Square, rectangular, bulky, super slim, even foldable; almost all forms and types of the ubiquitous smartphone have been experimented with. But a California-based startup still has an innovative and unusual design for the mobile phone which is billed as the stylish and sustainable device for the 'post-smartphone' era.
Designed by Monohm, the Monohm Runcible created waves when it was first teased at the 2015 Mobile World Congress. The strange-looking smartphone is inspired by the traditional pocket watch and looks like a pebble.
The improved version of the unconventional smartphone is now up for pre-orders on crowdfunding site Indiegogo at $399.
Despite it being an unusual looking phone, it does offer some modest features that make it a functional device and not just a concept. It has a small 2.5-inch round display offering 640 x 640 pixel resolution and comes with connectivity options like WiFi and Bluetooth. 4G capability will be pushed through an upgrade later.
In terms of its innards, the Monohm Runcible has a quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor coupled with 1 GB of RAM and a single 7 megapixel camera that can capture still images as well as videos. It includes only 8 GB of internal storage.
The improved version of the phone is powered by a custom version of Android 5.1 called BuniOS. Because of the size of the phone's display, not all Android apps are compatible with it and only those offered by the custom Android version work with it.
The basic Monohm Runcible smartphone is priced at $399 and comes with a recycled plastic back, while the premium model that is finished in sustainably sourced wood costs $100 more.
The first devices are expected to ship in September 2016.
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