- If you've watched my into the fold series, you know,
I'm obsessed with folding screens and a close cousin to
those is the curved display.
That's become a kind of a bad word in the smartphone world.
Thanks to the edge rejection errors,
common to those designs.
But what if someone put a curved screen on your wrist?
I first got to look at this concept two years ago
at IFA 2018 in Berlin,
where it went by the brand name Nubia alpha.
Yup.
That's the self same Nubia that brought us the red magic 5g.
I covered a couple of months back,
that incredible translucent gaming smartphone.
So tragically undermined by undercooked software.
This will become a theme.
20 eighteens Nubia alpha
did eventually become a consumer product
and the company is now following it up with this,
the simpler, slightly svelter, Nubia watch.
They're crowdfunding it now
with a few models left at press time going for one $199,
apparently a 50% discount off the eventual retail price.
But, lest you think this is a Kickstarter commercial,
I don't suggest you drop four Benji's on this thing.
Honestly, even two is a stretch
and that's mainly because of the software.
To be blunt, Nubia has just never demonstrated
that it can make an interface
that's competent enough to live up to its hardware.
Both app and watch are riddled with typos, translation
errors, weird iconography.
Yes, it's pre-production software,
but the red magic 5g taught us that Nubia lets many,
if not all of those bugs persist into production builds.
And, lest you think I'm beating up on a tiny startup
that doesn't have the budget for a copy editor,
Nubia traces its corporate lineage to ZTE
whose market cap of over $13 billion
indicates to me that maybe they can do better
with a globally focused product, such as this.
The company has told me it's working on improving
it's attention to detail,
but when it can't even get its Kickstarter listing posted
without rampant typos,
I can't help but wonder,
what else is falling through the cracks,
you know?
(upbeat music)
As irritating as the software is,
this hardware is just the kind of ambitious,
envelope pushing I like to see.
It's not another Apple watch rip off
or a $30 fitness band
with all the personality of an oversized Tylenol.
It's something entirely new.
And there are screen modes to reflect that,
with customizable animations
and support for custom photo uploads,
when they work.
The high point of this watch is absolutely this display.
It's sharp, it's saturated.
It's usually bright enough.
And it's also quite responsive.
For all of my complaints about the UI,
it really flies,
even on a four year old Snapdragon 2100.
This cover material is from SCHOTT,
think I'm saying that right?
The same company that provides Samsung's ultra thin glass
for phones like the galaxy Z flip.
So I wouldn't bang it into too many doorframes,
but the watch is rated IP 54,
for dust and splash resistance,
so you can take it running in the rain.
That's important,
given how big a focus fitness seems to be for Nubia,
and I've found battery life
to be about what the company promises too.
Between two and three days between charges.
I haven't fully vetted the basic features
of the Nubia watch, let alone that health suite,
which is why this is a hands on and not a full review
because honestly,
even though I don't think anybody should really buy this,
it's the concept that intrigues me.
Is it a good idea
to wrap a four inch display around your wrist?
I didn't know before I put this on and now I'm not sure.
Your eye can still only take in
what's immediately in front of you anyway. Right?
So the parts of it that wrap over and under your wrist
might as well not be there.
The curves at top and bottom
also bend light into reflections,
which obscure part of the display.
And when you can see the notifications,
you're kind of forced into this hinky hacky iconography
and text spacing,
'cause Nubia had to do a lot of custom coding
to get apps to adapt to this weird aspect ratio.
There's not a lot of practical benefit here, you know?
Look, I have nothing against
form over function,
but at about 20% too big
with a cuff like industrial aesthetic,
this thing is more Berlin nightclub after hours
than mid day Paris runway.
And it's custom watch faces might as well be
hot off the matrix reloaded media tour circa 2003.
But Nubia has done so much with this concept
in a relatively short amount of time.
I'd love to see the company's take on say
something like a modern Microsoft band.
And if Nubia continues evolving its tech at that pace,
I bet we'll see something like that sooner
rather than later.
Wouldn't it be cool to see elements
of the red magic's design creep over
to the wearable side of the house?
I think so.
And that's why I think tech fans interested in design
and fashion and new forms,
should continue paying attention to Nubia.
I just hope the company's software capabilities
eventually catch up with its ambitious hardware division.
The Nubia watch is on crowdfunding platforms now.
And if you do want to buy it,
I'll drop a link in the description.
This wrist on was produced following five days
with the review sample provided by Nubia.
But Mr. Mobile works for you,
not the manufacturers.
Nubia did not provide compensation for this coverage
and was not offered copy approval
or an early preview of same.
It's seeing it for the first time,
right alongside you.
Take a look at my end of the fold series on YouTube
for more coverage of unconventional mobile tech
and subscribe so you don't miss some exciting
upcoming wearable reviews
coming a little sooner than you think probably.
Until next time, thanks for watching.
And if you can't stay home,
then at least stay safe and wear a mask
while you stay mobile. My friends.