Unihertz

Unihertz is a Chinese firm that makes unique smartphones and has its headquarters in Shanghai, China.[1] The company makes niche mobile devices running Android OS, and developed its brand through Kickstarter platform. From 2017 to 2022, Unihertz has launched eight campaigns on Kickstarter and is supported by more than 30 thousand backers from across the world. The company's first release was the small-sized 4G smartphone named Jelly in 2017, which raised over 1.25 million dollars on the crowdfunding platform.

Unihertz E-Commerce Co., Ltd.
Unihertz
IndustryConsumer electronics
Founded2016 (2016)[1]
FounderStephen Xu (CEO)[2]
Headquarters
Shanghai
,
China
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsSmartphones
Websiteunihertz.com

Company

Unihertz was founded as Unihertz E-Commerce Co., Ltd. in 2016,[1] by Stephen Xu (CEO).[2] Unihertz was granted a United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) trademark on October 4, 2016,[3] a European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) trademark on July 28, 2016,[4] and a US patent on December 25, 2018. [5]

Crowdfunding Smartphones

Unihertz gained attention in 2017 with the launch of a crowdfunding project for a tiny credit card sized Android smartphone named Unihertz Jelly, with the Kickstarter project achieving its goal of $30,000 in under an hour, reaching $1.25 million USD in the end.[6][7] The next year's funds were raised for the Atom, a similarly tiny sized but rugged device.[8] In 2019 Unihertz launched the Titan, which features a QWERTY keyboard.[9]

Since then, Unihertz has launched several crowdfunding projects for its subsequent model including the Atom XL – DMR Walkie-Talkie rugged smartphone with a 4-inch display, the Jelly 2 – a full-featured mini phone with a 3-inch display, the Titan Pocket – a compact QWERTY keyboard smartphone,[10] the TickTock, a unique-designed 5G rugged phone with dual-screen, and the Titan Slim, the latest QWERTY phone in 2022.[11]

Model Main Features Crowdfunding Achievement Release Time
Jelly/ Jelly Pro Unihertz's first Kickstarter project on Kickstarter. It was then the smallest 4G smartphone (2.45-inch screen display). It runs Android 7.0, which was later upgraded to Android 8.1 Oreo. The smartphone was also released on Indiegogo.[12] US$ 1.25M

10,964 backers

 2017
Atom The rugged version of Jelly, which is called the world's smallest 4G rugged smartphone. Atom is an IP68 certified smartphone with a small screen of the same size as Jelly. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo when first release and later get upgraded to Android 9 Pie. Atom has a better battery capability (2,000mAh).[13] US$ 1.29M

5,310 backers

 2018
Titan Titan was Unihertz's first try on the QWERTY smartphone of Android version. It is also an IP67-rated rugged smartphone with a large battery capacity (6,000mAh).[9] The smartphone originally runs Android 9 and get upgraded to Android 10 Queen Cake. US$ 776K

3,085 backers

 2019
Atom XL/L Atom XL and Atom L are the upgraded version of Atom, with a larger 4-inch screen size, which is still small and can be held in one hand, and a 4,300mAh battery. The only difference between XL and L lies in the presence of the walkie-talkie function. The smartphone runs Android 10 and then get upgraded to Android 11 Red Velvet Cake.[14] US$ 568K

2,341 backers

 2020
Jelly 2 Jelly 2 is the successor of the first generation Jelly, the small-sized Android smartphone that shook the industry. It runs Android 10 and has a 2,000mAh battery capacity.[15] Its latest Android OS released by the firm is Android 11. US$ 979K

5,343 backers

 2020
Titan Pocket Titan Pocket is android QWERTY smartphone for PKB Fans. It is smaller than the company's previous QWERTY model and is equipped with Android 11.[16] Coming with a 4,000mAh battery, Titan Pocket is more compact. US$ 794K

3,425 backers

 2021
TickTock A brand new 5G rugged smartphone with a large 6,000mAh battery, featuring a unique dual screen design and runs Android 11.[11] It is a rugged device designed for people who enjoy outdoor activities and often stay outside or travel for days. US$ 184K

608 Backers

 2022
Titan Slim The new Titan Slim adopts a rectangular screen. It is made sleeker and slimmer than its previous QWERTY models, which will be the easiest to hold and type among the Titan series.[17] It is powered by Android 11 and equipped with a 4100mAh battery. US$ 589K

2,281 Backers

 2022

Other Smartphones

Unihertz owns a self-operated smartphone manufacturing plant with a full production line to make unique smartphones for different types of people. It usually launches one or two new products on Kickstarter every year. Unihertz also releases and launches complementary products to its featured product series when it has sufficient funds. Among them, Unihertz Tank is a new breakthrough in rugged phone development. It is a 4G rugged smartphone with a 22,000mAh battery and equipped with a 108MP main camera.[18] Its innovative 1200-lumen flashlight design in the back sparked a wide range of discussion on social media.

It is reported that Unihertz will release a new stylish smartphone called Luna at MWC 2023,[19] as well as showcase its unique devices during the exhibition. Luna is expected to be another innovative device from Unihertz with a fresh design direction.

References
  1. "About Unihertz - Linkedin".
  2. Mini phone maker admits performance shortcomings. BBC. October 23, 2017.
  3. "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  4. "UniHertz Trademark of Shanghai Unihertz E-Commerce Co., Ltd. Application Number: 015311277 :: Trademark Elite Trademarks". www.trademarkelite.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  5. "United States Patent, Mobile Terminal". US Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  6. Jelly, the world’s smallest LTE and Nougat smartphone, reaches Kickstarter goal in under an hour. pocketnow.com
  7. Cervantes, Edgar (June 3, 2017) Unihertz Jelly review: a tiny phone with huge aspirations. androidauthority.com
  8. Cervantes, Edgar (December 27, 2018) Unihertz Atom review: You won't want to use it, and that's the point. androidauthority.com
  9. Unihertz Announces Launch of Titan – Unbreakable Smartphone With QWERTY Keyboard. PR Newswire. July 30, 2019
  10. O'Donnell, Deirdre (May 20, 2021) Unihertz puts its smallest physical-keyboard phone yet up for crowdfunding. notebookcheck.net
  11. Ltd, Shanghai Unihertz E.-Commerce. "New Kickstarter Campaign of Unihertz - TickTock, a 5G Rugged Phone with Unique Dual-Screen". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  12. "Unihertz Jelly Pro Review". PCMag. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  13. Miller, Mathew (June 5, 2018). "Unihertz Atom hands-on: Rugged tiny 4G smartphone keeps you connected in the field for less than $300". ZDNET.
  14. Bernath, Chase (July 24, 2021). "Unihertz Atom XL review: Walkie-talkie meets smartphone". Android Authority.
  15. Hager, Ryne (August 22, 2020). "Unihertz Jelly 2 review: Size matters". Android Police.
  16. Wedel, Chris (August 24, 2021). "Unihertz Titan Pocket review: A phone that's trying to do so much in too little space". Android Central.
  17. Unihertz. "Unihertz's Latest QWERTY Smartphone Raised 400K+ USD on Kickstarter in 12 Hours". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  18. "Unihertz Tank review: 100 days on a single charge". MSN. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  19. Unihertz. "Unihertz to Launch Luna, a Sleek and Stylish Smartphone, at MWC 2023". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved February 24, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.