Unihertz
 | |
| Unihertz | |
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
| Founded | 2016[1] |
| Founder | Stephen Xu (CEO)[2] |
| Headquarters | , China |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Smartphones |
| Website | unihertz |
Unihertz is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer headquartered in Shanghai, China.[1] The company makes mobile devices running Android OS, targeted at niche audiences utilizing design features such as physical keyboards, small form factors, dual-sided screens, massive-capacity battery, projector function, laser rangefinder and ruggedization.
The registered brand Unihertz®[3] initially gained recognition on Kickstarter platform. The company's first project was the mini sized 4G smartphone named Unihertz Jelly in 2017, raising over $1.25 million on crowdfunding platform.
Company
[edit]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,[4] a European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) trademark on July 28, 2016,[5] and a US patent on December 25, 2018.[6]
Crowdfunding Smartphones
[edit]Unihertz gained attention in 2017 with the launch of its first crowdfunding project for a credit card sized Android smartphone named Unihertz Jelly,[7] with the Kickstarter project achieving its goal of $30,000 in under an hour, ultimately obtaining US$1.25 million. Another Kickstarter campaign was created to raise funds for the Unihertz Atom, a similarly sized device with a more rugged design.[8] In 2019 Unihertz launched Titan, which features a physical QWERTY keyboard.[9]
Since then, Unihertz has launched several crowdfunding projects for subsequent models including Atom XL – DMR Walkie-Talkie rugged smartphone with a 4-inch display,[10] Jelly 2 – a full-featured small smartphone with a 3-inch display,[11] Titan Pocket – a compact QWERTY keyboard smartphone,[12] TickTock – a 5G rugged phone with dual-screen,[13] Titan Slim – their latest QWERTY phone,[14] Jelly Star – the world's smallest Android 13 smartphone,[15] and Jelly Max – the world's smallest 5G smartphone.
| 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.[16] | 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).[17] | 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.[18] | US$ 568K
2,341 backers |
2020 |
| Jelly 2 | Jelly 2 is the successor of the first generation Jelly. It runs Android 10 and has a 2,000mAh battery capacity.[19] 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.[20] Coming with a 4,000mAh battery, Titan Pocket is more compact. | US$ 794K
3,425 backers |
2021 |
| TickTock | TickTock is a brand new 5G rugged smartphone with a large 6,000mAh battery, featuring a unique dual screen design and runs Android 11.[21] 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.[22] It is powered by Android 11 and equipped with a 4100mAh battery. | US$ 589K
2,281 Backers |
2022 |
| Jelly Star | Jelly Star is an elegant tiny smartphone with a transparent back panel, dynamic LED lighting, and advanced features packed into a credit card sized body, which is powered by Android 13 system.[15] | US$ 553K
2,281 Backers |
2023 |
| Jelly Max | Unihertz recently launched the Jelly Max on Kickstarter in June 2024, claiming it to be the world's smallest 5G smartphone.[23] According to the Kickstarter project timeline, mass production for this product has not commenced. | US$ 380K
1,471 Backers |
2024 |
Other Smartphones
[edit]Unihertz owns a self-operated smartphone manufacturing plant with a complete production line. In addition to their main featured product lines, the company also releases other unique devices on their official website. Examples include the Tank series and Luna. Tank series is a lineup of ruggedised mobile phones with unique features like compact 4.3-Inch display, large-capacity battery, projector function and laser rangefinder.[24]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "About Unihertz - Linkedin". LinkedIn.
- ^ a b "Mini phone maker admits performance shortcomings". BBC News. October 23, 2017.
- ^ "UNIHERTZ Trademark of Shanghai Unihertz E-Commerce Co., Ltd. Serial Number: 87581083 :: Trademark Elite Trademarks". Trademark Elite. August 23, 2017.
- ^ "Trademark Status & Document - Unihertz - US Serial Number: 87581083". United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). January 2, 2018.
- ^ "Trade mark information - UniHertz - Filing number 015311277". European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). July 26, 2016.
- ^ "United States Patent, Mobile Terminal, Patent No.: US-D836590-S". US Patent and Trademark Office. December 25, 2018.
- ^ "Jelly, the world's smallest LTE and Nougat smartphone, reaches Kickstarter goal in under an hour". Pocketnow. May 3, 2017.
- ^ "Unihertz Atom review: You won't want to use it, and that's the point". Android Authority. December 27, 2018.
- ^ a b Unihertz Announces Launch of Titan – Unbreakable Smartphone With QWERTY Keyboard. PR Newswire. July 30, 2019
- ^ "Unihertz Atom XL rugged smartphone review". TechRadar. January 26, 2021.
- ^ "Unihertz Jelly 2.0 review: Tiny Android 10 smartphone packs a punch". ZDNET. July 21, 2020.
- ^ "Unihertz Titan Pocket Review: A Niche Phone For Those Missing The BlackBerry". Forbes. November 24, 2021.
- ^ "Unihertz TickTock 5G dual-screen rugged smartphone review". TechRadar. December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Unihertz Titan Slim review: Back to the future". Android Police. May 8, 2022.
- ^ a b "Unihertz Jelly Star: The charming king of compact Android 13 smartphones". Irish Examiner. June 15, 2023.
- ^ "Unihertz Jelly Pro Review". PCMag. September 28, 2021.
- ^ "Unihertz Atom hands-on: Rugged tiny 4G smartphone keeps you connected in the field for less than $300". ZDNET. June 5, 2018.
- ^ "Unihertz Atom XL review: Walkie-talkie meets smartphone". Android Authority. July 24, 2021.
- ^ "Unihertz Jelly 2 review: Size matters". Android Police. August 22, 2020.
- ^ "Unihertz Titan Pocket review: A phone that's trying to do so much in too little space". Android Central. August 24, 2021.
- ^ "New Kickstarter Campaign of Unihertz - TickTock, a 5G Rugged Phone with Unique Dual-Screen". PR Newswire. February 23, 2023.
- ^ "Unihertz's Latest QWERTY Smartphone Raised 400K+ USD on Kickstarter in 12 Hours". PR Nnewswire. February 23, 2023.
- ^ "Unihertz Surpasses Funding Goal on Kickstarter with the Latest 5G Small Smartphone, Jelly Max". PR Newswire. July 18, 2024.
- ^ "Shop Tank Series / Luna on Unihertz Official Store". Unihertz.