For a few months in 2017, the hottest product that cost a meager sum is no other than the fidget spinner. It was sold virtually anywhere humans are present, from the corner stores to supermarkets to toy stores. They were everywhere, but then, like every trend before it, it quickly crash and burn. Now, if you fidget spin anything now, you’d look like an ancient person, but not if your fidget spinner happens to be your mobile phone, such as the Chilli K188 Spinner Mobile Phone you see here. Yep. It is a mobile phone, alright, and a very tiny one at that.
The size is no doubt the result of an effort to enable to it be spun like, well, a fidget spinner. It does not have balancing ball bearings, but it does have a bearing in the middle to afford the spinning motion when you are not making calls over 2G networks. Despite its diminutive size, it still packs an 1-inch TFT LCD, plus the works like a built-in battery, speaker, the processor proper, along with ROM and RAM, of course, and it is even capable of playing back video on its 128 x 96 resolution display. However, those are as many things this 96 mm candy bar form factor phone can pack.
Frills like cameras are non-existence, so are today’s essentials like GPS, NFC, and WiFi. Strangely, while it does not have WiFi, the spec sheet said it has a browser. I am not sure what ‘browser’ in this instance means. A file browser? Or is it an Internet browser? But one thing for sure, it may be lacking of sensors and modern day connectivity, including 3G/4G LTE, it does have Bluetooth technology in it. In case you are wondering, K188 is the product of Chilli Mobiles, a Shenzhen-based company – sanctioned by the local government, if we may add.
The company makes cheap non-smart handset which it claims to have enjoyed success in countries numerous countries including India, Hong Kong, Dubai, China and wait what? The USA? Woah… really? Obviously, success not in the spinner phone. The company also develops and peddles other communication technology, so perhaps their “good reputation” is in that department. I don’t know. Anyways, Chilli K188 Spinner Mobile Phone can be found in India selling for 1,149 INR, which is a little under US$18. So, it is something which you can see and not able to buy.
And if you dig around hard enough, there appears to have other versions floating around on Amazon if you want options. And oh, you can watch a hands-on video HERE.
Images: Chilli Mobiles/PhoneRadar.
Source and animated GIF: Oh Gizmo!