When it comes to kitchen appliances, I’m not very particular with the design of these items, as long as they are functioning as they should. I am also not that great of a cook and kitchen user so they don’t need to be pretty or even matching since I’m just using them when I need them. But there are a lot of well-designed and well-matched appliances that you can add to your well-stocked kitchen and cooking area. Electric kettles are one of those things that I have but I don’t really think about how I’m using it, as long as it turns my water hot enough.

Designer: Nendo for Alessi

Toru is Alessi’s new collection of kitchen appliances designed by Japanese brand Nendo. The name means “through” in Japanese and the collection features black tube-like elements running through the different items. The kettle is the first item in the collection and it matches Alessi’s metalworking techniques. It looks like a typical stainless-steel pitcher but how it’s designed is what makes it a bit different than your typical water kettle. Normally, a kettle is gripped from the side but this time, this household object is turned into a symbol of art.

The Toru kettle has a top-suspended shape so you can lift it more easily from the base. You can hold the upper part of the handle and tilt the kettle to pour the water into your cup or bowl and it should pour out smoothly as you tilt it lightly. When you’re boiling the water, the base has an integrated appearance with its soft form. When you detach the kettle and ready for pouring, it takes on a straight and simple silhouette. The handle becomes a spout, softening the metallic material as water courses through it.

The Toru collection also has other kitchen appliances, including a juicer, toaster, warmer grill, toaster racks. Of course all of them have the stainless steel look that matches Alessi’s and Nendo’s aesthetics. The minimalist look can match a lot of kitchen designs, especially those that want to go for that kind of refined look that only silver appliances can give.

The post Alessi’s Toru kettle brings a different minimalist twist to the appliance first appeared on Yanko Design.

I have been using a Macbook for almsot two decades so I don’t really need to have an external keyboard. I am also not a PC gamer so I don’t need to have all those fancy devices that you can use on your computer or laptop to make the gaming experience faster and better. But when I see those fancy and colorful keyboards that my friends post, I’m sometimes tempted to get one just to try out all the bells and whistles and also to hear myself clickety clacking on this keyboard instead of my mostly quiet Macbook’s built-in one.

Designer: NuPhy

The brand NuPhy has been making a name for itself in the mechanical keyboard market but their newest one, the Field75 HE Keyboard is the first one that is heavily designed and promoted as a gaming keyboard. While they say it’s also for productivity as well, most of the extra things that this keyboard gives will appeal mostly for those who are casually and heavily into gaming. It is also compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS so whatever gadget you’re using, the keyboard can be an accessory. From its retro-futuristic aesthetic to the various cogs and tools alongside the usual keyboard things, this has kind of broken the mold when it comes to mechanical keyboards.

For one, it has eight macro keys, four on the left side of the device and four below the spacebar. They act more like mouse buttons than regular keys and the click clacks are different from the sound of the other keys. You can remap their functions but the default are mostly for media controls and shortcuts. The cogwheel on the left side controls lighting while the toggle switch lets you swap between the three onboard memory profiles. There is also a volume wheel with a knurled aluminum placed on the edge of the keyboard. These cutting-edge Hall Effect magnetic switches really put this keyboard on top of most that are available in the market.

Aside from the design, the technical specs of the NuPhy Field75 HE Keyboard also make it different from its competitors. It has adjustable actuation from 0.1mm to 4.0mm, rapid trigger functionality, and an 8,000Hz polling rate. You will be able to adjust and customize things like key sensitivity, per-key rapid trigger, etc. You can also have multiple functions for some of the keys. So whether you’re using it for serious gaming or for rapid productivity purposes, the keyboard may be able give you more than just typing out keys for your screen.

The post NuPhy’s newest keyboard gives gamers and productivity fans extra keys and functions first appeared on Yanko Design.

Mini PCs are back in fashion, probably thanks to Apple’s hard push for the Mac mini and the new Mac Studio boxes. With more advanced hardware, these small desktops have become quite capable these days, sometimes supporting even a bit of gaming if you keep your expectations low. At the very least, they are well-suited not just for “regular” computer work but also for some media streaming and content consumption on the side.

With this market getting more crowded, it’s not really surprising to see a few unique designs pop up out of nowhere. Some simply carry an unusual aesthetic, often appealing to fans of cyberpunk themes, while others dare to explore new ground like modular designs. Still, others seem to be content with adding odd features just for the sake of turning heads, even when it might not make that much sense in actual use.

Designer: Kidwants

Although some now have unconventional shapes, including pyramids and cylinders, the most common shape for a mini PC is a box. It’s space efficient both inside and out, so you can easily cram it almost anywhere or even hide it from view. The KN1 mini PC, however, isn’t meant to be hidden since its biggest gimmick is the top of the box which is actually a giant touchpad.

Yes, this mini PC is telling you to pinch, swipe, and tap its top just as you would on, say a laptop. In theory, this would mean that you only need to connect an external display and a keyboard to use this computer, removing the need for a mouse. Suggested use cases include controlling playback if you’re using it as a home entertainment center, or controlling presentations in a meeting.

In practice, however, the feature is pretty pointless and even counterproductive. Given the height of the mini PC and where you’d place it on your desk, it would hardly be comfortable, much less ergonomic, to use it this way. And if you’ll be hooking it up to your TV, chances are you have it placed somewhere out of reach anyway. And can you even imagine touching that surface and only burning yourself because the mini PC has become too hot to touch?

In terms of specs, the KN1 isn’t exactly that noteworthy either, as what you’d expect from a cheap mini PC from an unknown brand. And cheap it is, at only $110, though you might be better off spending that money more wisely elsewhere. A built-in touchpad on a mini PC might sound interesting at first brush, but it’s definitely a case of designing something just for the sake of being different, without offering actual value to the user.

The post Mini PC with touchpad top should be a cautionary tale for designers first appeared on Yanko Design.

I lived in an era where printed photos and Polaroid cameras were not vintage or a fad but were in fact the norm. Of course living through the digital revolution, I got to see these actual photos become a thing of the past or something that the younger generation looked at with fascination. And eventually, it became a new fad since everything old is new again. We’re now seeing the popularity of cameras that can print photos from your phone camera n a blend of the digital and analog. So we’re also seeing some more innovations for this particular product line, at least in concepts.

Designer: Samarth Saluja

Trance is a concept for a polaroid-like camera but adds a bit more modern functionalities to it. It’s not just a photo printer (like a lot of the polaroid-like products out there) but an actual digital camera that you can adjust and configure to capture the perfect photo at the moment. The name comes from the deep focus we fall into when trying to take photos that best represent our current experience. It has the usual features like a shutter, viewfinder, screen, zoom, dials to adjust focus and aperture, etc.

What makes this concept different from other cameras and printers are the incorporation of features that lets you create custom polaroids. The me2 button lets the photographer become part of the moment. By pressing this button after you take your photo, the front camera will take your selfie and then print it at the bottom of the polaroid. This way you’re still part of the memory of the moment even though you were behind the camera so to speak.

The other innovative feature of the Trance concept is Moments. It lets you access a brief playback of the scenes before and after the moment the photo was taken. It lets you have a more immersive experience of that moment in case you want to relive those times. The design of the camera itself is pretty standard for a camera and printer so it’s those features that can make this concept stand out.

The post Polariod camera and printer concept adds more modern features first appeared on Yanko Design.

With the release of the iPhone 16 line last year, Apple lovers were eager to upgrade and… upgrade they did. Some may still be contemplating whether to make an upgrade or not, but several innovative smartphones are better and more exciting than the iPhone 16 family. And, we have curated a collection of innovative and unique smartphones that make for compelling alternatives to an iPhone.

These smartphones present diverse and innovative alternatives to the iPhone 16, catering to a wide range of preferences and needs. Whether you’re drawn to cutting-edge design, affordability, minimalism, or enhanced functionality, there’s a device here that could be the perfect fit for your lifestyle. Have a look!

1. Google Pixel 10 Pro

The Google Pixel 10 Pro is dominated by one visible and interesting change in the camera layout. It has a vertical layout, which is an intriguing design evolution, but not necessarily better than the horizontal camera bar. The phone is quite slick and slick and is available with large 6.9″ and 6.4″ displays. It is available in different color variants, and the bezels are thinner as well.

It is equipped with a smaller hole-punch camera, and the display offers 4000 nits of brightness. It is covered by a GorillaGlass Victus 2 protective glass panel. However, as mentioned the main upgrade is in the camera layout. It is amped with three powerful 64MP shooters – a wide-angle, an ultrawide , and a telephoto to help you capture top-class pictures.

2. Nothing Fold (1) Concept

Named the Nothing Fold (1) Concept, this is a revolutionary new entrant in the folding phone market. This device amplifies portable computing with its groundbreaking design and state-of-the-art technology. It boasts a 6.5-inch external display alongside a substantial 8.37-inch internal screen, delivering a dynamic and immersive user experience. An impressive feature is the Glyph Interface, which displays the number “1” during startup and transforms into a third screen for notifications.

The Fold (1) is outfitted with five cameras, including a main shooter, ultra-wide, and telephoto/macro lenses, ensuring photography enthusiasts have every tool needed for capturing stunning images. At its core, the device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 5G chip, which includes an 8-core CPU, a 12-core GPU, and an NPU for AI-driven tasks.

3. iPhone 17 Pro

While not yet on the market, this iPhone 17 Pro concept offers a tantalizing glimpse into the future of smartphone design. Inspired by the Pixel, this concept features a radical camera bar that replaces the traditional square camera bump. The innovative layout includes a wide and ultra-wide lens, a central flash, and a tetraprism-style telephoto lens, promising exceptional optical zoom and low-light performance.

This layout promises exceptional optical zoom capabilities and superior low-light performance, making it a dream for photography enthusiasts. Although the concept is still speculative, it offers exciting possibilities for future smartphones, and maybe this iPhone 17 Pro concept could offer more than the current iPhone 16 line.

4. Vista Detox Phone

For those looking to reduce smartphone addiction, the Vista Digital Detox Phone offers a unique approach. This device emphasizes physical interaction over virtual engagement, encouraging users to lead a more conscious lifestyle. The camera viewfinder is designed to promote real-world interaction, while the phone only plays live radio from local online stations, eliminating the option to stream playlists.

The Vista Digital Detox Phone focuses on and prioritizes productivity and life-enhancing apps, thereby helping foster positive habits and minimize distractions. The detox smartphone is excellent for individuals who want to reduce their screen time and seek and master a more balanced digital experience.

5. iPhone SE 4

For those seeking a budget-friendly option without compromising on modern design, this conceptual iPhone SE 4 could be an appealing choice in the future. It replaces thick bezels and the physical home button with a sleek 6.1-inch edge-to-edge display, drawing inspiration from the iPhone 14. This design overhaul is complemented by a significant upgrade from LCD to OLED screen technology.

This provides richer colors, better contrast, and improved efficiency. We don’t know whether it will retain a notch or adopt the Dynamic Island, but the SE 4 promises a contemporary look and feel at an accessible price point, making it a smart choice for budget-conscious consumers. We hope to see it as a tangible smartphone someday!

6. inkPhone duo

The inkPhone Duo concept is a productivity powerhouse with its innovative dual-screen slider design. The nearly edge-to-edge screens offer a full-color OLED display for vibrant work applications and an E-Ink display for distraction-free reading, perfect for long sessions without eye strain. The screens slide out to reveal hidden cameras, allowing seamless transitions between tasks and ensuring a full-screen experience without interruptions.

This concept is ideal for multitaskers who need a device that adapts to both work and leisure, offering flexibility and efficiency in one sleek package. It truly offers the best of all worlds, supporting comfortable reading, and hiding both the cameras so you can enjoy both screens in their full glory.

7. NanoPhone

If you’re someone who prefers and appreciates compact devices, then the NanoPhone will intrigue you.  As small as a credit card, this $100 smartphone is packed with features, including 4G support, dual SIM trays, expandable storage, and a 2000mAh battery that promises long-lasting performance. It runs on Android 10, and provides access to essential apps via the Play Store,

The little phone functions as a versatile backup phone or a functional starter device for kids. It features a diminutive size and affordability, making it an attractive choice for anyone needing a secondary phone or a device that won’t break the bank while still offering essential smartphone capabilities. Although it may not function as an efficient primary smartphone.

8. Rabbit R2

Shreyansh Onial has envisioned the Rabbit R2 – a conceptual smartphone that represents a significant evolution for the Rabbit brand. This innovative device is designed to go beyond the traditional functionalities of a smartphone by integrating a form of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). While the R2 maintains the familiar appearance of a smartphone, it introduces a highly advanced virtual assistant capable of handling a wide array of tasks, effectively transforming the way users interact with their devices.

The Rabbit R2 is equipped with essential features such as a high-resolution screen, a sophisticated camera system, and a USB-C port. However what makes it truly stand apart is the AGI-powered virtual assistant, which elevates the device to a new level of intelligence and usability. The virtual assistant does everything you need it to do!

9. Pulloof

Called the Pulloof: Smart Phone Concept, this visionary device is designed by Gisung Han. It seeks to transcend the traditional lifespan of smartphones. It aims to leave a lasting impression through its technological capabilities, as well as its unique design and tactile experience. It draws inspiration from the nostalgic charm of a vintage B&Q radio, and the concept successfully combines retro aesthetics with modern innovation, creating a device that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.

At its core, the Pulloof is designed to revolutionize how users engage with music through their smartphones. The smartphone concept prioritizes the speaker functionality, transforming it into a powerful and sustainable audio device. The design focuses on high-quality sound delivery, ensuring that music consumption becomes an immersive experience.

10. Phone One

Called the Phone One, this smartphone brings back the tactile joy of physical buttons in a modern, multi-mode design. Unlike traditional smartphones, the Phone One features a uniquely designed three-pivot side panel that houses the buttons, ensuring they don’t encroach on-screen space. This innovative pivot mechanism allows the right-side panel to rotate within the phone frame, seamlessly transitioning between normal phone mode, gaming mode, and camera mode.

In normal mode, the volume and power buttons are easily accessible, giving the Phone One a familiar look for everyday use. This design not only enhances functionality but also provides a nostalgic tactile experience, making the Phone One a unique choice for those who value both innovation and tradition.

The post Top 10 Innovative Smartphones To Consider Beyond The iPhone 16 first appeared on Yanko Design.

The dream of commercial supersonic flight has been rekindled as Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator aircraft successfully broke the sound barrier at California’s Mojave Air & Space Port. This achievement marks a pivotal moment in aviation design, as it represents the first independently developed supersonic jet in America, breaking away from the traditional government-led development model.

The XB-1’s groundbreaking design incorporates cutting-edge technology that will shape the future of commercial aviation. Its airframe utilizes sophisticated carbon fiber composites, creating a structure that’s both lightweight and robust enough to handle supersonic speeds. This material choice demonstrates how modern manufacturing techniques can overcome historical challenges in supersonic aircraft design.

Designer: Boom Supersonic

Chief Test Pilot Tristan Brandenburg guided the aircraft to Mach 1.122 (750 mph) at an altitude of 35,290 feet, showcasing the effectiveness of the plane’s innovative design features. The success validates years of computational fluid dynamics simulations, which allowed engineers to optimize aerodynamics without the massive government budgets previously required for supersonic development.

One of the most innovative design elements is the augmented reality vision system, solving a persistent challenge in supersonic aircraft design. Unlike the Concorde’s complex mechanical solution that moves the plane’s nose out of the way, this digital approach provides pilots with clear runway visibility during takeoff and landing, despite the aircraft’s long nose and high angle of attack.

The XB-1’s engine intake design represents another crucial advancement, efficiently converting supersonic airflow to subsonic speeds for conventional jet engine operation. This technology will be scaled up for Boom’s Overture airliner, which will use the purpose-built Symphony turbofan engine, demonstrating how demonstrator projects can inform larger commercial applications.

The successful test flight program, comprising 11 carefully planned flights, establishes a foundation for Boom’s ambitious Overture airliner. This larger aircraft will carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7, approximately twice the speed of current commercial aircraft, while incorporating lessons learned from the XB-1’s development and testing.

Boom’s approach to sustainable design is evident in its commitment to 100% sustainable aviation fuel compatibility. The company’s new Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, is designed to produce up to 66 aircraft annually, showing how modern manufacturing facilities can scale supersonic aircraft production efficiently.

Boom Overture

The commercial viability of this design approach is validated by 130 orders and pre-orders from major carriers including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. This market response suggests that Boom’s design innovations have successfully addressed the economic and operational challenges that led to Concorde’s retirement two decades ago.

Blake Scholl, Boom’s founder and CEO, emphasizes how their design approach has revolutionized supersonic development: “A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars.” This success demonstrates how modern design tools and technologies can make previously complex aerospace challenges more accessible.

The post Breaking Barriers: Inside Boom XB-1’s Game-Changing Supersonic Flight Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

If you believe in the spiels of companies like Apple, Meta, and Google, you’d probably think that extended or mixed reality is the future of computing. After all, it’s quite exciting to think of the way the physical world and the digital world will blend seamlessly in that future, but today’s technologies still leave plenty to be desired. As powerful as the likes of the Vision Pro and Quest 3 are, they haven’t solved many of the problems that literally isolate us from our own world.

These headsets can let us see the real world beyond the screens, but only through tinted glasses that also affect the quality of the digital objects overlaid on top. People outside can also barely see your own eyes, removing one important aspect of personal human communication. There are many technologies being developed to address these, but sometimes, the simplest solution can be the best. And no, you don’t have to take off the headset completely.

Designer: Junseo Oh

As fantastic as extended reality and spatial computing might sound, the reality is that we won’t spend all day in them. There will be moments when we want or even need to see the real world beyond those lenses, even for a brief moment, but removing headsets and putting them back on again is just too much of a hassle. You’re more likely not to wear them again for a while, which in itself could be a loss in productivity.

The frame concept design offers a simple solution that’s already in use in some eyewear. Instead of a fixed headset shape, it’s more like a visor where the front part that holds the lenses and optics can easily be lifted up, giving you an obstructed view of the world around you. And when you’re ready to dive back into augmented reality, simply flip the visor back down and carry on.

The flip design also has the benefit of giving you back your peripheral vision, a necessity when you’re moving around in the real world. It offers the best of all worlds, though it admittedly will make you look odd like a mad scientist with the visor up. That said, it’s a small price to pay for the ability to see the world clearly without having to take the headgear off.

Despite that unusual design, the frame concept still promises the usual staples of XR headsets, such as hand gesture detection and camera passthrough. It might even offer more, such as physical controls that gently remind you with tactile that you’re still in the physical world. Removable pads also let you fit the band around your head better, though the open-back design might not inspire much confidence in terms of stability, especially considering it has a front-heavy construction.

The post Mixed reality headband concept offers a simple solution to a common usability problem first appeared on Yanko Design.

Speakers have long been a compromise between function and form. They need to sound good, but they also take up space, often standing out as clunky, boxy contraptions in an otherwise well-designed room. This speaker, however, rewrites that equation entirely. Instead of a traditional box with drivers and grilles, it transforms its entire front surface into a vibrating diaphragm, producing sound in a way that feels almost magical. The result? A speaker that’s not just slim—it’s practically a piece of art.

The illusion that the DIYR speaker creates is that at first glance, you wouldn’t even guess it’s a speaker. Its ultra-thin profile makes it look more like a decorative panel or divider than an audio device, and that’s precisely the point. It can be propped against a wall, used to divide spaces, or simply be placed somewhere as an accent piece, all while filling the space with rich, immersive sound. The fact that it doesn’t rely on conventional speaker cones means it disperses audio more evenly, avoiding that directional, pinpointed effect most traditional speakers create. Instead of sound coming from one focused area, it radiates across the entire surface, creating an almost ethereal listening experience.

Designer: DIYR.DEV

You’d expect the DIYR speaker to come from a predominantly tech company, but their ethos is more around build-it-yourself decor and lifestyle tech. DIYR, also the company behind this innovation, is all about modular, easy-to-assemble products that encourage a hands-on approach. You won’t find an over-complicated mess of wires and screws here. Instead, it comes together intuitively, making the act of putting it together feel like part of the experience rather than a chore. That said, this isn’t just an exercise in aesthetic minimalism—it’s a serious piece of audio tech.

Underneath the sleek design, the speaker boasts high-quality engineering for optimal sound reproduction. Traditional speakers rely on cones that push air in a focused direction, but this one uses exciters attached to a flat panel, turning the entire surface into a sound source. The technology isn’t entirely new—flat-panel speakers have existed in various forms—but few have executed it with this level of refinement. The result is a sound profile that’s not just immersive but also uniquely diffused, almost as if the music is emanating from the air itself rather than a specific point in the room.

The speaker is powered by a 40W amplifier, ensuring strong, clear output despite its slim profile. The frequency response ranges from 40Hz to 20kHz, covering a full spectrum from deep bass to crisp highs. Unlike traditional speakers that rely on forward-facing drivers, this one disperses sound in a more even manner, making it ideal for both near-field listening and filling an entire room with audio.

Connectivity is as modern as the design itself. The DIYR Speaker supports Bluetooth 5.1 for seamless wireless streaming and also includes a 3.5mm auxiliary input for wired connections. Powering this device is a 7,200mAh rechargeable battery, giving it an impressive 10-hour playback time on a single charge. This means you can move it freely around your space without worrying about cables or power outlets, making it as versatile as it is stylish.

The DIYR Speaker arrives entirely flat-packed, so you get to put it together as a part of the experience. Just the act of assembly gives you a very clear understanding and appreciation of exactly how unique the thing is. I’ve covered tech for 10 years – I’ve never ‘assembled’ a speaker, so the idea of doing so with a flat-panel speaker isn’t just refreshing, it’s entirely new. The process isn’t difficult – The speaker’s panel is actually a 4mm-thick cardboard membrane (making it easy to source, budget-friendly, and recyclable) that you cut out. After that, you simply follow the guide and snap the exciters to the left and right sides of the panel, with the wires leading to the processor which mounts on a pole that holds the panel up.

You’re probably wondering whether a cardboard panel does a good job of producing music, and it’s something the DIYR folks point out too, researching a variety of materials before zeroing on the cardboard panel for its budget-friendliness as well as its ability to produce great sound. Plus, cardboard is easy to print on too, which means the DIYR speaker can come in a variety of gorgeous patterns, designs, gradients, and color variants, blending into your space seamlessly as haute decor.

This kind of innovation hints at a broader shift in product design—one where technology dissolves into living spaces rather than disrupting them. So for those tired of conventional speaker design, this is a glimpse into the future. A future where sound isn’t confined to a black box, but instead radiates from a surface as thin as a canvas. Where technology isn’t something you have to accommodate, but something that seamlessly integrates into your space. It’s rare to find a speaker that excites both audiophiles and design enthusiasts in equal measure, but this one does exactly that—without compromise.

The post This Ultra-Thin Speaker Disguises Itself as Decor—But Its Sound Will Surprise You first appeared on Yanko Design.

Today’s smartphones are pretty powerful devices, and they’re pretty expensive as well. Even without considering foldable phones, a single premium flagship can easily cost above $1,100. We’ve actually become so used to such high numbers that the only times we get irked is when they’re almost double that, as demonstrated by foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. But is that really the price of making a smartphone?

What goes into building a smartphone anyway? Is it just a matter of buying components and slapping them together in a factory en masse? Do the build costs match the retail prices that companies practically force on consumers? More importantly, how much would it really cost to build your dream phone? Fortunately for us, some people actually tried to answer that as well.

Designer: Shea (Concept Central) x MKBHD

Nothing Comes from Something: MKBHD’s Dream Phone

We all probably have complaints even about our favorite phone brands and models. It might have a design quirk we don’t like, a feature we’re missing, or a piece of hardware we wish were there. At one point or another, we’ve all wished we could make our phones, just like how some people assemble their own desktop computers. Of course, the Internet is also full of people who do try to make their dream mobile device, but few end up looking as sleek as commercial products.

Perhaps it was just for fun, and definitely for some publicity, but Nothing asked the famed Marquees Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, what his dream phone would be. But more than just asking him for specs and features, the young design-centric brand also challenged itself to research and share how much it would actually cost to make that dream phone. The answers were both telling and a little bit shocking.

Simply focusing on the bill of materials or the actual cost of components that go into the phone, Nothing reached what at first looked like an acceptable figure. The prices came from Nothing’s own experience dealing with suppliers, though you can expect some intentional margins of error. After all, many of those prices are confidential, but they do give us ballpark figures to work with.

• Battery 6,000mAh – $13
• Screen: 6.1-inch 120Hz AMOLED 1440p – $35
• Cameras: 4 rear, 1 front – $80
• Storage: 1TB UFS 4.0, 16GB LPDDR5X RAM – $90
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite – $190
• Electronics: Motherboard, antennas, speakers, etc. – $15
• Packaging: $30
• Design materials: decorations, back glass panel – $8
• Structural parts: screws, vapor chamber, mid-frame, buttons – $10
• Patent Licensing – $29

That’s a grand total of $500, which actually sounds pretty cheap when you consider that these are specs that match Samsung’s and Apple’s top phones. It’s an even more surprising figure when you think how the Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 might have some of that same hardware and still cost twice as much in retail. A phone’s BOM might make phone prices look ridiculous and unfair but, unfortunately, there’s more to the story than just a shopping list of parts.

Hidden Costs, Invisible Value

When we cook food ourselves, we often only think about the cost of the ingredients. The same goes for assembling a desktop computer from parts we bought ourselves off shelves or over the Internet. It’s a completely different case, however, if we’re making something for others, especially if they have to be mass-produced. Then we have to take into consideration the costs for things that don’t go directly into cooking the food but also the preparation for it and even the tools that we use.

One of the biggest hidden costs often cited in making products is “R&D,” short for “Research and Development.” It can refer to almost any ancillary activity or expense related to designing a product, but in this particular case, it refers to things like designing the motherboard that changes almost every year, the actual factory costs for both prototypes and final products, as well as the salaries of all the people involved.

Images courtesy of: iFixit

By Nothing’s standards alone, R&D can amount to no less than $20 million, a staggering figure that no consumer will ever pay for. Of course, this cost is split across the devices, so buyers only get a small portion of that. Nonetheless, it’s quite a shocking number, especially if you take into account that giants like Samsung and Apple have even bigger expenses when it comes to R&D.

It might be too easy to write this off as an unnecessary expenditure, but imagine what would happen if a phone’s circuit boards weren’t properly designed and tested for the latest and greatest processors? Or if shipping was contracted to a cheap but unreliable carrier? These are the details we often overlook when considering the total cost of building a phone, but these are the very details that could make or break a company perhaps even more than the bill of materials.

Margins, Scales, and Industry Clout

A smartphone manufacturer, after all, isn’t a charity organization. It will always be driven by profits, so it will need to make sure there’s a decent margin between build costs and retail price. Of course, that profit margin isn’t going to be the same for every company, and it is partly determined by how long you’ve been in that industry and how much supply chain companies actually trust you.

As Nothing’s Carl Pei pointed out, you will get different component and service prices from suppliers if you’re new to the market or if you’re a well-established brand like Apple. When negotiating with these suppliers, you might even have to pay an additional premium of around 15% because they might not trust you yet. Conversely, if you’re a reputable brand, you might be able to get away with delaying payment by a few months, not to mention getting cheaper prices. Manufacturers will also charge more for less popular designs since demand for them will be lower.

As recent figures show, bigger companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung impose a bigger profit margin, but that’s only when comparing it against production costs based on the bill of materials. The companies also spend more on R&D, advertising, and licensing fees, so actual margins can be quite smaller than indicated. Either way, the full price you’re paying isn’t just the total of the components but everything that goes into making a phone, directly or indirectly. It’s a very clear case that the whole is more than a sum of its parts and definitely costs more than that.

Design Matters

So the actual cost of making a phone is made up of both the visible and the invisible. It’s not that hard these days to glean the bill of materials from teardowns and industry connections, but the actual costs of R&D, design, logistics, and marketing are harder to figure out. MKBHD’s phone might only cost $500 if you take into account its parts, but you can’t really build a phone the way you build LEGOs unless you actually build them that way.

Designer: Fairphone

An important takeaway here is how much design is actually involved in making a phone and, in the vein, also how much it costs. To some extent, it also helps explain why it’s harder for companies to immediately adopt more modular components and repairable designs because it drives the costs up considerably as well, costs that will be pushed down to consumers. That said, the industry as a whole is thankfully moving in that direction, which hopefully means that we can someday have that ideal smartphone design that will not only let us assemble our own but also repair them more easily.

The post How Much Does It Really Cost To Build a Phone: Specs, Design, and Hidden Costs first appeared on Yanko Design.

You might have noticed that most gear for outdoor use, such as backpacks and vests, have plenty of hooks, latches, and straps. These are designed to allow you to have a few critical objects outside and within reach at a moment’s notice. And what could be more critical these days than a power bank that’s always ready to juice up your phone for outdoor emergencies or dramatic selfies?

Not all power banks come with carrying straps, even the smaller ones. And even if you could hook them into some of these loops and eyes, that would mean they’d be dangling and swaying back and forth precariously. This simple design solves that problem by combining two designs in one, resulting in a multi-purpose accessory that could be of great use even if you’re not the type to always go on outdoor adventures.

Designer: Nestout

Is it a carabiner with an attached power bank or a power bank with a built-in carabiner? Look at it from whichever angle you want, it will still be the same rugged accessory that clings to you in every trip and journey. Clip it anywhere you want, whether on a bag strap or on a jacket loop and you’re ready to answer the call of adventure, confident that your phone won’t die out on you until you get to your next pit stop.

The 5,000mAh battery inside is probably enough to give most phones another life, or at least even half if you’re using it while charging. Thanks to that small capacity, it’s also easy to charge so you don’t have to waste daylight waiting for it to be ready for another trek. It’s also IP44-rated, so there’s at least some protection against light rain and dust. It makes no qualms about its rugged appearance since it’s designed to be used in equally rugged situations.

That said, there’s nothing preventing you from using this Carabiner Battery anywhere else, at least if you don’t mind carrying around what definitely looks like an outdoor tool. It even has features you’ll probably want regardless of your location, like a built-in phone stand that can hold some phones upright, depending on their sizes.

One thing that would have made this design even better is if it had a built-in USB-C cable. It does have a separate clip to act as a way to hold a short charging cable in place, but it’s still a separate thing you need to be careful not to lose along your way. Retractable cables seem to be a rising trend in chargers and power banks today, but even a simple, short strip could go a long way in making the Carabiner Battery a self-sufficient accessory designed for the great outdoors.

The post Chunky carabiner is actually a petite power bank for your outdoor adventures first appeared on Yanko Design.