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The Nubia Alpha looks like either a house arrest bracelet or Batman's phone

You may never buy it, but that doesn't mean this wearable phone isn't lacking good ideas.

Patrick Holland
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Kent German Former senior managing editor / features
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
Patrick Holland
Kent German
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Nubia Alpha

Is it a watch phone? Or a phone watch? The Nubia Alpha feels more like a watch. It's an interesting and welcome change from a sea of black rectangle phones. And unlike the wearable phone concepts we've seen before, it actually works.

For more, read my full Nubia Alpha review on CNET.

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2 of 8 Angela Lang/CNET

Nubia Alpha

You can interact with the flexible 4-inch flexible OLED display in a couple of ways. I mostly swiped up and down and back and forth through the various menus using my finger. But you can also wave your had over the Nubia to navigate screens.

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3 of 8 Angela Lang/CNET

Nubia Alpha

The Nubia Alpha has four main menus, each in a different color. Swipe to either side to scroll through them.

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4 of 8 Angela Lang/CNET

Nubia Alpha

There is a built-in heart rate monitor and numerous fitness features for recording workouts, sleep tracking and step tracking (which worked okay).

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5 of 8 Angela Lang/CNET

Nubia Alpha

You'll either love or hate the looks. Some people I showed it to thought it was a house arrest bracelet.

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6 of 8 Angela Lang/CNET

Nubia Alpha

There is a 5-megapixel camera that take pretty bad photos. They look like they are from an iPhone 3GS.

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7 of 8 Angela Lang/CNET

Nubia Alpha

Besides taking photos, you can also record 10-second long video clips. But because of the camera's placement framing for photos and videos looked horrible.

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Nubia Alpha

The Nubia Alpha watch is now on sale for $449. The US version connects via bluetooth while the Chinese version has an eSIM for making phone calls.

For more, read my full Nubia Alpha review on CNET.

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