8 Worst Smartphones Ever Existed That You Must Know

Odd in a way not just from how they look, but also how the phones are positioned in terms of price, value, and purpose. So we thought of compiling a list of the worst smartphones that ever existed. A couple of years ago before the era of Android or iOS even began, phone manufacturers are really trying hard to innovate in terms of design. One particular brand in mind is Nokia where they offered odd to ugly looking phones such as Nokia 7280 and Nokia 7600. Those were the days that the brand seems to be running out of ideas of what to offer the market. Fortunately, today’s smartphones are great. We can purchase mid-range smartphones that offer excellent performance, great design, and value compared to older high-end models. Feel Free to Jump Further Sections

Energizer Power Max P18K Kyocera Echo Vertu Signature Touch Samsung Galaxy S5 BlackBerry Passport BlackBerry Storm Galaxy S III Mini HTC First Samsung Galaxy Fold

6 Worst Smartphones of All Time

To be fair, the ones that got included in our list are based on our own experience, user and owner experience, pricing, functionality, and value. With have no brand preference and the ones that we picked are those that don’t make sense at all in our opinion. So without further ado, here are 6 of the worst smartphones ever existed that you should be aware of:

1. Energizer Power Max P18K (Worst Smartphone of 2019)

First on our list is the Energizer P18K. If you weren’t aware, the popular battery brand Energizer, entered the smartphone business. Yes, you heard that right, other than offering quality power banks, the brand also sells smartphones. One particular model that got the media scratching their heads is the P18K. Energizer believes that there’s a strong market for smartphones with large battery capacity. Unfortunately, when they introduced the P18K, consumers weren’t impressed and its non-removable Li-Po 18,000 mAh battery wasn’t appealing enough for the consumers to support the model. As we mentioned above, the P18K posses a battery capacity that you will not find in any other smartphone. Unfortunately, bigger battery capacity means a thicker phone. The body of the Energizer P18K has a 30-40 mm thickness which is crazy thick for a smartphone. Most especially that consumers nowadays would prefer thinner ones. The P18K was planned to have a selling price of USD$599. Sadly (for Energizer, at least), the phone did not receive enough support in Indiegogo. This forced the company to cancel every plan they had with this particular model. Ultimately ending any probability of making this model available in the market. Well, that’s what most people thought. Energizer still seems positive about their smartphone. They have rescheduled the release of the Power Max P18K this May 2020. Watch out for more announcements from them if you want to grab one for your own!

2. Kyocera Echo (Worst Smartphone of 2011)

The Kyocera Echo was definitely one of the strangest and worst smartphones that ever existed. This model had a lot of disdain from the consumers and one proof that not all made in Japan is sugoi. Its chunky build and unusual hinge that swung open to reveal a second 3.5-inch screen give a very odd user experience. As merit though, the ability to slide the second screen and place the second screen next to the main one for tablet mode was cool back then. Unfortunately, its exclusivity to Sprint and the giant bezels made tablet mode rubbish. Additionally, the overall user experience is awkward. Also, having 2 screens surely has proven to be an excellent way to drain the battery fast. You can still buy this phone on some sites like eBay.

3. Vertu Signature Touch (Worst Smartphone of 2014)

Don’t you hate it when something is overpriced? That’s the impression that most of us gave to Apple with its ever expensive iPhones. Little did you know that there’s a handset model in the market with a selling price of $11,500 and that’s the Vertu Signature Touch. During its product launch, the phone had a markup price of over 10 grand which was crazy. At that price point, you could already purchase a brand new car, a house, or both! On a closer look, the phone had a really expensive look and design as well as a very rigid build. The Vertu Signature Touch features a titanium body (forged grade 5), luxurious calf leather-covered rear panel, and a sapphire crystal glass capacitive touchscreen which what ultimately dictates its market price. Under the hood, the specs of the phone were quite mediocre and it doesn’t justify the selling price.

4. Samsung Galaxy S5

In 2014, Apple had the biggest smartphone market share. The flagship model of the brand back then sported an aluminum body and glass build. While Samsung, on the other hand, as one of the biggest competition of Apple, was selling Samsung Galaxy S5 for USD$649.99. It was the brands’ flagship model that year. The Samsung Galaxy S5 was a pretty slick and cool looking phone back then but it was also one of the worst smartphones ever. “Why?” you ask? iPhones were already sporting a glass body and aluminum frame then but that Samsung Galaxy S5 had a plastic body and frame. To worsen things up, the company designed the S5 with a metallic coating design that easily fades. Additionally, the phone looked cheap and feels the same way. With a selling price of $649.99, you had to think twice because the iPhone offered more value back then.

5. BlackBerry Passport

BlackBerry was considered a luxurious brand that the former United States President, Barack Obama, supported. Unfortunately, the company met its demise when Android and iOS gained more popularity. The brand had a peak number of subscribers and users at 80 million in 2012. But according to statistics, BlackBerry smartphone users in the US dropped to less than a million. BlackBerry was then forced to release phones running on Android OS to continue with the business. Unfortunately, the brand couldn’t find a fit for its handsets and the usefulness of Android. One particular model that really made the worse for the brand is the BlackBerry Passport. This phone is not an Android phone but what makes it one of the worst smartphones that ever existed is its price, design, and functionality. The Passport was considered as the shortest but widest phone ever made. It featured an odd body ratio that it was so difficult to use with one-hand. Additionally, the 4.5-inch touchscreen was square, which didn’t quite work well with most apps and videos. The performance was also poor despite the fact that it was being sold for around US$249. With today’s generation, you could definitely buy a far better Android smartphone at that price.

7. BlackBerry Storm

The BlackBerry Storm was the first ever touchscreen phone launched by BlackBerry in 2008.. However, the features on the phone did not turn out as expected. This touch feature on the phone was just inaccurate and insensitive. It also had lagging issues compared to other touch screen smartphones sold contemporarily in the market. The RIM has gone and BlackBerry has stopped its sales in the market.

8. Galaxy S III Mini

The Samsung Galaxy phone can be a dream phone for some to buy. But this model has absolutely disappointed customers. Galaxy SIII mini was a handy phone but considered to be one of the worst smartphones. It was just easy to carry around but never contained the best features. It was never compatible with any other device to share media. It also had lagging issues which is quite annoying. This model was then not sold in the market after some time.

9. HTC First

When the Android operating system was initially introduced, HTC had a large portion of the share. After Android has been widely accepted, companies that have a long-time presence on the Web developed websites that can be very well optimized for mobile phones. They, later on, created full-fledged applications that either run on Android or Apple devices. By the year 2013, Facebook has established itself as a very well known social media website. It would be very difficult to find out how and why this was developed, but this mobile was able to create a much more immersive Facebook experience. This was not the first attempt to integrate Facebook more fully into a phone application. In fact, HTC went ahead to add a dedicated button to access this social media application from its mobile. But unfortunately, this mobile was not able to keep up with the competition of its peers. This mobile turned out to be an underdeveloped one and was introduced at the wrong time. Getting involved with a social media application and launching at the wrong time was the biggest mistake that this mobile could make which resulted in its failure.

10. Samsung Galaxy Fold

Samsung Galaxy Fold made the impossible possible. A phone that gets folded in the middle of the screen. In order to accomplish this, Samsung started using plastic in its device. That created a lot of problems in the initial days. The plastic coating was easier for people to peel off. It appeared as though it was a protective layer of coating. Alas! They were removing the top layer of the screen. There were bulges on the seam and they still discovered thick black lines from hinge to hinge. The plastic top layer of the screen appears strong but may not be strong enough. This is because if you try to fold the screen with any random object, chances are high that the phone might get scratched and pierce the screen. The advantages of using this phone were there, but considering the price and the fragile handling, it wasn’t a worthwhile purchase. Suggested reads:

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The Worst Smartphone & Why Did It Exist

Phones have their sole purpose but when a manufacturer decides to test the market with odd-looking smartphones, you know that they are trying to innovate as much as they can. Unfortunately, some just couldn’t properly configure the ratio between design and purpose. So better take note of the phones in this list and be sure to read this article so you know which phones to avoid in the future. Have comments? Questions? Suggestions? Do hit us up in the comment section below! Featured Image Credit

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