Unihertz

Last updated

Unihertz E-Commerce Co., Ltd.
Unihertz
Industry Consumer electronics
Founded2016;8 years ago (2016) [1]
FounderStephen Xu (CEO) [2]
Headquarters
Shanghai
,
China
Area served
Worldwide
Products Smartphones
Website unihertz.com

Unihertz is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer headquartered in Shanghai, China. [1] The company makes mobile devices running Android OS targeted at niche audiences such as physical keyboard, small form factor, or rugged design enthusiasts, and developed its brand through the Kickstarter platform. Between 2017 and 2022, Unihertz has launched eight campaigns on Kickstarter, reaching support from over 30 thousand backers. The company's first release was the small-sized 4G Unihertz Jelly in 2017, raising over 1.25 million dollars via crowdfunding.

Contents

Company

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, [3] a European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) trademark on July 28, 2016, [4] and a US patent on December 25, 2018. [5]

Crowdfunding Smartphones

Unihertz gained attention in 2017 with the launch of a crowdfunding project for a credit card sized Android smartphone named Unihertz Jelly, with the Kickstarter project achieving its goal of $30,000 in under an hour and ultimately reaching US$1.25 million. [6] [7] The next year's funds were raised for the Unihertz Atom, a similarly sized device with a more rugged design. [8] In 2019 Unihertz launched the Titan, which features a QWERTY keyboard. [9]

Unihertz has launched several crowdfunding projects for its subsequent model including the Atom XL – DMR Walkie-Talkie rugged smartphone with a 4-inch display, the Jelly 2 – a full-featured mini phone with a 3-inch display, the Titan Pocket – a compact QWERTY keyboard smartphone, [10] the TickTock, a 5G rugged phone with dual-screen, and the Titan Slim, their latest QWERTY phone in 2022. [11] Unihertz also launched two new models in 2023, the Jelly Star and Luna.

ModelMain FeaturesCrowdfunding AchievementRelease 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. [12] US$1.25M

10,964 backers

2017
Atom The rugged version of Jelly. Atom is IP68 certified with a screen of the same size as Jelly. First released with Android 8.1 Oreo and later upgraded to Android 9 Pie. Atom has a 2,000mAh battery. [13] US$1.29M

5,310 backers

2018
TitanTitan was Unihertz's first QWERTY smartphone running Android. It is IP67-rated with a 6,000mAh battery capacity and rugged design. [9] Initially released with Android 9 and later upgraded to Android 10 Queen Cake.US$ 776K

3,085 backers

2019
Atom XL/LAtom XL and Atom L are upgraded versions of Atom, with a larger 4-inch screen size and a 4,300mAh battery. Unihertz emphasises the one-handed usability of this handset. The only difference between XL and L is the walkie-talkie function. Initially released with Android 10 and later upgraded to Android 11 Red Velvet Cake. [14] US$ 568K

2,341 backers

2020
Jelly 2Jelly 2 is the successor of the first generation Jelly. It runs Android 10 and has a 2,000mAh battery capacity. [15] An upgrade to Android 11 has since been released.US$ 979K

5,343 backers

2020
Titan PocketTitan Pocket is an android QWERTY smartphone aimed at PKB enthusiasts. It is smaller than the previous Unihertz Titan and is equipped with Android 11. [16] The Titan Pocket features a 4,000mAh battery.US$ 794K

3,425 backers

2021
TickTock5G rugged smartphone with a 6,000mAh battery, featuring a dual screen design and runs Android 11. [11] Its target audience is people who engage in outdoor activities and often stay outside or travel for days.US$ 184K

608 Backers

2022
Titan SlimThe Titan Slim adopts a rectangular screen. It is made narrower than its previous QWERTY models, with the stated objective to be easiest to hold and type among the Titan series. [17] It features Android 11 and a 4100mAh battery.US$ 589K

2,281 Backers

2022

Other Smartphones

Unihertz owns a self-operated smartphone manufacturing plant with a full production line to make smartphones. Unihertz also releases and launches complementary products to its featured product series when it has sufficient funds. Among them, Unihertz Tank is a 4G rugged smartphone with its distinctive features being a 22,000mAh battery, a 108MP main camera [18] and a 1200-lumen flashlight in the back.

It is reported that Unihertz will release a new smartphone called Luna at MWC 2023, [19] as well as showcase its devices during the exhibition. Luna is expected to be another device from Unihertz with a fresh design direction.

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The Unihertz Jelly is an Android smartphone developed by Unihertz, which billed it as "the smallest 4G smartphone" upon its release in 2017. It was initially developed with a successful Kickstarter project which reached its $30,000 goal in just 57 minutes, and eventually raised over $1.25 million. The Unihertz Jelly Pro is still currently available for sale in over 60 countries, including major retailers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unihertz Atom</span> Smartphone developed by Unihertz

The Unihertz Atom was released in 2018 as Unihertz's second smartphone model after the Jelly. Initially launched through a similar kickstarter project that reached its $50,000 goal in only 60 seconds. It features a 2.45-inch display, very small by industry standards, and at 108 grams is also very lightweight. It has a dedicated push to talk (PTT) button on its side.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "About Unihertz - Linkedin".
  2. 1 2 Mini phone maker admits performance shortcomings. BBC. October 23, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ "UniHertz Trademark of Shanghai Unihertz E-Commerce Co., Ltd. Application Number: 015311277 :: Trademark Elite Trademarks". www.trademarkelite.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  5. ↑ "United States Patent, Mobile Terminal". US Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  6. ↑ Jelly, the world’s smallest LTE and Nougat smartphone, reaches Kickstarter goal in under an hour. pocketnow.com
  7. ↑ Cervantes, Edgar (June 3, 2017) Unihertz Jelly review: a tiny phone with huge aspirations. androidauthority.com
  8. ↑ Cervantes, Edgar (December 27, 2018) Unihertz Atom review: You won't want to use it, and that's the point. androidauthority.com
  9. 1 2 Unihertz Announces Launch of Titan – Unbreakable Smartphone With QWERTY Keyboard. PR Newswire. July 30, 2019
  10. ↑ O'Donnell, Deirdre (May 20, 2021) Unihertz puts its smallest physical-keyboard phone yet up for crowdfunding. notebookcheck.net
  11. 1 2 Ltd, Shanghai Unihertz E.-Commerce. "New Kickstarter Campaign of Unihertz - TickTock, a 5G Rugged Phone with Unique Dual-Screen". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Unihertz Jelly Pro Review". PCMag. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  13. ↑ Miller, Mathew (June 5, 2018). "Unihertz Atom hands-on: Rugged tiny 4G smartphone keeps you connected in the field for less than $300". ZDNET.
  14. ↑ Bernath, Chase (July 24, 2021). "Unihertz Atom XL review: Walkie-talkie meets smartphone". Android Authority.
  15. ↑ Hager, Ryne (August 22, 2020). "Unihertz Jelly 2 review: Size matters". Android Police.
  16. ↑ Wedel, Chris (August 24, 2021). "Unihertz Titan Pocket review: A phone that's trying to do so much in too little space". Android Central.
  17. ↑ Unihertz. "Unihertz's Latest QWERTY Smartphone Raised 400K+ USD on Kickstarter in 12 Hours". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Unihertz Tank review: 100 days on a single charge". MSN. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  19. ↑ Unihertz. "Unihertz to Launch Luna, a Sleek and Stylish Smartphone, at MWC 2023". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved February 24, 2023.
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