Balmuda Phone’s fancy curves

Balmuda Phone. © Balmuda.

Recently, all phones have looked a lot alike. But that’s definitely not the case with the new, simply named Balmuda Phone from Japan. First, it was created by Balmuda, a company better known for its stylish, high-end household appliances such as air purifiers, rice cookers and toasters. Then, entirely designed for compactness and elegance, its case has curves that better fit the palm of your hand, differentiating it from its peers that are flat slates. The device has a 4.9-inch 1920x1080 display, which is roughly comparable to an iPhone SE. The technical characteristics are rather “mid-range” with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 processor, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage and a 2500 mAh battery. The Android 11 based system with its new interface and functions is also very different from what is found on most current Android phones. The Balmuda phone will be sold in Japan, unlocked, for 104,800 JPY, or roughly CA$ 1,150, starting in early January. It’s not cheap, but we’re talking about an item by a company that sells a $ 380 toaster. Though Balmuda has operations in the United States, there is no sign that the phone will be available in North America.

⇨ The Verge, Sam Byford, “The Balmuda Phone is a compact Android phone from a high-end toaster company.”

⇨ Ars Technica, Ron Amadeo, “A Japanese toaster company makes the most unique Android phone of the year.”

2021-11-16