The Ono U1 Beast smartphone by U1 Labs has yet to see the light of day as a shipping product. There have been several setbacks to the project but they seem to still keep the flame alive by having the hardware finished and polishing the software constantly to get to a ship ready state.
The latest info pushes for a February release of a slow motion video sample at the spec of 480fps. This will be a real video and not an interpolated sample like the one released before which used the Android camera to deliver slow motion video based on standard frame rate footage. Now the talk in the forums is when will backers and early buyers get the phone if at all. The handset was supposed to be in the hands of backers in late 2015 especially taking in mind the holidays as a Christmas present. That did not materialize as expected due to software delays. However the company honored early backers with refunds for the entire amount. These early backers will still get the phone with no out of money cost. This would be a great thing for backers but this put stresses on the actual company making the necessary revenue unless they have investors footing the bill.
“U1 The World’s First 480FPS Smartphone”
Slogan displayed by U1 Labs”
If Ono U1 launches and keeps their promise to “Pioneers” it seems the company after all could emerge stronger and create a long lasting brand image for the future with even more refined products.
The latest foray into sales and getting the word out there seems to be the Indiegogo campaign that shows the handset and a price of $359 USD which is the price they are selling it at their own site. This is in our view a publicity vehicle to get the word out about their phone and get more sales before actual launch.
U1 Labs Shows a Preview Video of the Ono U1 Beast Phone. Slow Motion is interpolated in the samples shown:
Will the phone ship in Q1 2016? We certainly hope so and that the 480fps 1080p spec is all that we have been waiting for. Creating a smartphone startup is no easy task and many have tried and failed. Few have gotten to the point U1 Labs has reached but it is still no guarantee they will succeed.
In any case we are eager to see working hardware and being able to review the Beast Ono U1 Phone and it’s slow motion capability soon. We feel that if the phone is capable of delivering those frame rates it will be a huge selling point and make the launch successful. That feature is the main one touted and the most talked about since the project started. It is the feature that sets the phone apart from the competition. If they deliver they will have a change to reach a broader market but if the spec is not delivered they could have a backlash.
We wish U1 Labs luck and success going forward with the shipment of the Ono U1 Beast!
Disclaimer: We are not affiliated partners or sales associates of U1 Labs. If you buy a handset from U1 Labs it is your decision alone whatever the outcome. We are a news site that covers slow motion devices and any and all inquiries on the Ono U1 should be made to U1 Labs directly.
More info on the Ono U1 at their Facebook Blog Here!
As it has now been stated that Pioneers will not get there ‘first batch’ phones until the new Indiegogo campaign has finished makes the whole project look increasingly unlikely to reach fruition. I am equally concerned that, as detailed by yourselves, they previously tried to pass of footage as ‘Raw(?) 480fps’ when it clearly wasn’t and now state that they will take the whole of February to produce actual evidential footage. This then is potentially after the intended launch date and too late for many to make a decision on the legitimacy of their claims. This is a disaster for sales.
It would be interesting to know if they have been actively talking to Mediatek regarding the 480fps software, if correct drivers have been obtained and if even a working recording UI exists – even MTK (as far as I am aware) only demonstrated playback concept footage, not the actual method of capture. So even if footage is provided, I would still want to see evidence of the recording UI before considering this in preference to say any new Ambarella H2 enabled device.
At the end of the day prospective Indiegogo investors doing any research are bombarded with negativity, missed deadlines and promises, fire sale adverts and pricing fluctuating from $379 to $199. I fear all goodwill was used up by the original pioneers and with no new publicity or proof of USP this will fail, hence the current single sale item sale in last 6 days. And as their website now points to Indiegogo as the main sales channel, this is total sales. Really doesn’t look good for U1 or their pioneers.
We agree that it seems as a crumbling proposition, we hope to find out more soon.
To fill full their new indiegogo campaign $200,000 goal, 559 sets need to be sold (So far only ONE set has been sold in the last 7 days). I wish they won’t use this excuse to delay again.
Good point, let’s see what happens in February as that is their new deadline.
Sadly I think U1Labs is 2016’s version of the SS Titanic….Doomed
Today is the first day of Feburday, according to their time line, our breast should be in production now… However, Someome just sent me an article, most factories in China just started to have a long holiday for almost a month… Anything could be happened…
Alert message:
http://www.yiwu-market-guide.com/better-not-place-orders-before-or-after-Chinese-new-year.html
I don’t think production stop for a month but it is slowed down a bit. We expect to see some indications of production soon. If not then the project is in doubt.