What if we told you the most beautiful phone in the world was a Lenovo? Reactions to that statement are likely going to oscillate between "Lenovo doesn't make cellphones" and "impossible, considering this is the country that gave us the
QKfone G998," -- but seriously, have a look. Even if you don't agree that it's one of the most attractive mobile devices you've ever laid eyes on, you're going to have a hard time making a cohesive argument that the Android-based slate doesn't run circles around the
G1 for physical design. 'Course, that just makes it all the more maddening that it's apparently nothing more than an early model of the "OPhone," a handset designed to comply to China Mobile's Open Mobile System that combines Android's core with support and apps for the carrier's homegrown TD-SCDMA 3G network. Translation: we'll never see one outside China, so yeah, just lust from afar while you pray HTC and its comrades are busy cooking up some stellar gear.
posted Dec 12th 2008 3:40AM
There's the iPhone, the mPhone, the zPhone, and now the Ophone. All I want for Christmas is aPhone, nePhone, and I'm not even getting that... Damn recession.
poor baby...
**stops burning his £50 notes**
Indeed, puts us in a bind. We registered ophone.com (in what was nothing short of a co-incidence) a few days after Apple registered iphone.org. Like the rest of the world, we had no idea Apple were even considering a phone back then. We registered the domain after deciding that an open source technology based device would be exciting. Anyway, we're close to choosing Android as a basis for our ophone. As a footnote, it is amazing how the Chinese can sometimes fail to take trademark or copyright law into account.
But then its also sometimes amazing how people confuse trademark/copyright on a product thats generic. I´m not saying that the Chinese are notorious for copying but lots of people have the idea that if its flat and touchie its an iPhone (not realizing that the Prada was way earlier released and Motorola was in the early 90is already doing mobiles with a touchscreen).
That said, I´m not surprised as the power from the Chinese isn´t the copying but copying and improving at a superb speed.
I would have expected the ThinkPhone from Lenovo...
I get low ranked all the time with my opinion that Lenovo's are generally ugly. When this story begins with the same sentiment and surprise over how sexy this phone looks (and it does) there's no hue and cry about it? Horse shit.
Also, on a semi-related tangent.... it would kick ass if we could rank stories. They wouldn't change colors or fade away, but it would be more useful than 3 pages of comments about how it's "not news" or "[OTHERSITE] said this 3 days ago"
I choose not to live in a recession!
@Google: Maybe the reason you get so low-ranked is that you sound like an asshat when stating your opinions. But I dunno.
http://www.macaround.com/blog/2008/12/12/ophone-iphone-or-gphone.html
iPhone wins! LOL
Quick someone st... *drools*
sorry got distracted. So yeah, someone start a petition to get this outside of china, they know they wanna ;)
I for one like the design of the G1....
You're right....for "one"
General opinion is "Great phone, looks like it was designed by a drunk toddler.
no... The G1 is an awesome phone, no question.
All the complaints out there on the G1 are weak, except for being on T-Mobile, just not a fan..
The G1 is one of THE ugliest phones out right now! Yes, it has some cool tricks that it can do, but it is an UGLY phone!
That makes 2 of us. I really love my G1.
I like the G1 Developers Edition.
It's nice... but there are too many "big screen, black body, silver rim" designs around already. It's numbing my senses.
Thats a pretty bold statement to make based off of a SINGLE leaked picture... come on engadget I thought you were better than that. Is your iphone fanboyism starting to wear out amidst all the nitpicking you had with the N97.. I can agree it looks sleeker than the G1 though.
The question I'm posing in the first sentence is a hypothetical one. Totally agree, too early to tell.
Good one with the iPhone fanboyism, by the way! Hadn't heard that one before.
@thedesolate1:
Chris Ziegler is probably the only Engadget editor who isn't an iPhone fanboy, so have some respect.
Ok - so it might not be the most beautiful device, but its still pretty amazing to see something with such an attractive design coming from lenovo, let alone a phone. Dont get me wrong: they make some quality harware, but your average thinkpad isn't exactly beautiful. This phone should be a good mix of quality and design (probably a whole lot sturdier than an m8). If only it would come to the states.....
Agree, Chris is definitely better than other editors, if another editor would write this, he would definitely make some connection with Apple and say that it would be a knock-off
Yeah I know lenovo has a reputation for building solid laptops so im not doubting that it will be a good device. I mean it isn't aimed at the sidekick generation like the G1 so It will be a more serious competitor. I wish it will have a high res display but since its never coming out in the states we can only dream. Now about that iPhone thing forgive me I was referring to the site as a whole. I wasn't quite sure how deep the apple lobby has reached.
Sexy indeed!
GIZZ IN MY PANTS!
normally I would completely ignore such an unrelated comment,but as i just watched that video for the first time earlier to night, a could not contain the "lol". So,
lol.
thats all.
You spelt 'jizz' wrong.
and you spelled "spelled" wrong.
and no it's not like learnt/learned.
Tarex:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spelt
Suck my balls.
Tarex,
Once you've finished with Samboini's, mine will be waiting for your attention. I should warn you that they'll be dripping with irony.
The design is similar, yet inferior, to quite a number of other phones, including the Blackberry Bold. (Aren't you glad I didn't say "iPhone"?)
... I think you just lost.
iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone!
@Gad Get: I sure am...
Its pretty and all, but it looks like most other touchscreen phones out there? Anyone who has sight or vision (either will do) or isn't a vegetable has heard of the Dare and Instinct. Ill give it props for not running Symbian though.
Stellar design or iPhone knock-off?
Stellar design.
And about the iPhone: Stellar design or Prada knock-off?
Its a glass brick. just like about 10 other boring glass bricks like the iPhone, Bold, Samsung Touch, I'm just failing to see the sexiness.
They even copied the earpiece speaker slot and used it as the button at the bottom.
But I mean really what can you expect; These phones are all manufactured using similar processes and so they are going to be constrained by the materials the manufactures have already been working with. What apple has been good at doing is combining design with affordable materials. this is where they get their competitive advantage. They also secure the latest in mass production tech out of china and incorporate it into their products quickly. It looks like other companies are copying apple's designs but its really that they are limited in how much they can vary from apple's design because of manufacturing reasons. That large touch in particular is a few in most of these phones.
imitation is the greatest form of flattery...
orr... imitation is a great way to benefit off of another product's success.
this is surprising from lenovo though... they're usually not going after the market that values design aesthetics over saving some money.
It doesn't look THAT good. It actually looks like they were trying "too hard" to give it some fashion feeling.
The iPhone's simplistic design looks a lot better. I'd rather get the G1 over this phone. At least for the keyboard.
I need the keys.
I disagree, taken together with it being a Lenovo, and that makes it sexy.
Looks nice but not that amzing.
I rather the X1 or the Touch HD for the design..
It would be about time Manufacturers Wake the ***** up !
I mean HTC how comes you make a Real sexy device for WinMo and a fugly one for Android ?
Can't you just make a sexy one for the OS everyone wants ?
It's like no one wants to kick Apple's ass ...
I'm starting to wonder if they do not do it on purpose...
Like Ok we have some awesome phone right here but it's dangerous, we might actually compete with the iPhone with this one so let's find something that's gonna ruin or product : like crappy design or shitty 2 years old OS....
As I understand it, HTC was not the designer of the G1. They manufactured it but the design was actually made by the dude who created the Sidekick.
HTC will be coming out with their own line of Android phones next year, designed entirely in-house, and you can feel confident that they will be every bit as slick as their WinMo Touch lineup.
Well could they hurry the f*** up already ?
It's been ages since android is out.. (or so it seems to me lol ^^)
You're just jealous.
Im getting it yep!
Not bad. What I really could use is a conservatively styled IBM Thinkphone : )
I will save iEye's trouble by taking words from his mouth and so he does not have to type
"That is an iPhone's clone"
u even took over the ranking part 4 him!
At least the G1 isn't a shiny black slate with rounded corners and a chrome border. Do all touchscreen phones really need to look EXACTLY the same as the iPhone? I welcome a little design variety, and Lenovo isn't providing it here.
The same as Prada which was the first to take this outfit you mean ?
stop this iPhone-based genesis of the smartphone world.
The iphone was LATE very very very Late.
cmon give the phone some credit, it does look very nice and its way better looking than the G1
Whenever somebody makes a hurtful remark about my Thinkpad being ugly, I simply close it, pick up it's four-kilo magnisum-alloy-reinforced frame in both hands, and cave in some skull!
Seriously, tanks are ugly too. But damned if they aren't really, really cool.
I find Thinkpad's to be the best looking, actually. I hate white, shiny plastic. Black always looks better.
The phone's case design is (typically) derivative. Of course there's that other hurdle - a minor thing called software...
ermm. no thanks. I'll stick with my Nokia, a real phone manufacturer :)
Looks pretty much exactly like my Touch HD. And probably a zillion other copycat devices currently in production.
Iphonekiller!!!! I'm in the market for sleek looking smartphone ,,u guys think this will take down the iPhone ??if so I'll buy it,,
Fan boy question;am I considered apple fboy even though I don't own any apple products?I like their iPods iPhones n laptops but too cheap to buy them.
I believe the term is "fanboy wannabe," which is one level directly below "fanboy." Hope this helps.
I refer to people like Shugg as "Apple fauxboys"
I prefer the term 'Morons'
I can't really tell from these pictures, but it doesn't look like this Lenovo phone is a QWERTY slider.
Given the preference for function over form (G1 vs. iPhone, for example), I think it's quite unfair to compare the two. Obviously the G1 has less emphasis on "aesthetics" and more on "mobile computing." As we all know, sexy =/= computing.
ouch, bandigolo cj joe, i dont even own ipod iphone or macbook n already feel more perscuted than a ww2 jew.,i lkive in LA.,what should i get instead of these.,???
so if i own sony 52' lcd,xbox 360, ps3, etc am i also considered "xxxx-fanboy" of those products.,i also own 2007 nissan titan and a 2005 5 series bmw.,
You asked, we answered. And if you recall, you don't actually own any Apple products; thus, your analogy is irrelevant.
And I'm fairly certain that 5.9 million murdered Jews would beg to differ about your self-proclaimed "persecution." Dumbass.
I love the design of my G1. Works great for surfing the net, texting and writing emails inside of gmail. I couldn't live without that keyboard.
ouch baNdigolo, fine . I'll buy a non apple product like zune acer n the voyager,just to stop the name calling.
what about the lg vu what do u all think of that platform?
you have got to be kidding with that name. seriously wtf?
Well for a gadget site, you really don't know your gadgets. Lenovo have been making phones for years. Just because a Chinese company doesn't release something outside of it's home country, or rather just because it doesn't release it in the USA, doesn't mean it doesn't exist
The thing is, non iphone users are the MINORITY now :) Same goes for mp3 players - people call them ipods nowadays. :)