7 smartphones that prove: manufacturers are nerds
4.8.2021
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Smartphone manufacturers are nerds. Especially Oppo is making a name for himself as an anime fan and avid gamer. Let’s take a look at seven smartphones that have fans excited.
Special edition smartphones are practically unknown in Switzerland and Germany. Occasionally, one of them makes its way over to Europe from Asia. But as a rule, these limited editions are only available on the Asian market. What’s more, they’re often only available in specific countries.
Looking at the pictures, one thing becomes clear: smartphone manufacturers are nerds at heart, too. They love video games and anime and often don’t worry too much about good taste. The nerd culture seems to be particularly pronounced at Oppo. The Chinese brand, which is just making a name for itself over here, is at the top of the list.
#1: Detective Conan × Oppo (2021)
Shinichi Kudo has been turned into a child by a mysterious organisation. But the master detective, who henceforth calls himself Conan Edogawa, is not deterred by this. Thanks to his genius mind and gadgets, he solves even the trickiest of cases. Something he’s been doing since 1994 – the year the first chapter of «Meitantei Conan» was released.
At the time, there was no such thing as smartphones. But a detective like Conan doesn’t fool around when he has a device that can help him track down murderers, or talk on the phone to his beloved Ran Mori. The daughter of the dim-witted policeman Kogoro Mori believes that Shinichi is out and about somewhere and will soon return to her.
Conan’s latest-generation smartphone of choice is the Oppo Reno 6 Pro+ sporting an exclusive Conan design. The back of the silvery-red (or is it pink?) or white-gray smartphone features illustrations of the characters from the «Meitantei Conan» franchise. The phone runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, has 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of internal memory. It also features a 50-megapixel main camera.
Not to mention accessories. When Oppo does something, it does it right. The phone comes with a smartwatch, a pair of in-ear headphones and a powerbank sporting Kaito Kid – Shinchi’s friend and rival.
#2: BTS × Samsung (2020)
BTS is the most successful K-pop band of all time. Although other South-Korean bands are also filling stadiums, the Bangtan Boys do this on a global level. With their mix of Korean pop, rap and whatever else they can think, BTS deliver both on stage and at the box office.
Samsung – South Korea’s other big export – wanted a piece of the pie. So for a purple special edition of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, the conglomerate worked together with the mega pop group.
The BTS edition Samsung Galaxy S20 FE sets itself apart because of its colour and the fact that Jimin and co. rave about it in the ad for the phone. What they forget to mention in the clip is that Samsung has also thrown in a pair of heart-design purple headphones.
The fact that the BTS-design Samsung Galaxy Buds+ popped up in Switzerland is a total exception. In Germany, you could even get hold of the S20 FE. Meanwhile, everything’s out of stock. Not surprising, right?
#3: Battle Angel Alita × Xiaomi (2019)
The Hollywood movie Battle Angel is one of the most charming stories about a heroine whose only human part is her brain. The Martian fighter is one of the last to master the fighting style of Panzerkunst or armour art. The problem is that she suffers from amnesia and can only remember her time as a fighter in the terraforming wars when she’s in an extreme situation.
Xiaomi drew inspiration from the movie’s robot and cyborg aesthetics and launched a Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro with a transparent back. Although the phone is striking, it is also subtle compared to other fan editions. There’s only an inscription that hints at a connection to the film.
I saw one of these phones in Switzerland. It was a Xiaomi importer at an event who showed me it. Without doubt, it’s one of the prettiest smartphones of recent years. dbrand teardown skins simply can’t compete.
#4: Avengers × Oppo (2020)
Even the SIM tool boasts an Avengers design for this superhero-inspired version of the Oppo Reno 5 Pro. Its shape is similar to the Oppo Reno 4 Pro available here. But it runs on a Snapdragon 720 G instead of Reno 4’s Snapdragon 765.
Other than that, the Avengers have influenced every other aspect of the design – from backplate to the logo on the SIM tool. Plus there’s custom wallpaper sporting the heroes of your favourite Marvel movie series and custom icons for Color OS.
And did I mention headphones? The in-ear buds are wired and match the black and red design, which isn’t particularly reminiscent of the movies. If the iconic uniforms featured in Endgame are anything to go by, the colour combination should be white/red/black. Having said that, the overall look is nice.
#5: Neon Genesis Evangelion × Sharp (2015)
In 1995, Studio Gainax redefined the world of anime. Director Hideaki Anno did this by having teenager Shinji Ikari compete against angels in a giant robot called EVA-01. Instead of mindless violence, «Neon Genesis Evangelion» delivers a character study of trauma, suffering, family relationships and human arrogance.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the anime turned franchise, Studio Gainax made a deal with electronics manufacturer Sharp. The Sharp SH-06 D Aquos got a paint job inspired by the Geofront design featured in the series. The Geofront is a gigantic cave below New Toyko-3. Buildings of the city are retracted into it whenever the publicly known secret organisation NERV mobilises the EVA mecha to fight the Angels.
Although the NERV design looks pretty good on renders and promotional pics, it looks a bit tacky in real life. In this case, less would’ve been more. Or they could’ve added a profile to the backplate, similarly to what Oppo did with the Find X2 Pro in the Lamborghini Edition. In return, the custom launcher inspired by the computer MAGI is incredibly cool.
#6: Neon Genesis Evangelion × Oppo (2020)
Five years after the Sharp Phone, Oppo has snagged the licence to make a Neon Genesis Evangelion-style smartphone. The Oppo Reno Ace 2 from the Evangelion Edition looks like it’s stepped right out of the anime. 3D animation artist Somei created a fantastic «promotional video» for it. According to myths spawned by the internet, Oppo bought the rights to the video because it’s so good.
Oppo, on the other hand, has been focussing on hardware. The phone comes with a box that resembles an entry plug. There’s also a smartwatch with an EVA 02 design. And let’s not forget headphones in an EVA 00 design. The SIM tool has the shape of the Lance of Longinus. As if that weren’t enough, there’s also a EVA 02 Oppo band and Geofront-inspired AirVooc charger.
The phone itself is modelled after EVA 01, which means it’s purple with green and red highlights. Custom launcher? Of course! Custom wallpaper? Sure thing. This is proof once again: when Oppo does something, it’s done right. The Oppo Reno Ace 2 was released in Spring 2020, is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, comes with either 8 or 12 GB of RAM, and 128 GB or 256 GB of storage.
#7: League of Legends × Oppo (2020)
Oppo Find X2 Pro was my phone of the year in 2020. The pure style of the Lamborghini Edition raised the bar even further. If you’re less into supercars but more into video games, there’s a version of the Find X2 without the pro that comes in a «League of Legends» design.
Naturally, Oppo’s 2020 flagship includes a custom launcher, an LoL charging cable, a blue and yellow charger and the stylised Guardian Angel on it. The Find X2 itself has a built-in Snapdragon 865, 128 or 256 GB of internal storage and 8 or 12 GB of RAM. Quite impressive, just like the phone’s design.
It doesn’t scream merchandise. Only the «Worlds» logo in the centre of the backplate clearly shows the connection to the game. The rest looks like an object you might come across in the game. Black and green and a design that could best be described as «magic mist». However, it’s not a hologram effect but just a print. And there are golden highlights, too.
Of course, Oppo remembered to programme a ColorOS 7-based custom launcher and add wallpaper and icons to the phone. It all comes in an elaborately designed box.
After taking a closer look at all these beautiful smartphone and gadgets, here’s the bad news: none of them are available anymore. Limited editions sell well and fast. But don’t despair. You might find something halfway affordable on Ebay or another trading platform. After all, these limited editions are a sight for sore eyes
Limited editions
Which one is your favorite?
- Detective Conan × Oppo15%
- BTS × Samsung4%
- Battle Angel Alita × Xiaomi29%
- Avengers × Oppo11%
- Neon Genesis Evangelion × Sharp8%
- Neon Genesis Evangelion × Oppo20%
- League of Legends × Oppo14%
The competition has ended.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
