The weirdest and ugliest phone models on the planet-Hi-tech fashion

“Strange” doesn’t always mean “bad,” but it also doesn’t mean the device was successful.

Some really odd phone design and function decisions have been made over the years, and here are five of them.

Microsoft Kin

Microsoft Kin came out at an odd time, which was right before Microsoft decided to use Windows Phone 7 for its entire product range. The user interface on Kin feels similar to what happens on Windows Phone, but this is not smartphone which is a very small and cute basic phone with a sliding keyboard.

The Kin is a quirky device with some very interesting ideas. The product didn’t sell very well, but it sure was odd.

Motorola Backflip

There are many ways to place the physical keyboard on your phone, which can be flipped, slid, or rotated. However, Motorola has taken the folding concept and used it in a very strange style on the Backflip, where the keyboard is arranged on the back of the phone.

Blackflip is a unique phone that has a keyboard behind the screen and users can flip it forward to have the keyboard below the screen. The problem is that it is never protected and the user’s hand is always touching it when they hold the phone.

Yotaphone

Yotaphone is a really quirky but very good idea that solves a very concerned issue, which is battery life. Since LCD and LED screens consume a lot of battery, Yotaphone has calculated a low-power screen for simple tasks.

Yotaphone has two screens: on the front is a full color smartphone screen, while the back is a monochrome (e-ink) screen like on the Kindle e-reader. The idea is that users can save electricity by using the e-ink display. It was actually a pretty cool idea, but Yotaphone never really worked.

Toshiba G450

This Toshiba handset consists of buttons and display that are spread over three circular sections and the whole device is in the shape of a carrying case. It’s a very odd looking phone, although it’s comfortable to hold.

Siemens Xelibri 6

Seimens had a whole line of “Xelibri” branded phones back in 2004. The weirdest of them all was the Xelebri 6 – a phone that was as compact as a makeup case. It opens with a text mirror on one side and a small screen in the middle. The number buttons are spread out in an array around the center of the bottom. On top of that is the small and bold yellow navigation keyboard.

Out of all the phones on this list, the Siemens Xelibri 6 is the oddest one because it was designed with a purpose in mind.