But there is the world’s mobile phones that can be said about their holders are much more – these devices are intended for people who characterize themselves by the phrase “not like everyone else.” Accordingly, the phones they have non-standard – and this is not Vertu, Mobiado, or any Motorola RAZR V3i Dolce & Gabbana, but something quite extraordinary and, in most cases, it is not expensive. Strictly speaking, the purpose of the material – tell about a few unusual cellphones, which can be purchased in a given region of the world. At the same time I would like to consider is the existing model, rather than fetal figment of the imagination of designers – past often paint a very impressive projects, but that’s the first bomb landed an electronics engineer, who will be destined to take a look at a pile of intricate designs, make a fair verdict on the impossibility of translating such delights reality.

And the simple average user who is interested in the traditional design, megapixels, the number of speakers and prestige to such products did not even look. Nevertheless, some interest for the masses, they still are – at least, because they just issued, released or are currently preparing to embark on the conveyor.

For example, recently in the news flashed photos Kuma Phone (Bear Phone) – this fully working prototype of a mobile phone looks like a teddy bear. It is reported that in order to “pick up”, it is necessary to pull the animal by the tail. And each of the four paws can be assigned by number for speed dialing – in this case to make a call will have to click on the appropriate limb. It would seem that someone might be interested in such a device? But think of the modern youth subcultures – many in the movement of “emo”, I think, would gladly have posted a similar device for $ 500 (this is exactly the approximate price Kuma Phone). Look at the photograph of a typical Japanese Frick – personally, I am sure that he would gladly have changed his cot at a teddy bear. Moreover, perhaps once would have hanged him instead of a backpack.

Chinese masters, as it turns out, can not only copy the popular phones and cars, but also merge these two very different types of products together. Meet – glamorous phones Audi TT and BMW 5-Series. However, we can not say that the copies are made very high quality: for example, very funny looks attached upside down emblem of a Bavarian company, and his eyes fixed cameras are located not at the center of the hood, a little to the right. As for the hardware platforms that underlie these devaysov, it seems that they have much in common with some of the products of the company Fly (in particular, model 2080), as well as a notorious fakie phones Nokla: in all three cases, the touch screen equipped with a special line shortcuts shortcut. It is known that avtofony stand in the Middle Kingdom, about 160 dollars. They are equipped with Bluetooth-modules, audio and video players, arrays of flash memory 1 gigabyte and 1.3-megapixel camera. Personally, it’s hard to provide the holder of the five “BMW, who would buy such a phone and will use it on all cylinders. But fans auto simulators, these mobiles may well look and feel – if not for everyday use, then as a talisman.

But the mobile phone Walkie-Talkie Phone AK-47, it seems, want to acquire and brave warriors, and those who are doing its utmost to avoid military service. The good thing is, men’s: in spite of the touch-screen display (again, with the labeled!), 2-megapixel camera, slot for microSD-cards and media player, handset looks much like Motorola DynaTAC – first cell phone in the form-factor “monoblock” , released in 1983. AK-47 comes in two flavors – just green and khaki. Wearing this device, decorated with scarlet stars, models compass and antenna good 5 centimeters in length, it is assumed in a special cloth bag, also performed in the style of “military”. It is still entertaining gadget just $ 225. On my own I say that with great pleasure that would have bought me this little piece for the collection – who knows, maybe and endurance apparatus will be a good military level.

Phone Hop-On HOP1800 can be recommended for hikes in the tax office – is a marvel of $ 10, while positioned as a device capable of “eclipse iPhone”. Well, we can say that the leadership of the American company with a sense of humor everything is in order – in fact HOP1800 deprived even of the display, not to mention the rest of the usual benefits of a mobile eye evolution. Interestingly, the manufacturer plans to open a network of some kind of “reception centers recycled”: they are the owners of this phone will be able to exchange it for $ 5, thereby restoring a half of its initial value. Something tells me that the Hop-On HOP1800 is popular among anarchists, hippies and other asocial elements who reject bourgeois values: the ideology of ideology, and call up with buddies as it is surely necessary.

Cross your mobile phone and a pack of cigarettes, again, only by the Chinese. Actually, it was they fired machine XYW 3838, which is equipped with a built-in cigarette case. Externally, the device is difficult to distinguish from the most common packaging “sticks of health”: the same and size, and the hull, in fact, it even has an inscription about the dangers of smoking. Rear XYW 3838 is easily removed, exposing the fence sigaretok, located behind the battery. Should I specify that this model, standing $ 175, comes with a cigarette lighter? Otherwise, this is a very banal phone with simple-iron: 1 megabyte of memory, VGA-camera, microSD-slot, the player and square screen.

The idea of giving the functionality of a wristwatch cell phone is old almost as the world. Nevertheless, until recently, all such devices have had some very annoying shortcomings: for example, in order to chat with someone, the clock hand was required to hold the ear. And to listen to the built-in player had to slyly pass the wire through the headphone sleeves. Model Hyundai W100 stands out from the masses of old chasofonov presence of Bluetooth-module with support profile A2DP (stereo audio transmission through the air). From this it follows that the phone can be easily paired with a wireless headset and pinned to the arm. On the functionality of the device is known as follows: mp3-player, 1.3-megapixel camera with video recording, a slot for a microSD card and 1.3-inch touch screen, controlled by a tiny stylus hides in a thong hours. Fairness I should mention that Hyundai W100 occasionally found on sale in the CIS countries – for the non Russian-located copy of the request to about $ 400.

New, no doubt, like the girls. She has already appeared in the retail price of about 13 000 rubles, rightly so. Paired product is a “clamshell” 6600 fold, but it is less interesting.
9 th place – LG KF755 Secret

Stylish and technologically slider. If it were not for the brand LG, sold in Russia would be excellent, although gradually loyalty to the brand is gaining momentum and we have. The good products are very interesting, and KF755 in particular. This is a unique response to Samsung U900 Soul, but more manufacturable. Camera – a key feature – boasts the ability to record VGA-video is available as a regime in which imprinted on 120 frames cekundu.
LG KF755 Secret

Unfortunately, the machine is not as convenient as the U900, and even a bit more expensive. But technologically through the touch screen, motion sensor, and other pleasant things. Perhaps the most successful mobile phone LG this year, and for all time the existence of the brand. We look forward to 8-megapixel KC910 closer to winter, the apparatus is also promising. A KF755 is now possible to buy about 13 000 rubles.
8 th place – Motorola ROKR E8

Against the background of the ever growing rumors of the imminent demise of the American giant as the original product for Motorola in very handy. The creators of the cult RAZR did not change his principles and fired functionally innovative phone with a powerful charge of style. The model is a music-background with a 3,5 mm jack and a slider lock.

Motorola ROKR E8

But the most interesting – it is situational stencils lights that are activated depending on the application. In addition, there are micro-vibration when pressing virtual buttons and a touch navigation half-circle. All together great looks and unusual works. Young people will love it – the more it is worth E8 reasonable money. In the near future will be even more accessible EM30 with similar properties and qualities. Cost is E8 in Russia’s retail trade is 9 000 rubles.
7 th place – Samsung U900 Soul

Flagship fashion handsets, Samsung is notable not only stylish design, but also a decent filling. Especially highlighted autofocus camera of 5 megapixels and a second display for navigation. Last unusual for a slider and is extremely rare. It is important that the touch control is really convenient – a first for solutions of this kind.
Samsung U900 Soul

As for the key features of U900 – design – then the flagship of good small thickness of the shell and an elegant metallic finish. Otherwise we ????????? slider Samsung all with appropriate characteristics. Active promotion of the model made a hit (sold over a million units), and the series continued U800 candy bar in the middle class. However, the original Soul and myself have already dropped in price, now it costs about 11 000 rubles.
6 th place – Nokia E71 and E66

Keyboard with the advent of smartphones E61i finally began on a mass product, so it is an advanced version in the form of E71 waited many. More expected was a new corporate slider Nokia, which has become the most massive of the smartphone Eseries. New items have appeared simultaneously and interesting, each in its own way.

Nokia E66

Keyboard E71 has become less convenient (trade-offs associated with mobility), but otherwise complete order: a nice design with the use of metal, not a bad camera at 3.2 megapixels with autofocus and so on. Devices differ only in foreign sales, including the form factor. Prices, of course, different too – 14 000 rubles for E66 and 15 000 rubles for E71.
5 th place – Sony Ericsson C905

“Arms race” camera on the market continues, now a battleground to 8 megapixels. Swedish-Japanese conglomerate has announced the first such device, but it appears a little later “Korean” – in October, but the expected minimum price for such decisions, at least before the KC910, – 20 000 rubles. It carries with C905 and the i8510 does not make them direct competitors.

Sony Ericsson C905

In contrast to Samsung, this model is a normal telephone, but the functionality at a height, there’s even a Wi-Fi, and GPS, which is unusual for a phone. In addition, happy design with metal. The appearance of KC910 price drops, and the choice between these devices is not obvious.
4 th place – Motorola ZINE ZN5

The long-awaited camera phone designed in collaboration with Kodak, and at the same time is the first 5-megapixel American giant. Tube and the truth turned out wonderful – functional and inexpensive. In a word, balanced. Over 14 000 rubles. Motorola offers an excellent 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, xenon flash, direct blogging, and other charms and so much more useful. There is a built-in Wi-Fi, which is unusual for a phone, a camera phone for a very, very helpful – to upload captured in a blog, for example.

Motorola ZINE ZN5

Nice design and good ergonomics complete the picture. Also worth mentioning jack 3,5 mm, decent sound quality (no worse than the ROKR E8) and excellent sensitivity for FM-tuner. If the new and the truth will be released in late September (in China, for example, it has sold since July) on the planned price, the market pyatimegapikselnyh tubes appear serious competitor Nokia.
3rd place – Samsung i8510

For the first time the Koreans ahead of the Finns in their own field – S60. New camera phone Samsung will be the first device on the market with 8-megapixel module. It is expected that the model will be available in the domestic retail before the end of September and costs 27 000 rubles. Masthead smartphone with a better camera, though not cheap.

Samsung i8510

Filling saturated, there are all familiar to hi-end-line of smartphones Nokia Nseries – Wi-Fi, GPS and so on. Interestingly a large display with a diagonal of 2,8 “, as well as ample memory array of 8 / 16 GB with expandable through microSD. If the device came under the brand of Nokia, would sell very well, but he’s already become a notable event this fall in the market.
2 nd place – Nokia N79

This smartphone is interesting classic neutral form factor and powerful camera – as practice shows sales of N82, a combination of more than relevant. Device is the development of N82, and N78, but not their replacement. Nokia itself said that the correct total take N79 successor religious traditions N73.

Nokia N79

An interesting feature of the N79 is a set of removable panels, as well as their corresponding themes menu. The rest – a proposal already familiar to the aforementioned representatives of the Nseries. There is a complete set – Wi-Fi, GPS, and a powerful 5-megapixel camera and FM-transmitter, like the N86, but the screen is another, less quality. Overall – decent proposal in its class, is expected in October at a price 17 000 rubles.
1 st place – Nokia N85

Last year, the N95 camera phone has become the first truly large-scale apparatus with a 5-megapixel camera, an earlier KG920 does not count. Now the Finns develop a successful idea. The new N85 in the first place has a nice design and quality performance, but the camera stayed roughly the same, but the outbreak has changed – it is now double, LED. In addition, a more capacious battery, the screen is better and so on.

We also found it interesting topic in China, although in certain aspects. Namely – Chinese cell phone makers and their influence on the global mobile market. Moreover, the influence of companies from the Middle Kingdom has long been very noticeable. Today, it affects not only the scope of the contract manufacturing mobile phones for OEM-ODM-and agreements with leading global companies, but also develop their own original models. Chinese vendors, entrenched in the domestic market for several years actively seeking out international mobile arena. Moreover, to this end, local companies are not averse to buy mobile units is much more well-known corporations. Including these transactions allow a person-promoted brand (before the eyes of examples TCL and Alcatel, CEC and Philips).

Russia is one of the priority markets for Chinese manufacturers of mobile phones. More interesting to get acquainted with them closer, to find out whether they have any competitive advantage over the leading industry players such as Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and others. Interestingly, despite the obvious difference in the classroom and scale of production, companies from the Middle Kingdom and their products have already succeeded in some ways to correct the direction of the mobile industry. Perhaps in the future we expect other surprises … However, it is worth, perhaps, go directly to the heroes of today’s thematic review.

History of the Chinese mobile market

Certainly, the development of the Chinese mobile market has had a tremendous influence the status of China as the world’s assembly shop of various high-tech products. Transfer telecommunications companies of their plants in China, including those led to a sufficiently early development of mobile communications in the country.

Already in 1992, Motorola has built in China, Asia’s largest production capacity for the production of mobile phones. In the future, its example was followed by other corporations such as Siemens, Ericsson (later – Sony Ericsson), Nokia and others. However, the dominance of foreign manufacturers has led to insufficient active development of the Han Chinese companies. As a result, the first real Chinese GSM mobile phone was manufactured in China only in 1996. This is significant for the Chinese domestic market event occurred through the efforts of staff of the Institute for Information Industry.

However, more Chinese manufacturers are hopelessly lost the world’s leading companies. Thus, all the domestic cellular market by 1997, there were only five actual Chinese companies.

Realizing the prospects of deploying cellular networks in the country with such a huge population, foreign companies did not stint on investment in the production of mobile phones. Actively building factories for the production of mobile phones, including in special economic zones like Shenzhen. Thus, for the period from 1999 to 2002, foreign companies have invested over 10 billion dollars in the development of mobile phone production in China. Of course, the lion’s share of production of these plants was sent for export, however, and the internal Chinese market is not suffering from a shortage of supply from world producers.

Another impetus to the development of mobile industry served as China’s accession to the WTO in 2001. In order to resist further enhance the foreign companies in connection with this, 17 Chinese manufacturers of mobile phones even united – in the same year – in the alliance China Mobile Communications Association. The purpose of this neoplasm was the unification of efforts in research and development, as well as issues related to logistics and distribution of finished products.

This consolidation has led to certain results. In 2001, the share of Chinese phone manufacturers in the domestic market amounted to no more than 10%. But by 2003 it had risen to 40%.

No less interesting is the question of the standards of cellular communication in China. Naturally, GSM has been and remains the dominant standard. At the same time for several years now is a lot of conversations about the deployment in the country networks of third generation 3G. However, in spite of today’s existing technology WCDMA (UMTS) and CDMA2000 U.S. company Qualcomm, the PRC government has made a bet on developed by Chinese company Datang Telecom Technology original standard TD-SCDMA (Time Division – Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access).

Using this standard in the domestic Chinese market of mobile communication would avoid the royalty for the use of proprietary standards, CDMA and UMTS. However, even the developer of the standard TD-SCDMA, the company Datang Telecom Technology, acknowledges that the technology is inferior to existing solutions. Nevertheless, in the early decades of the development of the standard TD-SCDMA went very active. Datang Telecom Technology managed to create a pool of many telecommunications companies such as Motorola, Nokia, Ericsson, Nortel, NTT DoCoMo, Qualcomm, local developers Huawei Technologies, Legend, Soutec, China Electronics, China Putain and ZTE. The German company Siemens has become a strategic partner of Datang Telecom Technology, investing in the development of TD-SCDMA standard, the order of 200 million euros.

However, the introduction of cellular networks of the third generation was much more lengthy process than expected. At the time, representatives of the International Olympic Committee had promised that the cellular network of the third generation will earn in the country before the Olympic Games in Beijing. That did not happen, and testing of national commercial mobile network standard, TD-SCDMA, to identify and eliminate potential technical problems that had just begun. Serious delays were caused mainly by the immaturity of the standard TD-SCDMA, a lot of time spent on the refinement of technology.

However, and market GSM-making is very interesting. The leader of the Chinese cellular market is the operator of China Mobile Communications Corporation, controlled by the Chinese government (Ministry of Information Technology of China). The company was formed in 2000 through the provision of the state telecommunications company, China Telecom and the first years became a record number of subscribers. Today it is the largest cellular operator in the world. Suffice it to say that the number of subscribers of China Mobile than the U.S. population (more than 376 million people), and a market capitalization of more than 300 billion dollars. In addition to the domestic market, the operator is actively developing and other Asian markets for mobile communications.

Another leading operator of China is also a state-owned China Unicom. This statement is remarkable in that a few years ago began to develop a line of IP-telephony.

The total number of subscribers in China now exceeds 600 million people (almost twice the number of users of fixed telephone) – an impressive figure. Nevertheless, given that China’s population exceeds 1 billion people, mobile telephony market in the country is still far from saturation. Together with India, China is the fastest growing mobile market. Although, in fairness, it should be noted that India still lags far behind China in this regard – to date, the customer base in this country does not exceed 300 million people.

Obviously, to provide all these hundreds of millions of subscribers in China, mobile phones just to foreign producers such as Nokia, Samsung and others, not under force. Chinese companies also play an important role in ensuring public offerings for mobile communications.

Domestic mobile phone market in China today – players and solutions

Today the share of foreign companies in the domestic mobile market remains high. Market leaders are – as everywhere – Finnish Nokia, U.S. Motorola and Sony Ericsson. However, Chinese companies have strong positions. Along with leading players, such as Shenzhen Zhonxing Telecom (ZTE), Huawei Technologies, Amoi, Bird, there are dozens of smaller manufacturers.

Moreover, the Chinese mobile phone market, despite the continued high rate of development, today there is a clear overabundance of producers. Thus, already in the past year the number of companies licensed to manufacture mobile phones has exceeded 80. But small companies are no longer able to maintain a high rate of production of mobile phones in response to falling profitability. As a result, they are forced to merge with larger players or even withdraw from the market, minimize or sell produce. However, this happens not only with small companies.

Thus, in April this year the company Lenovo, known worldwide as a manufacturer of notebook ThinkPad (legacy IBM), but at the same time producing and mobile phones, announced the sale of its mobile unit for $ 100 million.

In this connection it must be recognized that the Chinese mobile phone market is gradually entering a phase of consolidation and stagnation, decline in profitability due to release phones. While it is this fact does not affect the volume of handset sales. Last year, the number of vehicles sold on the domestic Chinese market totaled 101 million devices. This year, plans to sell 122 million mobile phones and 142 million – next year.

Clones

In an effort to reduce costs, many Chinese manufacturers, especially far from the leading positions, go to the various steps. Some of them did compromise the Chinese companies as producers of independent mobile solutions. As we know from other fields (hours, MP3-players, other digital equipment), small Chinese firmochki not averse to copy the design well-known manufacturers. Further minimize the costs lead to the use of extremely cheap materials shell. It also leads to the majority of companies use one or two platforms (in particular, Spreadtrum Chinese and Taiwanese MediaTek). But disappointingly low level of quality control in production, localization of products (if they are supplied to foreign markets) completes the picture.

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As a result of all this leads to an enormous number of low-quality mobile phones, clones, which discredit the Chinese manufacturers as the original developers of mobile phones. Meanwhile, the domestic Chinese market is enough and such companies that offer really interesting and high-quality solutions, although at a higher price, comparable to the cost of products known manufacturers of mobile phones.

If we talk about counterfeit products known companies, then you can sort out some key points. Most cloned innovations in the mobile industry, the flagship product lines of manufacturing companies, and just expensive phones (including Class Luxury, such as Vertu, for example). Intensified subjected to cloning and fashionable at the moment the model. Thus, at various times been popular counterfeit Motorola RAZR V3, Sony Ericsson K750i.

At the same time from the cloned phone in the forgery remains except a hint of design, photographic resemblance to the original is not necessary. The software is filling completely different. In particular, none of the fake Nokia you will not find a real working Symbian OS. In some cases, the design of the main menu, icons repeat the original, but nothing more.

Naturally, neither of which the outstanding quality of materials shell not speak. Chinese manufacturers can improve the quality of manufacture, use ????????? plastic, but all this would increase the cost of production. The same applies to technical characteristics. In a cheap knockoff top models, by definition, can not install the same camera module or the same quality screens. In the most “severe” cases and simplifies the design at all – for example, fake “sliders» Nokia N95 and the Nokia 8800 is miraculously transformed into monoblocks. Like producers of clones and create hybrids, borrowing design and specifications of two or more devices.

“Generic traits” characteristic of the Chinese manufacturers today are also able to influence the nature of manufactured solutions. As a result, phones acquire such parameters, which are never met in the original models – touch screens, the ability to work with two SIM-cards, a few speakers and so on. By the way, not always for the users phone-clone is a drawback.

Special mention deserve the name of cloned vehicles. Their producers prefer to produce vehicles under the names resonate official: Veptu, Anycoll, Amycoll (from Anycall – Samsung brand for the Asian market), Nokla, N [] kia, Nckia, Nokir, Sang Ericsson, Suny Ericssun and the like. The index of models may vary in very wide range, from the real signs copied devices (N95, for example) to the most fantastic (Sony Ericsson F1). Much credit for this belongs to the Internet. Thanks to insiders from the camp of companies that produce information about the future premieres in the network is laid out well before the official announcement. This allows creators to stay ahead of counterfeiting, and by the time the novelty of its clones may be a long time to sell. Exactly one year before the official announcement emerged clone of Nokia N79. Of course, with a completely different design and performance, inspired by the then smartphones N-series.

Motorola C118 combines excellent design and ergonomics at an attractive price. The cost of the apparatus is 1000 rubles, for this amount you get a small piece (size Motorola C118 are 101h48h23 mm, and weight – 80 g) with good appearance. Motorola C118 – a more elaborated clone mobile phone Motorola C115, only with more high-quality durable plastic and with larger buttons. The front panel is the display with a resolution of 96×64 pixels monochrome display with blue backlight.

Functional device is small and fully consistent with the cost. From the useful and necessary here is a football game, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer, calculator and currency converter.

Manufacturers equipped S118 Li-Ion battery 920 mAh, which allows you to explore the phone on a single charge 8 hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby time.

Philips 192 will cost 100 rubles more expensive than the previous phone for the money you get a very pleasant to use, small and thin telefonchik with a set of necessary functions. The size of this little device is 43x104x11 mm, weight 60 g. Could not looking at the light and slim body, in the hand Philips 192 is very convenient!

Singularities of the Philips 192 no, there are only pluses: comfortable rubber keypad, color display (the display resolution is 128×128 pixels, the number of displayed colors – over 65 thousand), fast charging time. Incidentally, the battery, which supports the efficiency of mobile phones, has a capacity of 650 mAh, the battery life in talk mode for 3 hours, Standby time – 240.

Nokia 1200 – the niche “Nokia” with a price tag just under 1200 rubles (some would say that the model name of speaking). Nokia 1200 is made in a classic candy bar body with no external antenna from a very rigid and elastic plastic. To break this up would be enough is not easy. Despite its low cost machine made qualitatively.

Nokia 1200 is equipped with a monochrome display with green backlight. Permission is 96×68 pixels. Information on the display reads very well, people with impaired vision will not feel discomfort. Functional device is good, for little price you get a phone equipped with an alarm clock (both single and daily basis), memo, 3 games, calculator, converter, timer, calendar, stopwatch, Composer and a flashlight.

Nokia 1200 Size 44x102x18 mm and weight 77 ?.

LG KG270 – another representative of the super-budget mobile phones worth 1180 rubles. The device has a classic case, no external antenna. The front panel is a color display, made by STN technology – in the sun read problem. Display resolution 128×128 pixels, the number of displayed colors – 65 thousand.

Functionally, the apparatus is the same as the phones, I have described earlier, but there is one good raisin – FM radio. Size LG KG270 are 45x98x13 mm, Weight 73 ?. Li-Ion 750 mAh battery allows you to work out a mobile phone 3 hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby time.

Fly V70 – the most “advanced” mobile phone of this review. For the price slightly less than 1300 rubles you get a small one-piece phone with rounded corners with the most necessary functions, as well as with a camera. The front panel is a color STN display with a resolution of 46×101 pixels which displays 65536 colors.

The functional phone certainly is not great, but, in fact, there is all right, but for this price so all is well: calendar, alarm clock, calculator and stopwatch. In addition to the Fly V70 is built-in camera with a resolution of 640×480 pixels. To store the captured images 6.7 MB user available. Dimensions Fly V70 46x101x13 mm, weight – 70 g. Battery Li-Ion 750 mAh capacity allows you to work out 3 hours 20 minutes in conversation and 200 hours of standby time.

This concludes our review of the five most ultrabyudzhetnyh mobile phone worth up to 1300 rubles. If you are looking for is most devevy mobile phone, apart from those on the market no longer exists.