Balmuda, a Japanese design company well-recognized for its stylish devices, has declared that it has plans to make a smartphone. However, there are not numerous details on the device itself. However, it will be a 5G handset expected to be launched this November. SoftBank will trade it as a carrier model, while Balmuda also offers an unlocked version. In its report, Balmuda notes that since the smartphone business is getting more commoditized, the Company wants to give a chance to experience that only it can do such works. However, the manufacturing is out of Balmuda’s wheelhouse; therefore, it is partnering with Kyocera on the phone.
Sadly, the Company did not share much about what to expect from the phone in terms of design, features, or price range. The mobile also appears to be planned as a Japanese exclusive, even though there’s always a possibility that it could make its way to other markets finally; the Company’s toasters made their way to the US earlier year, after all. Nevertheless, over time, we have seen those design-centric smartphone attempts by bigwigs of other industries to be one-off attempts and nothing more or less.
Devices such as the Goldvish Le Million, the Tag Heuer Meridian, and those from Lamborghini and Porsche’s stables have been cosmetic extravagances, and it isn’t plain if Balmuda ends up creating a similar novelty. It has a minimal product line for the home, including air purifiers, lights, humidifiers, speakers, rice cookers, and so on. Bloomberg announced five years ago that it’d become a cult hit in Japan with a three-month waiting time to get one.
There’s a toaster, and while I’m not entirely certain, I’d necessarily recommend anyone spend $235 – $329 on it; anyhow, it is a pretty great toaster. The great design touches everywhere, from the little mug to the cute noises it makes when you turn the timer dial, do makes us a little curious about what Balmuda could bring to a phone.
