After seeing foldable phones at display since the past week, we have now come so far as wearable smartphones. Nubia, a lifestyle division brand of ZTE, which showed off a prototype of the Alpha at IFA 2018 has finally launched the smartphone at an event today at the Mobile World Congress. For those unaware, the Alpha is a smartphone with a flexible display strap that straps around your wrist just like a smartwatch. The idea is to have a full-fledged working smartphone with all the essential functionalities on the wrist using a flexible display that wraps around the wrist.
At large, the Nubia Alpha is similar to today’s smartphone with various features like camera, microphone, heart rate sensor, network connectivity, etc except that everything is crammed into a tiny form factor that can be wrapped around a wrist and used.
In terms of design, the Nubia Alpha is shaped like a watch, with all the smartphone features crammed in. It features a flexible display that allows it to be wrapped and bent like a bracelet. According to the company, the display covers approximately 180º of the circumference of the bracelet and is durable up to 100,000 twists.
The Alpha is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset, paired with 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage. It runs on a custom operating system and comes with features like motion gestures, AIM (Air Interaction Mechanics), etc. In addition to that, the device comes with support for Bluetooth and WiFi for connectivity on non-carrier variant and with 4G on the eSIM variant. For those interested in taking a photo or a video call on the move, can do so using the 5MP camera with f/2.2 provided on the device. Depending on the usage behaviour, the 500mAh battery claims anywhere between a day or two of battery life.
Nubia Alpha Specifications
- 4.0-inch flexible OLED Screen
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset
- 1GB RAM, 8 GB internal storage
- Custom OS
- 500mAh battery
- A.I.M. (Air Interaction Mechanics) Gesture
- 5MP camera with f/2.2
- Fitness Health Tracker
- WiFi, Bluetooth, and eSIM support
Nubia Alpha Pricing and Availability
The Nubia Alpha comes in two different models: Bluetooth and 4G eSIM (by China Unicom). The Bluetooth variant is priced at €449, whereas the eSIM variant is priced at €549. As for colours, the Alpha comes in two colour options: Black (Stainless Steel) and Gold (18K gold plated Stainless Steel). With the Gold colour only available in 4G eSIM variant, which costs €649, which is a €100 more than the Black colour. The Alpha will be available in Q3 in Europe and Q4 in the US.