iKKO attempts to reinvent the smartphone with AI-led MindOne
Chinese tech company iKKO has attempted to subvert the norms for large smartphones with MindOne – a device that is not only small but has a single flippable camera and two operating systems, one primarily AI-focused.
The unusual smartphone also includes free global internet connection without a SIM card or Wi-Fi and an optional phone case that adds a BlackBerry-style mechanical keyboard, high-quality audio and an extra battery.
iKKO, a company which has so far focused on high-end audio, bills the MindOne as "a new kind of digital companion built for creators, thinkers and travellers who seek focus and freedom".
"Phones today are all the same: big and heavy," said iKKO in a product video. "So we made something different: small, thin, stylish and smart."
The MindOne has dimensions similar to a Post-it pad, with an edge-to-edge AMOLED screen. There is no front-facing camera lens – instead, to take a selfie, the user needs to flip the rear lens up and around so it faces front.
This allows the MindOne to offer the same high-quality, 50-megapixel camera for all photography instead of the usual poorer quality front-facing option, which is around 12 megapixels on current top-of-the-range phones.
Another key differentiator with MindOne is the dual operating system – one being Android 15 and the other a custom operating system that iKKO describes as lightweight and "designed for distraction-free focus".
It centres on productivity-focused AI tools such as translation, speech-to-text note-taking, a meeting notes app that automatically generates summaries, and an "AI Study" app that lets users snap a picture of, for example, an equation, which it will then solve.
iKKO says the dual operating systems will allow users to take control of their time, because they can select the Android apps of their choosing to bring into the custom operating system and effectively make it into a more developed "focus mode".
It also said that the operating systems will respect users' privacy, with no listening, data collection or advertising.
In the Pro model, all of iKKO's AI tools will work out-of-the-box in over 60 countries with a free global internet collection enabled by a built-in virtual SIM (vSIM) system. For all other mobile data applications, users will need to pay to "top-up" the vSIM or use a physical SIM card.
The snap-on case adds a QWERTY keyboard and, in keeping with iKKO's existing audio expertise, a Cirrus Logic CS43198 digital-to-analogue converter and 3.5-millimetre headphone jack, which the company says delivers lossless, high-fidelity sound.
There is also a built-in battery on the case, allowing it to double as a power bank.
iKKO is positioning the MindOne as a device that can either function as a person's primary device or be used as a minimalist second phone.
"With its ultra-portable form factor, built-in AI connectivity and a philosophy centred around purposeful tech, MindOne is not trying to be the biggest phone – just the smartest, most thoughtful one," said iKKO.
Based in Shenzhen, iKKO is best known for its high-end audio products. Its ActiveBuds earbuds also made significant use of AI, incorporating features such as a touchscreen on the case and built-in SIM allowing music streaming and phone-free calls.
With MindOne, which is now available for pre-order, iKKO has become one of the first companies to try to dramatically reimagine the smartphone around new AI capabilities and consumer desire for less distraction.
After years of stagnation in smartphone design, many in the technology industry are now speculating that the device will be radically reinvented – or replaced altogether.
The MindOne joins the Fairphone 6 in attempting to please disillusioned smartphone users by offering something akin two phones in one, with the ability to switch to a more minimalist mode.
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