Very small, removable action cam or E-Ink: New smartphones from IFA
While walking through the IFA, I have to search for the smartphones among robots, washing machines, and televisions. As soon as I find them, I am excited about the exciting new products.
While Xiaomi and Motorola are also present in Berlin, smaller manufacturers are dominating the smartphone news at IFA. The number of Chinese outdoor smartphones is striking, but European providers are also trying to find their niche.
Oukitel C17 and C26: Honey, I Shrunk the Smartphones
Often requested in comments and now finally here: small smartphones. Alongside many outdoor smartphones, the C17 and C26 can be found at the Oukitel booth. They look suspiciously similar to two large smartphones.
The specifications of the 4-inch smartphones are identical, including the storage variants:
- Android 16
- 13- and 5-megapixel cameras
- 2300 mAh battery, 10-watt charging speed
- 3 or 4 gigabytes of RAM
- 32 or 64 gigabytes of storage
- Unisoc T610 or T310
Price and availability are still unknown, but they first have to pass customs' trademark inspection.
Ulefone: Action cam, hot-swap battery, or distance measurement
The eye-catcher at the Ulefone booth is the Xsnap 7 Pro. I can remove an action cam from the back of the smartphone. With one battery charge, it records videos in 2.8K resolution for up to 40 minutes. Data transfer to the smartphone takes place via WiFi 6. This allows the Ulefone to serve as a 6.67-inch display for the small camera.
The Xsnap 7 Pro recharges the action camera multiple times from its 9300 mAh battery. The fixed cameras deliver images with 50 and 64 megapixels, and the front camera takes selfies with 32 megapixels. With the Dimensity 8400 and 12 gigabytes of RAM, the smartphone should offer enough performance. The 512 gigabytes of storage provide space for quite a few action videos. Cost: expected to be 1099 euros.
Next to the Xsnap 7 Pro is the Xever 8 at the Ulefone booth. The latch on the back is noticeable. I open a slider and remove the back cover. The second latch secures the 4800 mAh battery. I can replace it without the smartphone turning off. The built-in battery in the smartphone bridges about three minutes. Enough time for a battery change.
The rest of the rugged outdoor smartphone's equipment is unspectacular: 6.5-inch display, 8 gigabytes of RAM, 128 or 256 gigabytes of storage, Mediatek Helio G200, and 64 and 20-megapixel cameras on the back.
The Ulefone Armor 35 Pro has the same processor as the Xever 8. However, it is larger overall with its 6.79-inch display: it has an 11,000 mAh battery, 12 gigabytes of RAM, and three cameras on the back. The big special feature, however, is the laser rangefinder. Start the app, align the smartphone, and press a button. The smartphone then displays the measured distance. The range is 1.2 kilometers.
Also striking is the lamp made of 655 LEDs on the back. They generate a brightness of up to 900 lumens. A night vision camera and IP68 and IP69K certifications round off the outdoor smartphone. The Armor 35 Pro is scheduled to hit the market in September.
Blackview Xplore 6: Clip-on lens for an outdoor smartphone
Blackview is expanding the focal length of its Xplore 6 outdoor smartphone with a clip-on telephoto lens. This only attaches to a special case, but brings the focal length of the 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera to 230 millimeters. Without the clip-on lens, it only offers a 3x zoom compared to the 50-megapixel main camera.
On the back of the Xplore 6 is a 1.47-inch touchscreen. It displays the time, acts as a viewfinder for the camera, or lets you control media playback. In terms of performance, the Blackview is excellently positioned with the Dimensity 9400+ and 18 gigabytes of RAM. The battery is huge at 12,000 mAh. Price and availability for us are not yet known.
Xiaomi 18 Fold: look but don't touch
Even before Xiaomi has properly introduced its 18 Fold, the manufacturer is presenting it at its trade fair booth. However, only for viewing under glass. A video is running on the foldable smartphone, but it does not move. For now, it is only intended to be available in China.
TCL P80 Ultra: E-Ink with AMOLED display
TCL has been using its Nxtpaper technology for some time to switch between a colorful and an energy-saving black-and-white view at the push of a button. The touchscreen remains faster than with classic E-Ink displays. Another option is a matte «Paper Mode». This is intended to be easy on the eyes by mimicking the properties of paper, for example by being slightly darker and making the color temperature warmer.
The TCL P80 Ultra is the first Nxtpaper smartphone with an AMOLED display. The top model's screen measures 6.83 inches and has a resolution of 2766 × 1280 pixels. The Dimensity 7400 Elite and eight gigabytes of RAM are responsible for the computing power. On the back are a 50-megapixel main camera, a 32-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 50-megapixel telephoto camera. The battery has a capacity of 5800 mAh.
In terms of price, the TCL P80 Ultra starts at 549 euros with 256 gigabytes of storage. 599 euros are charged for 512 gigabytes. Availability is still unclear.
Mudita Kompakt: Deceleration through E-Ink
Although already available, the Mudita Kompakt was a new discovery for me at IFA. The company, which comes from Poland, wants to offer deceleration above all with its handy smartphone. It can make calls, navigate, or take photos. These are still sent in color to other devices, however.
The E-Ink display reacts faster than other gray displays, but still slower than colorful touchscreens. There is currently no browser or social media app on the device. With Mudita OS 2.0, the selection of apps adapted for the E-Ink display is expected to increase in the fall.
Shifted iPhone: a new back for the iPhone
Shift from Hesse actually offers modular and easy-to-repair smartphones with its Shift Phones. In the meantime, however, the company is also turning to the iPhone. Under the label «Shifted iPhone», it offers new back covers for the iPhone 15 and 16 Pro. These are not glued and can be removed with a suction cup, which makes accessing components inside the device easier.
Either you buy a used Shifted iPhone directly from the company in Hesse or send in your iPhone. They then replace the original back cover under better conditions than would be possible at home. The back cover alone costs 88 euros; including installation service, it costs 133 euros. Shift is reducing both prices in its online shop to 69 and 104 euros respectively for the launch.
Motorola Edge 70 Plus: the seventh model in the series
At Motorola, who presented their new products away from the trade fair in a hotel ballroom, things are getting more boring. The Motorola Edge 70 Plus is the seventh model in the Edge 70 series. Compared to the standard model, it earns the Plus through a larger battery (6500 instead of 4800 mAh) and a higher resolution (200 instead of 50 megapixels) for the main camera.
The Edge 70 Plus would have deserved a minus in its name due to the omission of the second camera, the weaker chipset, and the reduction from waterproof to splash-proof. The smartphone is expected to be released in the coming weeks and cost 599 euros.
The Motorola Razr 70 offers purely visual changes with Swarovski crystals. 35 of the glittering glass stones are placed on the black smartphone. The limited-edition smartphone costs 999 euros.
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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