a new premium telephoto camera.

Designer: realme x Ollivier Savéo

In the past, smartphone telephoto cameras could only use digital tricks to get closer to a subject, but the development of periscope-style lenses finally enabled true optical zoom without bulking up the phone too much. With the realme 12 Pro, the brand is taking that to the next level with a combination of innovative elements and engineering to deliver a premium telephoto experience. In addition to a state-of-the-art periscope telephoto lens, the flagship phone utilizes the latest OmniVision OV64B, a 64MP 1/2-inch sensor that’s twice as large as your typical telephoto camera, including the one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. These two pieces work together to provide not just 3x optical zoom but also 6x in-sensor (hybrid) zoom, getting you close and personal without the usual degradation associated with simple image cropping.

Of course, the realme 12 Pro’s main camera isn’t going to be left behind. With a 50MP Sony IMX890 1/1.56-inch sensor, the primary wide shooter promises rich details even at night. This is further enhanced by the MasterShot algorithm developed in collaboration with Qualcomm, enabling the phone to process RAW images directly, among other process-intensive capabilities. Along with the ultra-wide shooter, this camera system supports a wide range of lossless zoom levels, from 0.6x to 6x, similar to that of more expensive handsets.

Although the cameras are a focal point of the realme 12 Pro (pun intended, the phone’s design takes its cue from a different kind of luxury product. Teaming up with luxury watch designer Ollivier Savéo, the phone bears the aesthetic and tactile hallmarks of an elegant and premium timepiece. A fluted bezel wraps the circular camera island, giving the semblance of a classic watch face, while the vegan leather material that covers the phone’s back is akin to the leather straps of these luxurious accessories.

The realme 12 Pro takes this a step further with a 3D jubilee bracelet, similar to a metallic strap, that runs down the middle of the phone. With its three-dimensional rhomboid precision splicing, this minute detail adds a new texture and a touch of class to an already stylish phone. The realme 12 Pro is set to launch this month, with availability details and exact specs still to be disclosed.

The post realme 12 Pro wraps a premium telephoto camera in a luxurious watch design first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rugged smartphone with a 5W speaker on its back looks out of this world

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Although most smartphones are made to survive simple accidents (or should be), there is a certain class that takes durability to the extreme. Rugged smartphones are targeted at users who often venture into unknown territory, either for fun or for work, and need a partner that’s just as adventurous as them. These rugged phones are unapologetic in how they look like tanks ready for battle, but there have been a few that tried to break the mould and adopt designs that piqued interest without sacrificing what makes them special. That seems to be the inspiration behind what could be the weirdest rugged phone we’ve come across, built and looking like an alien or futuristic device, thanks to the rather large and very visible speaker sitting on its back.

Designer: Oukitel

Most of the time, you’d see large camera enclosures on the back of phones. To some extent, that’s also true with the Oukitel WP33 Pro, but in reality, its cameras are actually so small that they don’t take up much space. Instead, the biggest element center of attraction is 5W speaker. Yes, this phone 36mm diameter “pro-level” speaker that’s advertised to get as loud as 136dB. That’s plenty loud, especially for a smartphone.

Rather than the industrial work settings that most rugged phones try to target, the Oukitel WP33 Pro favors more fun and adventurous activities like camping, trekking, hiking, or even wildlife photography. The speaker is then used to set the mood for parties with friends or even for your lonesome self, though the loudspeaker is probably something you shouldn’t use around wild animals, especially at night.

Oukitel wants that latter to be one of the use cases for its latest rugged phone, especially with a 20MP Sony night camera vision. The main camera is a 64MP shooter, so it should at least be decent, while a 2MP macro might satisfy your extreme nature close-up urges. Part of the reason for the phone’s size is its humongous 22,000mAh battery, which you can use to charge the regular “main” phone you might have in your other pocket.

The rest of the Oukitel WP33 Pro’s specs are on par with late 2023 mid-range smartphones, so don’t expect record-breaking performance, especially for mobile games. Of course, the real value of this phone comes from its durability, with IP68 dust and water resistance rating joined by IP69K resistance against high-pressure water jets. It’s not going to win design awards, but it will definitely get you plenty of attention, especially when you start blasting out music from your rugged tank of a mobile device.

The post Rugged smartphone with a 5W speaker on its back looks out of this world first appeared on Yanko Design.

Infinix E-Shift Color promises near-infinite phone design customization

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Although we look at our phone screens almost all the time, it is really the back of our phones that gives them their personality. From the colors to the textures of their back even to the camera bump or bumps, this side of the phone is what other people see the most and, therefore, provides the most motivation for personalization and customization. A phone’s design, however, is permanent once it leaves the factory, and unless you put stickers or cases on it, its appearance will never change. Infinix, however, is presenting a solution to that design problem with a piece of technology that adds an almost literal splash of color to the back of your phone and changes that into a mesmerizing display of colors as often as you want, especially while it’s charging.

Designer: Infinix

Putting stickers or whatnot on the back of your phone is a sure way to ruin its future. Cases, on the other hand, are more temporary, but they not only add bulk but also limit your design options to what’s already available. Wouldn’t it be rad if you could change the color or even the colorful patterns on the back of your phone on a whim, similar to how you’d change your wallpaper every so often? Infinix’s E-Shift Color technology first unveiled at CES 2024 does exactly that, and it’s getting a little help from the same technology that powers your favorite e-book reader.

E-Ink Prism 3 is the latest iteration from the e-paper display expert that brings color to this traditionally colorless screen. In a nutshell, it uses electric charges to cause microstructures in the panel to change their color, similar to how an E Ink screen works. And just like an E Ink screen, it only uses power when changing colors, so displaying that static colored pattern will use almost no power to maintain that appearance, unlike a typical LCD or OLED screen. In practice, this means that you can change the phone’s back to a particular color and have it stay that way for as long as you like without draining the battery.

This opens the door to dynamic designs and personalization, with users picking the colors they want and having it change when they grow tired of it. It even has the possibility of rapidly animating these color changes while charging the phone, presuming you like to put it down flat on its face. Either way, it’s a fun experiment that will definitely appeal to the more youthful audience that Infinix targets, and it’s not hard to see how brands can also take advantage of this feature for marketing.

Because of E-Ink Prism’s segmented nature, the Infinix E-Shift Color is also limited to following certain patterns only, patterns that are also set in stone during manufacturing. It’s not like having access to a digital canvas where you create arbitrary pixel art images or animations. That could probably come in future iterations of the technology, but even this first attempt could very well be a huge selling point for people who want to make their phones look as alive and expressive as they are.

The post Infinix E-Shift Color promises near-infinite phone design customization first appeared on Yanko Design.