The mobile phone with physical keyboard + ink screen is here, and this appearance is so cool!
Recently, Minimal showed off a phone called Minimal Phone on its website, and it is worth noting that this is a full keyboard + ink screen phone, and the crowdfunding campaign for this phone is scheduled to start in early February.
(Photo source: Minimal)
It runs a custom Android system optimized for low-power monochrome ink screens, MnmlOS, supports WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular network connections, also supports touchscreen operation, and also comes with a 4000mAh battery that claims to last up to 4 days and promises 5 years of software updates. The dimensions are expected to be 120 x 72 x 10 mm, with a target of crowdfunding 3,000 units. The retail price is expected to be $400, and it's uncertain whether the product will actually be mass-produced.
The Minimal Phone is unique in that it combines the features of an e-book with the functionality of a smartphone, with a physical keyboard similar to that of a BlackBerry, which is a bit unconventional in the current touchscreen-dominated smartphone market. This design also shows that it is not destined to become a mass product, even digital enthusiasts will not be too popular with it, and its market audience can be said to be very specific and niche.
(Photo source: Minimal)
Compared with traditional ink-screen e-books, its main difference is that it integrates the functionality of a smartphone. Traditional ink screen e-books are mainly used for reading, and the advantage is that they mimic the reading experience of paper books, are eye-friendly, and have a long battery life. Minimal Phone adds phone calls, text messages, basic functions of smartphones such as web browsing, etc., on this basis, so that users can enjoy the e-book reading experience at the same time, but also perform the function of daily communication, which is similar to the ink screen smartphone previously released by Hisense, but the difference is that he has added a physical keyboard, which is the same as BlackBerry.
(Photo source: Minimal)
BlackBerry phones are known for their physical full keyboard and features focused on business communication, while Minimal Phone introduces an e-ink screen while retaining the physical keyboard, in addition, BlackBerry phones have a proprietary operating system and a focus on security, while Minimal Phone runs a customized Android operating system that offers a wider range of applications and features.
(Photo source: Blackberry)
But BlackBerry has pulled out of the mobile phone market, reflecting the fact that physical keyboard phones are no longer widely popular in today's touchscreen-dominated market. At the same time, with relatively few e-book users and smartphones dedicated to e-ink screens even more scarce, Minimal Phone is not destined to appeal to mass users by combining all of these niche elements, but it may find its place in a particular niche market and will be highly dependent on the market's acceptance of its unique value and whether the company can effectively find its target audience.
Taken together, this product seems destined to be as niche as a collectible.