I've Tested Hundreds of Phones in 15 Years. These Are the Weirdest I've Seen

The weirdest smartphones ever built aren't just failed experiments—they're proof that phone makers will try almost anything to stand out. From Russia's dual-screen YotaPhone to the first commercial foldable, square BlackBerrys, and crypto-focused handsets, a veteran reviewer who has tested hundreds of phones over 14 years has catalogued the industry's most bizarre devices. These outliers reveal both the desperation and the creativity that drive the mobile market.

The article, published on CNET, draws on the author's extensive experience testing phones since 2010. The hook is the sheer strangeness: a phone with two screens, one of which is an always-on e-ink display (YotaPhone); a phone that folds in half like a wallet (the first foldable from Royole or Samsung); phones designed specifically for cryptocurrency enthusiasts with built-in hardware wallets; and the iconic but impractical square BlackBerry Passport. These devices weren't just odd—they often solved real problems in unconventional ways.

Why now? The mobile industry is maturing. Incremental upgrades dominate headlines, but the weird phones of the past remind us that innovation often looks strange at first. The YotaPhone, for example, pioneered dual-screen functionality that later appeared in foldables and today's slate phones with rear e-ink panels. The first foldable, the Royole FlexPai (launched 2018), preceded Samsung's Galaxy Fold by months and proved that flexible displays weren't science fiction. Square BlackBerrys like the BlackBerry Passport (2014) rejected the tall, narrow form factor in favor of a wide, squarish design that actually gave users a full-width keyboard and a large screen for reading. Crypto phones like the HTC Exodus (2018) and Sirin Labs Finney included secure cryptocurrency wallets and blockchain nodes, betting that decentralized finance would go mainstream.

Key details: YotaPhone launched in Russia in 2013, raising $1.5 million on Kickstarter. The first foldable, Royole FlexPai, cost over $1,300 and had a crease that was visible but functional. BlackBerry Passport had a 1:1 aspect ratio screen (1440x1440) and a physical keyboard with touch gestures. Crypto phones included the $999 Sirin Labs Finney with built-in cold storage and the HTC Exodus 1 with Zion wallet integration. None became mass-market successes. The YotaPhone company shut down in 2019. Royole remains a niche player. BlackBerry exited its own hardware business in 2016. Crypto phones sold in tiny volumes but proved the concept could work.

Analysis: Industry observers note that these weird phones are often ahead of their time. The YotaPhone's dual-screen concept resurfaced in LG's dual-screen attachments and Xiaomi's Mi Mix Fold with a rear e-ink panel. The foldable form factor, once mocked, is now a $20-billion-plus category led by Samsung, Huawei, and Google. BlackBerry's secret-weapon keyboard is still missed by productivity users. Crypto phones struggled with a slim market but anticipated the current wave of self-custody wallets and Web3 mobile apps. The lesson: weirdness can be a litmus test for future trends, even if the devices themselves fail.

Outlook: Expect more weirdness ahead. Transparent displays, rollable screens, and phones with integrated AI assistants (like the Humane AI Pin, though not a phone) suggest the cycle of oddball hardware hasn't ended. The next weird phone might come from a startup like Nothing, which already sells transparent-backed devices, or from a legacy maker experimenting with radical form factors. For now, the weirdest phones ever tested remain a museum of what-ifs—and a testament that the mobile industry's riskiest bets are often its most memorable.