In today’s world, absolutely no one can live without their smartphones! I mean, I need mine by my side at all times, and I am quite heavily dependent on it. And, The iPhone is pretty much one of the most popular phones in the world. I mean I’ve been using one for the past 7 years, and I don’t think I’m transitioning to any other smartphone company anytime soon. Although let’s accept the fact that the iPhone 13 was a total snoozefest. The build-up to the product was, in all honesty, more exciting than the final product itself. But, inventors and creators have been pushing all boundaries and have managed to design innovative smartphones that in all honesty are even better than the iPhone 13. From a OnePlus smartphone concept with a single large rotating camera to a rugged smartphone with a DSLR-like camera– smartphones these days are getting bigger and better than ever. This collection of groundbreaking smartphone concepts is something all tech-heads would love to see in reality!
1. iPhone 14 Concept
How the next exciting iPhone will look is anybody’s guess, for now, to be frank, but industrial designer Laci Lacko believes it could be a radical leap with its roots tracing back to the iPhone 7 series. That similar rounded side design lends it a thin feel in hand. Surprisingly, the designer doesn’t give us a peek into the front of the device, but going by the rumor mill, it should have minimal (as compared to iPhone 13) or no notch at all. What’s highlighted in this concept phone is the rear camera module. A big protruding single 35mm lens setup that has an f1.2 I aperture sensor promises the ultimate photography experience. Something comparable to a DSLR.
2. The SPhone Concept
The Meizu Pro 7 took a bold step with the vertical secondary screen below the camera module to offset the traditional phone market. The SPhone by Sergey Popovich looks inspired by this niche smartphone design language with a utility that goes just beyond the display of important notifications. It’s all about creating a space for placing favorite widgets, especially with the possibilities of the Android 12 operating system which sets its focus on functionality and UI design to get more done with beautiful interface design aesthetics at the core. On top of that, the secondary screen on the rear comes in handy for making video calls with the primary lens which is always more potent than the on-screen camera.
3. Nicola Morelli’s Soul smartphone concept
The modularity dream for a phone that can swap parts like a Lego brick is still longing for perfection and this concept fuels the fire. Just like the Fairphone, Nicola Morelli’s Soul smartphone concept gives us something to dream about. A phone that can turn into a high-end DSLR camera or turn into a high-end customizable accessory for fitness freaks. The Nintendo Switch-like interactive vibe is more about changing the format of the gadget using extensive modules rather than just adding functions with internal hardware swapping. Soul itself is one of the modules and the other attachable modules are called bodies. The main module itself can be used as a basic smartphone when you don’t require any other functions.
4. The Xiaomi Mi phone
Industrial designer Yifan Hu has come up with the Xiaomi Mi phone of the future inspired by the brand’s latest venture into the “Alive” branding identity announced in March 2021. The phone follows the “Alive” philosophy to the core to signifying a profoundly active life. Have a closer look at the rounded body frame and the contoured camera module housing. Even the phone profile toggling button carries the same theme for visual uniformity. The device is pretty thin and looks ergonomically balanced to hold for the feel-good factor. Quite aptly, the new “Alive” themed logo on the back perfectly matches the overall design of the concept smartphone. Yifan imagines the device in wantable colors, including coral green, see blue, peppy orange, off white, and grey.
5. The Vivo Tri-fold
What’s remarkable about this Vivo phone concept is that it’s nothing like the smartphone you’ve got in your pocket right now (or in your hand, if you’re reading this on your phone). The Vivo Tri-fold is basically a tablet that folds twice in a Z-shape (much like this Samsung concept), but somehow still manages to retain an incredibly slim profile, measuring no more than a marginally thick smartphone from roughly a decade ago. The Z-shaped folding technique gives you a screen on the front that lets you use the Vivo Tri-Fold like a regular phone, while its complex hinge system allows you to open it up into a tablet that can either be used in-hand or kept standing upright on a tabletop surface (probably using a pop-out stand) while the projectors at the lower corners kick in to give you a virtual keyboard to type on.
6. The THEIA Imaging Smartphone Concept
The designer calls this the THEIA Imaging Smartphone Concept, and instantly it gives off that peculiar camera dominant vibe. Looking more like a typical handheld gaming console from the yesteryears – the ones that played 2D games in monochrome colors – the concept looks like any other smartphone up-front. But on the rear side, it has a completely alien design to cater to premium photography and video shooting needs. It even has a small screen on the rear specifically in place for creating vlogging content. There’s a vertical-aligned screen right by the side of a 50 MP 1/1.12″ camera sensor (comparable to a 28mm / f1.8 DSLR lens) to make it ultra-easy for people who shoot a lot of videos/photos. Such a good sensor means the low light photography is a step up from flagships on the market.
7. Evan Huang’s Smartphone Concept
The new concept Android smartphone designed by Evan Huang is a little odd in today’s scenario since nothing of the sort has been attempted before. The traditional smartphone has been integrated with the cylindrical loft that either house a speakers system, or a camera module with flash for photography on both sides. Interestingly this extension of the smartphone is delivered in either metal or plastic body. For those who wouldn’t want the metal bar on the head of the smartphone peeking oddly from the plastic flame, the designer visions the frame halfway in metal to complement the look. The phone is idealized in a slew of pastel colors, and there are also models that feature an interesting blend of two hues.
8. Vivo Smartphone Concept
Sliding cameras on smartphones aren’t new, although Vivo’s concept takes it a couple of notches ahead. The patent shows a phone with a massive pop-out tray on the front. Within it, sits a tiny drone (sort of like the Air Selfie Drone from AirPix but smaller) with four propellers and a bunch of cameras and sensors. Fire your camera app and the tray instantly pops out and the drone takes off. A front-facing camera on the drone’s body lets you click photos (either of yourself or of landscapes) from a variety of vantage points, going above and beyond what your smartphone camera and your outstretched hand can do.
9. OnePlus Smartphone Concept
Based on a patent from 2020 discovered by LetsGoDigital, OnePlus could possibly be working on a smartphone with a single primary lens that rotates independently, eliminating tilt while filming videos for more stabilized footage. The details or the functionalities of such a camera remain unknown, although LetsGoDigital tapped into the talents of Technizo Concept to help render this idea to life. The results feel like a fusion of OnePlus’ later phones along with a camera that’s highly reminiscent of the Nokia Lumia 1020. The camera, according to the patent, isn’t like your pop-up camera, which is featured on the OnePlus 7 Pro, but rather, uses a series of magnets to rotate in its place like a turntable. While the immediate benefits of such a shooting mode aren’t entirely apparent, it definitely goes a long way in eliminating jittery footage caused by the hands shaking while capturing videos.
10. Spinelli’s Galaxy Z Flip 3
Not sure if it’s the design of the phone or the render quality, but 3D artist Giuseppe Spinelli really seems to have outdone himself with this concept phone. Spinelli’s rendition of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 sports the best parts of all of Samsung’s past phones. On the inside, it has even thinner bezels than its 2020 counterpart, a hole-punch camera for good measure, and that gorgeous vertical folding screen. Flip the phone over and it’s reminiscent of the Moto Razr, with a pretty neat secondary display, and a camera module with three lenses (a first for vertical folding phones).
