Crowd-funded Smartphone PC: Symetium

R

RedVi

Regular
My primary intention is not to advertise the crowdfunding campaign but rather discuss the feasibility of such a device:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/symetium-the-no-compromise-smartphone-pc/x/2567798#/

I backed it so would also love to spread awareness of the campaign if such a device is actually possible, but honestly, despite backing it I feel like the specs are somewhat unbelievable.

My concerns:
- Such small dimensions (Width is less than 1mm total wider than the 5" 16:9 screen)
- Large 4000mAh battery in such a small and thin device.
- Customised Android as a "continuum" capable OS
- Funding amount enough to cover costs

The main reason I backed it is that I hate larger phones, but need a 5"+ screen. More and more modern phones are being released with lower screen to body ratios than previous models. Despite this preference of mine, we've seen 6mm thick phones released and none of them have had anywhere near a 4000mAh battery, so as much as I desire this phone I can't help be dubious of the possibility of such a device actually being produced.
 
Sounds like a scam. "Look at this highend smartphone! Want it? Give us a million dollars."

IMO, their goal is way too low to bring out a high end phone and the development team is not existent.
 
This looks spectacular on paper, but all they have is a bunch of renders and some specs.

I can't find anything about the company. Who are they and where are they coming from? What other projects have these people been involved with?
If they're working with a chinese manufacturer, which one is it? How are they ever going to secure shipments of the Snapdragon 820, high-density LPDDR4, AMOLED screens and that 24MPx module with just $1.25M?

Even I would see myself jumping in if this was coming from reputable people (e.g. Jolla). The specs and the design seem truly great.
But the information is way too scarce for me to see myself spending that much money.
 
Note that there is nothing about all the engineering that went into making sure this design was possible. That's because they have no engineers to make sure it is possible.

If the 24 megapixel sensor is the omnivision ov23850, that's 6.3mm thick - already thicker than the claimed 6mm. And I don't believe that includes the lens/optics. Note that there is no camera hump. See how it doesn't add up?

If a phone of this caliber was possible, someone would have made it already.
 
To me, what instantly triggered some awareness was this part from the video:

fSLjRzu.png


If that's a 5" screen with those bezels, it means we're looking at a device that's even shorter than the Galaxy S4, so it's less than 135mm.
So they made a full qwerty keyboard and touchpad within 135mm? Are you supposed to use that with capacitive toothpicks?
 
I'd imagine there are various exotic battery chemistries being tested in labs which would make a really compact 4000 mAh battery a possibility, but if they're in the lab, we'll be talking about a few years before production just yet...
 
I didn't even put two and two together with the keyboard size. Wow. It just shows how much I want a proper compact high end smart phone. I feel a bit idiotic for not listening to myself or posting it here before backing it. It isn't looking like it will be funded, I guess I'll start looking into potential risks...
 
More and more modern phones are being released with lower screen to body ratios than previous models.
Click to expand...
you sure, whilst there are prolly a couple of exceptions in the main I'm sure you'll actually find bezels are getting thinner

This looks to be vapourwear (they should really be forced to write, CGI mockup in all pictures/videos (*)) & wont hit the goal, so you should get your money back

(*)though they do have a couple of an 'actual' piece of hardware, but no pictures with the screen on, so I assume its actually hollow, either that or they dont know how to turn it on :)
 
zed said:
you sure, whilst there are prolly a couple of exceptions in the main I'm sure you'll actually find bezels are getting thinner
Click to expand...

http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5543&idPhone2=6294&idPhone3=6901

The worst example, yes, but coming from the best form factor IMO to a phone that's slightly too big for me to increasing physical size without increasing screen size seems like a shift in focus away from screen to body ratio to me.

Samsung did the same with the S5 for waterproofing, and while the S6 was a shift in the right direction it wasn't enough to indicate a return to focus on screen to body ratio. The note 5 may indicate this, but again, it's too larger for me to care. I'm also odd in that I also care about height where most do not. I'd even take a smaller battery than a taller phone (to a point). But yes, you are right, side bezels are getting smaller, but it's not a strong industry wide focus like it used to be. So finding the perfect phone for you while satisfying your desired dimensions and screen size is becoming increasingly hard. Complementary to that for me is that more new high end phones are shifting to the phablet form factor exclusively (LG, Motorola).

What I see is that the two big companies that have made it their focus in the past no longer seem to care because (I assume) most customers don't factor it into their buying decisions over other aspects as indicated by increasingly strong iPhone sales. The iPhone 6/6s has 4.25mm side bezels, the Iphone 5/5s has 4.4mm and the 4/4s has 4.6mm bezels. 5 years and they decreased it by only .35mm per side, yet it sells like gangbusters. A marketing department sees that and decides that most people really don't care about further decreases.
 
Last edited:
RedVi said:
It just shows how much I want a proper compact high end smart phone.
Click to expand...

What's wrong with the Xperia Z5 Compact? It's a great phone, like its predecessors.
127mm tall, Snapdragon 810, 32GB+microSD, front-facing stereo speakers and waterproof.
 
Just a pity that the Z5 Compact isn't just a little larger in height and width (and correspondingly a little thinner) to squeeze in a 5" screen. I owned a phone with a 4.5" screen and find 5" screens just a little better for my clumsy thumb-typing.

I agree, though, the 'Compacts' are excellent phones. I've got a friend who still owns the Z3 Compact (work phone) and he's delighted that the Z5 Compact is now available as he comes towards the renewal of the contract.

Strange how Sony have been the only manufacturer to produce a more compact phone with high-end innards (other than those bezel-free Sharp phones in Japan). Perhaps the other manufacturers have simply decided they can't better Sony's Compacts?
 
As above, the Z3/5 compact is great, but I can't deal with 4.6". I'd also like a phone with a curved back like more and more phones are doing and coupled with slightly grippy back texture ala Galaxy S5 etc. A glass back coupled with squared off edges is far from ideal, although with smaller devices it is nowhere near as hard to hold. Sony still have a chance if they reduce the bezels on their regular Z phone and rethink the styling and materials used a little. It'd need to be close to the LG G2 in form and size for a 5.2" device to work best for me.
 
This is "pie in the sky" and won't see the "light of day" unfortunately. The concept looks really nice, but there is just too much supposed "cutting edge" to appear in a new start. Anyway, they intend shipping from August 2016, by then, who knows what will be on the market. Although one idea I do like that they demonstrated in the video, was docking the phone and then using it on a large screen as a desktop computer. This is where I see things going in future.
 
ToTTenTranz said:
Then get the regular Z5. That one has a 5" screen.
Click to expand...

5.2". The Z5 doesn't have the best screen to body ratio and is very square and slippery (well, the Z3 was, the 5 is supposedly a little better here). Such hard edges and glass backs on smaller phones I'm okay with, but I'm talking iPhone6 or smaller size. The Z series have rather large top/bottom bezels also, although this is less of a problem for holding as it uses on screen buttons allowing it to be held closer to the centre.

Ailuros said:
How bout that one? http://www.tinydeal.com/lenovo-vibe...1-quad-core-android-44-4g-phone-p-155725.html
Click to expand...

Looks great, now if only more companies would work such a design into a 5-5.2" phone. I understand why it's harder and that it would likely sacrifice battery, but in 2013 it wasn't an issue for LG and Samsung so why now?
 
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