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Another grassroots-y story has spawned on Kickstarter. This time, Ubik wants to make an affordable smartphone that cuts out the middleman, which doesn’t sound all that different from OnePlus’s story (except OnePlus got its start without needing to go the crowdfunding route).
So what’s good with the Ubik Uno? A lot. It isn’t amazing in any one area, but we’re promised a solid smartphone at a reasonable price of $280-$299 for the earliest Kickstarter backers (its price post-Kickstarter will start at $345). Here’s what’s under the hood:
- MediaTek MT6795 64-bit Octa-Core chipset at 2.2GHz
- 5.5-inch 1080p display with Gorilla Glass 3
- 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and microSD up to 64GB
- 20.0MP Sony Exmor RS IMX230, up to 4K video
- 3,100mAh battery
- Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi AC, NFC, GPS, FM Radio
- Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box with no customization
For build, it features an aluminum frame, and there’s almost no bezel to deal with. And that’s about all for hardware. Like we said, the phone itself is nothing special.
Ubik’s promise, though, is that this is only the beginning of an ongoing “collaboration” with folks who choose to buy and support the Ubik Uno. Community will be at the heart of everything they do, and their future software and hardware development will always be shaped by the vocal community. You vote you want a smaller display or more internal storage? They’ll go with the majority and make sure it happens for the next phone, and the phone after that.
That’s a promise, though, and we’ll have to wait until time comes for the sequel to see if they follow through. For now, though, you can head right here to order the Ubik Uno if you’re looking for a no frills phone whose future isn’t at the mercy of out-of-the-loop corporate bigwigs. The earliest shipments are scheduled to arrive September 2015.
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