Five mobile phones you haven’t heard of

Not a week goes by when we don’t hear about the ‘next big thing’ where smartphones are concerned – the latest, biggest, cheapest, or would-be iPhone beater. But what about those handsets that don’t hog all the media attention?

There’s plenty of innovation going on outside of the big-name brands, like a phone/ebook hybrid, handsets you can build yourself and – in the OnePlus One – a phone that’s a genuine flagship contender. Read on for five phones that have caught our eye.

Smartphone reviews – all the latest handsets from our test lab

OnePlus One – rival to Samsung Galaxy S5?

On the face of it this phone has all the specifications to challenge its glitzier rivals. There is a 5.5-inch full-HD screen, 13Mp camera, JBL stereo speakers, 2.5Ghz quad-core processor, and 3GB RAM – and it runs on the latest version of Android. That potentially puts the OnePlus One up there with the Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8.

However, at £229 (16GB) or £269 (64GB) it’s significantly cheaper – similar in price to the Google Nexus. The bargain pricetag, plus smart internet marketing, gained fans prior to its June launch – but is it enough to reach the mainstream?

YotaPhone – dual e-ink and colour touch-screen phone

The YotaPhone has a 4.3-inch 720p colour touchscreen for the usual smartphone stuff, but flip it over and there’s a 4.3-inch e-ink display on the back. It doubles up as an ebook reader. The e-ink display is appealing and likely conceived when sales of ebook readers were soaring. Sales have settled, but ebooks are popular, and text remains difficult to see on reflective smartphones and tablets.

Beyond the books you get a mid-range Android handset. There is a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, and a 13Mp camera which records 1080p video. But at £419 it’s not cheap.

ZTE Open C – Firefox OS phone

Better-known for their web browser, Firefox is also a mobile operating system (like Android or iOS) – or at least it hopes to be. For now, Firefox mobile can only be found on the ZTE Open C, although there are more handsets coming from the likes of LG and Huawei.

The £55 ZTE Open C, available through eBay, is a budget handset with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4-inch 800 x 480 display, and just 4GB storage. In brief, it’s unlikely to impress. And with a very limited number of apps available through the Firefox marketplace you’ll be better off with the slightly more expensive Motorola Moto E.

OwnFone – £60 3D-printed Braille phone

After giving us a glimpse into the potential of 3D printing with the world’s first 3D-printed customisable phone in 2012, OwnFone has bagged another first with its 3D-printed Braille phone.

The handset’s keypad can be personalised with two or four Braille buttons and pre-programmed as quick dial buttons to call family, friends or emergency contacts. OwnFone costs just £60 and can be ordered via the OwnFone website, where you can specify the contacts you want programmed in and the colour that you want.

Modular phones – Phonebloks and Google-Motorola Ara

Soon, customising your mobile may go further than choosing its cover or the screen background. A bit like Dell lets you build the laptop you want, modular phones let you choose the components (processor, Ram and other essential bits and pieces) that are right for you. This also lets you change bits of your phone as it ages, meaning you shouldn’t have to replace the entire handset.

The concept, popularised by Phonebloks, of a smartphone made up of separate, interchangeable blocks looked likely to stay on the ideas pile. However, ZTE debuted its Eco-Mobius phone at CES 2014 and there are rumours that Google-Motorola ‘Project Ara’ may produce a $50 modular phone in 2015.

More on this

Mobile phone reviews – read our expert verdicts on all the latest handsets

How to buy the best phone – what to look for when buying your next device

Complete guide to 4G – everything you need to know