This concept Pixel 4 Mini is the perfect cross between a smartphone and a wearable

Bigger displays mean more energy consumption, larger batteries, and sadly, bigger disappointments because the batteries fail to deliver on the promise of a 24-hour usage cycle. While they’re great for watching videos and scrolling through endless Instagram feeds, they’re difficult to use with one hand, because screens get bigger each year with shrinking bezels, but thumbs, well thumbs don’t.

The Pixel 4 Mini is the brain-child of Jonas Daehnert, or better known on the internet by his alias, Phone Designer. Probably one of the most reliable go-to’s for any phone leak visualizations, Daehnert’s renders end up looking virtually exactly like the real deal, which may debut months later. After creating a pretty remarkable rendition of the upcoming Pixel 4, Daehnert moved onto his pet project, the Pixel 4 Mini, or in other words, the phone with the promise of a great camera, and a suitably sized screen.

Daehnert’s Pixel 4 Mini is everything like the Pixel 4, except it’s palm-friendly. With an approximately 4.5 inch screen, the Pixel 4 is the iPhone 4S of the Pixel world (if you thought that was small, the iPhone 4S actually had a 3.5 inch screen). It provides all the features of a flagship, with the usability of smaller sized phones, which mean you can operate them with a single hand and not experience thumb-pain. The Pixel 4 Mini comes with the same 3-lens camera setup as its bigger brother, and if Google’s algorithms are indication, this phone should be an absolute stunner in the photography department. A smaller phone however does have its cons too. In an effort to fit all the awesomeness in, I’m assuming the Pixel 4 Mini doesn’t support wireless charging, but a fast-charger and Pixel 4 Mini’s USB-C port should do just fine. A smaller body also means a smaller battery, but there’s ways of overcoming that… for instance Daehnert’s minimal monochrome Android UI should seriously help in salvaging some battery life.

Designer: Jonas Daehnert (Phone Designer)

YD Spotlight: In conversation with concept phone designer, Jonas Daehnert

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YD has always had a large focus on concepts. The only way to pave the future, I believe, is to conceptualize, and we’ve seen so many products develop only years after the concepts did. So as far as they go, conceptual designs pave the way for real-world products, and they’ll always have their place on YD. Having said that, there’s no observing conceptual designs without stumbling across those made by Jonas Daehnert, or as the internet calls him, Phone Designer. Jonas’ conceptual phones range from pretty-well-chalked-out to tongue-in-cheek… although some of his conceptual designs feature rather logical details based off rumors, brought to life by his photorealistic rendering skills. We had a chance to have a word with Jonas, delving into his process, passion for phones, and what he designs apart from them. We’ve even taken a look at some of his phones we’ve featured on YD.


Yanko Design: Hey Jonas! Big fan! Tell us a little about yourself, your background, what you do…

Jonas Daehnert: Hey! My name is Jonas Daehnert, I’m a 31-year-old designer from Germany. In 2007 I started studying product design at the Bauhaus University Weimar. During this time I learned how to develop and design products. But, of course, even out of school, learning continues.
Currently, I work as a freelance product and concept designer. Sometimes I design new product concepts for companies or other design agencies, sometimes I visualize their products for packaging, advertising or for presentations, like MWC in Barcelona. In my free time, I’m a natural born geek.

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Daehnert’s Leather Phone imagines an era where phones are flexible, so a leather construction provides a beautifully premium clad.


YD: How and when did you venture into the “concept phone” domain?

JD: In addition to studying, I founded a video game development studio with a friend, 9 years ago. He was, and still is, an excellent computer scientist and I was able to design the graphics, sounds and game mechanics. We did a good job. But even in 2010/11, it was hard to get attention, especially when you developed apps for Windows Phone 7. To increase our downloads we were looking for a way to advertise our apps more effectively. Then I came up with the idea to promote our apps on fictional devices. As chance would have it, Microsoft revealed their first Surface devices in June 2012. One week later we presented our games on the new fictional “Surface Phone”. I’m really proud of it, because it was my first phone concept and people really liked it. We got a lot of attention. It was also the birth of the Surface Phone myth. From that point on, I started developing phone concepts in my free time.

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The Surface Phone was Jonas’ first concept phone, modeled off the Surface Tablet that released in 2012.


YD: Softwares! What do you use to model and render?

JD: Like a lot of product designers I use Rhino 3D for modeling and Keyshot 7 Pro for rendering. Both applications are relatively lightweight, versatile, affordable, and easy to learn — but hard to master. They work perfectly together.

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A poke at the #bendgate controversy surrounding the iPhone 6 launch


YD: How do you start with your concepts? Do you follow the rumor-mill?

JD: My first concepts just followed the rumors and as a product designer it is always a good exercise to work on fictional things for companies you have never worked for. It’s like a role playing game. You analyze their design philosophy and create new products for them, without restrictions or limitations. It’s just a typical design process with a lot of research, sketching and failures.
But in the last two years I stepped back to just do some smaller stuff on Twitter, because these days I don’t see any advantage to designing smartphones under a false flag. Most companies became boring, predictable giants. The biggest topics in the last six month were notches, great cameras and the disappearance of the headphone jack. That’s it.
I would like to go further and design my own visions under my own concept brand. For nearly a decade I’ve called myself Phone Designer. This doesn’t mean that I’m only focused on phones, though. Currently I’m working on a laptop concept, which will be totally unique.

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The Lumia 940 was built on rumors and these incredibly realistic renders probably circulated more than the actual photos!

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YD: Share some of your tips for photo-realistic renders!

JD: Of course for every render scene the quality of the 3D model, its details, textures and materials are important. But even more important is the arrangement of the 3D models, the camera and light settings. Many 3D artists make the mistake of using very low focal lengths and aggressive viewing angles in their camera settings. As a result, lots of renderings are distorted and the original character of the product is destroyed. Be more conservative in terms of camera settings and spend more time developing a sophisticated light setting to push the product characteristics. Having some knowledge about photography is really helpful, too.

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The Pixel concept actually used Google’s brand colors as product lighting, creating a beautiful atmosphere for the render!


YD: Favorite phone of all time? What phone do you own?

JD: Definitely my first phone, a C35i by Siemens. It is an extremely durable phone with two weeks of battery life. And it still works, after 18 years. I’ve spent a long time with Windows Phone and I’m still a fan of the Lumia phones, especially its Fabula Design language. But Windows Phone is dead, so I switched to Android. Actually I use an old Moto G4 — it’s enough for my needs. I prefer purism and simplicity.


Jonas bid farewell to the Windows Phone in a rather humorous way. It’s pretty comical how the Windows Mobile tile-UI fits into the crucifix design too!


YD: Do you ever plan to make concept wearables like smartwatches or VR headsets, etc?

JD: I already did. A couple of years ago I designed a wristband that could have been a product by Microsoft, before they launched their first Microsoft Band. The similarities were surprising. I also created a fictional VR headset, the Google Nexus Glasses.
For a real client, I’m currently designing a wearable, which will be used in the sport of boxing. It’s not released yet.

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Jonas dropped his own version of Microsoft’s Band in 2014, when the watch market had just begun developing with the Apple Watch.


YD: Lastly, one thing you really wish you could change about the smartphone industry.

JD: There are over 3000 smartphone brands in the world. Each company should produce less devices per year and focus on durability, their software services and updates. Planned obsolescence generates the money. This is a problem. That’s why I really appreciate Google’s Project Treble, which tries to change the current situation.
We should also think about our material choices. Using aluminum or glass for the backsides of the phones requires a lot of energy and resources that are not recyclable. We should use less glue and more screws. We have to prevent the garbage from landing in Africa. The whole industry has to change its attitude towards pollution.
Finally, as a geek I say: We need more battery life.

(I couldn’t agree with you more, Jonas…)

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Daehner’s Spinner Phone, also from 2014 (not inspired by the fidget spinner), explores a rotating camera module machined in metal, allowing you to click incredible photos and selfies… using the same camera.

To check out more of Jonas’ work on YD, click here.

The Pixel we never knew we wanted

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Come October 2017 and we’ll have Google launch its second iteration of its flagship smartphone, the Pixel. Admitted it may not look anything like what we’re seeing right now, but Jonas Daehnert has an affinity for creating the most desirable phone concepts.

The Pixel 2017 concept boasts of a metal + sandstone makeover, with a vibe that reminds me of the Oneplus X. However, the Pixel comes with the dual camera, a dual flash, and no more fingerprint reader (I surmise the screen may be able to ultrasonically detect fingerprints). On the side of the phone however are 4 tiny lights that correspond to Google’s colors. I guess they work as dedicated notification lights, so you know that a red flash is for Mail, a Blue for Twitter or Facebook, Green for Messages, and Yellow for Instagram or something of that nature. It seems like a neat idea to play on the colors of Google’s brand and turn it into a functional element on a phone.

I personally love how the render lighting uses Google’s colors too, making the phone look Google-esque, rather than too metallic (which it would under white lighting). Come October and we’ll know what to expect, but until then, let’s make do with this!

Designer: Jonas Daehnert

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Nokia’s return to glory

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Can I say, before the smartphone craze, Nokia was the Apple. Their phones surpassed everything we wished and hoped for. If you didn’t have a Nokia, you didn’t have a phone worth even talking about, or talking into. Now that craze has split among various other companies, with Apple and Samsung having the lion’s share. However, in my heart I will always root for Nokia. :)

The Nokia Vision 2018 concept phone brings Nokia’s Lumia aesthetic to modern times, with bezel-less screens, chrome accents, a dual back-facing camera, and and Android-powered brain (85% of the world’s favorite mobile OS).

Even with its for-modern-times design, there’s something still very Nokia about it. The tight radii on the phone’s corners and glass with rounded edges. It goes from being lovable, with Lumia’s candy colors, to being taken seriously, with the black matte-finish playing wonderfully off the camera’s chrome accents on the back. Welcome back, Nokia, welcome back!

Designer: Jonas Daehnert

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Look … A Windows 10 Fitness Smartwatch

I love that designer Jonas Dähnert is not focusing on Apple but giving a chance to Windows and others. Take a look at his version of the Windows 10 Fitness Smartwatch Concept. Interestingly it has a display that is featured on the strap. Déjà vu? Well, our good friends Kairos Watches have something similar up on Indigogo that is surreal and sexy, check it out here.

Designer: Phone Designer [ Jonas Dähnert ]

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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
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(Look … A Windows 10 Fitness Smartwatch was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Sexy In Leather

From all the choices of materials available to craft a phone from, leather would be my least expected choice! Aluminum, steel, plastic, rubber, silicone, glass … this conceptual Leather Phone takes the cake. I love it and can only imagine how all the hardware will be fitted into the cover. All we know is that it is designed to be extremely durable and flexible.

Designer: Phone Designer [ Jonas Dähnert ]

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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE - We are more than just concepts. See what's hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(Sexy In Leather was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Put A Spin On It

Spinner is a compact phone that measures only 4.7inches and is 7mm thin. Constructed out of aluminum and plastics, the main focus of the design is on the clean interface and camera module, which can be rotated. In a day and age where we have both front and back cameras, it might seem redundant to spinner, however let’s humor the design and factor in cost reduction, better resolution and output from it. What do you guys say?

Designer: Phone Designer [ Jonas Dähnert ]

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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE - We are more than just concepts. See what's hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(Put A Spin On It was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Nexus All The Way

Here is a delightful ideation of of Google Glasses combined with concept Google Nexus TV. The bundle is perceived with a full-screen remote control and looks very sexy! Love the strong visual cues, detailing and design, what do you think?

Designer: Phone Designer [ Jonas Dähnert ]

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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE - We are more than just concepts. See what's hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(Nexus All The Way was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Surface Inspired Phone

How I love the creative genius of Phone Designer aka Jonas Dähnert! Inspired by the original 2012 Surface, this concept phone has all the elements of a sleek design and ingenuity that is often seen missing in Microsoft products. Remember Zune? Moving on, if we throw the floor open for debate, then what kinda featured would you like to see in this Windows 8 powered phone? Do tell….

Designer: Phone Designer [ Jonas Dähnert ]

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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE - We are more than just concepts. See what's hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(Surface Inspired Phone was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Another Nokia Phablet

It’s raining Nokia concepts these day, and it only makes me happy! The good thing about this Nokia Lumia 1025 Phablet is that it is designed based on the leaks and plausible rumours. This concept features a 6 inch screen (1920 x 1152px – 15:9), is 8mm thin and with much horse power!

Designer: Phone Designer [ Jonas Dähnert ]

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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE - We are more than just concepts. See what's hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(Another Nokia Phablet was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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