Simply the opposite day a report emerged that confirmed Apple may need been proper to finish the iPhone mini line with the iPhone 13 mini. However Apple’s absence doesn’t imply the tip of small telephones, as alumni from the Pebble smartwatch staff want to create a compact Android handset.

They’ve fashioned a group venture (not even an organization but) referred to as the Small Android Cellphone (opens in new tab), however there’s lots of expertise on board, together with Pebble’s founder Eric Migicovsky, alongside different Pebble alumni.

As per an interview with The Verge (opens in new tab), it additionally appears like this venture is effectively on the best way to changing into a actuality. Whereas not a lot appears to be set in stone but, the staff have lots of concepts, together with varied attainable digital camera designs, with the aim of creating it look “very uniquely recognizable and really iconic” in response to Alex De Stasio, who beforehand labored as an industrial designer at Pebble, Go Professional, and elsewhere.

You possibly can see how a few of these potential digital camera designs look within the picture beneath. No matter design the staff finally goes with, the {hardware} would doubtless embrace a sensor of round 50MP, in response to Benjamin Bryant, who additionally beforehand labored at Pebble.

That may doubtless be paired with digital camera software program that the staff produces itself, with the aim – in response to Bryant – of “one thing that’s going to end in images that look good.”

As for the remainder of the telephone’s physique, De Stasio claims they’re aiming for “a pleasant comfortable slab, that’s very prime quality, very properly put collectively, very stable feeling, and that simply has very comfortable particulars that really feel very nice in your fingers.” A number of supplies are apparently being thought-about for it, however the staff’s focus will likely be on consideration to element, quite than uncommon supplies (taking a look at you, OnePlus).

The chipset additionally hasn’t been determined upon, however the selection appears to be between both the Snapdragon eight Plus Gen 1, which was one of the best Android telephone chipset of final yr however isn’t fairly one of the best anymore, or “a yet-to-be-released mid-tier Qualcomm chip,” in response to Bryant.

Even the identify of this small telephone hasn’t been selected but, however some prospects put ahead embrace Pico, Atom, Bud, Mato, and naturally Pebble, amongst many different choices.

Now for the much less excellent news: Bryant claims that it’s prone to price round $850 (roughly £690 / AU$1,265). For reference, the iPhone 13 mini at present begins at $599 / £649 / AU$1,049, and even at launch it was cheaper than this proposed worth.

The Asus Zenfone 9, which is likely one of the most up-to-date compact  Android telephones, additionally prices much less, with a beginning worth of $699 / £699 / AU$1,199. So this deliberate small telephone might be a tough promote.

An experiment price doing

There are good and comprehensible causes for the doubtless excessive worth of this unnamed telephone. For one factor, the staff hopes to work with a “tier one” producer, so hopefully the development will likely be prime quality.

Additionally, this isn’t aimed toward being a mainstream machine. The worth above relies on pre-orders of round 50,000 models, which is a tiny quantity in comparison with big-name telephones.

If extra folks pre-order, then the value will doubtless decrease, and it additionally appears like the value might drop for future models, as soon as the telephone is out; with Bryant saying “the guess is there’s sufficient folks prepared to overpay for a telephone. That may get it out the door, after which we’ll transfer all the way down to the market worth for the telephone.”

So in a way, this a name for individuals who lament the dearth of small telephones to assist one, and present that such gadgets could be viable. Up to now, the venture’s web site cites over 38,000 helps, which means there is a methods to go earlier than they attain their aim of 50,000 and that is to not point out the even better hurdle of turning these supporting followers into paying prospects.

If this machine succeeds, then it might present that there’s nonetheless an urge for food for one of the best small telephones, although it appears like this may in all probability all the time be a distinct segment machine – which is okay if that’s what the staff are planning for. However area of interest isn’t a phrase Apple appears very fascinated by relating to smartphones, so whether or not this succeeds or fails, it in all probability gained’t persuade Apple to construct one other iPhone mini.