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Google is not the one firm betting large on AI in its smartphones, and whereas the lately revealed Pixel 10 lineup seems promising, there’s one other AI-powered smartphone that has caught my eye. Meet the iKKO MindOne, a minuscule new smartphone that’s at present ending up a marketing campaign over on Kickstarter.
The gadget, which the corporate advertises as being “card-sized,” measures simply 86×72mm and is simply 8.9mm thick. That is simply 3.39×2.83 inches in dimension and solely 0.35 inches thick. Suffice it to say, this factor is small, even when in comparison with different small telephones like iPhone SE, which Apple has since changed with the iPhone 16e. In case you do need a barely greater gadget, iKKO additionally provides an adjunct referred to as the Snap-in-Case, which you’ll be able to snap the telephone into for entry to a full bodily QWERTY keyboard and a built-in headphone jack.
In line with the corporate’s Kickstarter page — which is hours from being accomplished on the time of writing — the AI smartphone shouldn’t be solely powered by Android 15, however it additionally includes a secondary light-weight OS referred to as iKKO AI OS. Even that twin working system is not what makes the iKKO MindOne stand out. What actually caught my consideration is without doubt one of the telephone’s largest promoting factors: free world web entry.
You may nonetheless want a telephone plan for this card-sized smartphone
Now, I need to caveat that final revelation by saying that the one free web entry you are getting is for AI-powered providers. That lineup contains every little thing from language translation to dwell AI assist much like Gemini Reside. It isn’t fairly as thrilling as limitless free web, however it does imply you will by no means be locked out of utilizing AI that requires on-line entry — a minimum of not within the international locations that assist it.
At a look, the smartphone seems about as large as a debit card — or most likely nearer to a pockets, simply primarily based on the comparisons made in a video that the corporate launched. Most of that house is taken up by a 4.02-inch AMOLED Sapphire Glass Show. There is not any ugly digital camera cutout on this small display, both, because the digital camera is definitely one other a part of the telephone’s gimmick.
As a substitute of getting each a front-facing and a rear-facing digital camera, the MindOne as an alternative solely has one digital camera, which will be flipped round. It includes a 50MP Sony sensor, which will be locked at any angle as you flip it. iKKO showed off the camera’s capabilities in a YouTube video, and it seems prefer it delivers some stable outcomes.
Ultimately, there will probably be two fashions out there — the MindOne and the MindOne Professional — although iKKO is simply promoting the MindOne Professional through Kickstarter in the mean time. The bottom MindOne will not characteristic the Sapphire Glass display, and it will not include the free world web for AI providers. However that is the one distinction between the 2 that I may discover.
An AI telephone constructed for focus?
iKKO says that the MindOne is “the place focus meets freedom” and that “whereas most telephones battle in your consideration, MindOne provides it again.” Primarily based on that, it appears fairly clear that the corporate is advertising and marketing this as a smartphone that additionally doubles as an AI-powered productivity device.
It is solely geared up with 4G+ capabilities and 8GB of RAM with 256GB of inside storage. It does characteristic a 2200 mAh battery, and assist for a Nano-SIM card that may connect with a number of community carriers, together with AT&T, T-Cell, Verizon, and extra. You may view the present checklist of specs on the telephone’s Kickstarter page to get a greater thought of what iKKO is planning.
After all, all the present claims are primarily based on what the corporate has showcased on its Kickstarter web page and in advertising and marketing movies. The ultimate product’s actual capabilities may change drastically between now and the gadget’s estimated transport date, which is at present December 2025. We cannot know for positive if the gadget the corporate is advertising and marketing is definitely the one it is promoting till individuals begin getting their palms on it. The bottom MindOne is listed to promote at $389, whereas the MindOne Professional will price $499. That stated, if you are going to buy early through Kickstarter, it can save you as much as $130 with early-bird pricing.
Contributing to Kickstarter campaigns is at all times a danger, however iKKO does have a confirmed observe file with profitable Kickstarter campaigns which have really shipped the promised units, having previously launched its ActiveBuds AI earbuds back in 2023.