Ubik Uno, an Android phone hitting Kickstarter (photos)

A crowd-designed phone in the future, perhaps, but the first Ubik Uno phone feels a lot like similar 5.5-inch Android phones...in a good way.

Scott Stein

I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.

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Scott Stein

July 21, 2015 6:00 a.m. PT

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The Ubik Uno isn't a Philip K. Dick novel...it's an Android phone. We got to see one first-hand before its launch on Kickstarter.

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Kickstarter? Yes, Kickstarter. Ubik is a new company and is using Kickstarter for the Uno to raise awareness and to build a "community" to vote on new designs in the future.

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The Uno is a 5.5-inch Android phone with an aluminum body, running stock Android Lollipop 5.1 -- meaning, it's pure Android without any overlays or pre-installed fluff.

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The Ubik Uno has an octa-core MediaTek 2.2 GHz processor, 3GB of RAM, and 16GB of onboard storage (plus a microSD card slot).

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The 5.5-inch 1,920x1,080 IPS display looks pretty sharp.

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A 20-megapixel Sony rear camera sounds similar to what's shown up in other recent phones like the HTC One M9. The question is, can the Ubik Uno make good use of it?

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It feels okay, it looks okay. How it actually performs remains to be seen.

The Ubik Uno will cost $345 unlocked with 4G LTE (GSM) when it officially goes on sale later this year, but will cost a little less ($280 to start) for Kickstarter backers.