iKKO Mind One Pro: A peculiar smartphone conquers Kickstarter, what made it win over customers?

The iKKO Mind One Pro is indeed an unconventional smartphone at first glance. But perhaps that’s precisely why it’s celebrating success in its Kickstarter campaign these days. At the time of writing, it has raised nearly 800 thousand dollars, and the campaign itself is only a third of the way through. What’s behind this success?

iKKO Mind One Pro impresses with its design at first glance

The new device immediately catches the eye with its dimensions and overall design. The small, almost square, box measures only 86 x 72 x 8.9 mm and weighs 132 grams. The phone’s frame is made of aluminum, and the display is covered by sapphire glass, so no expense was spared in these aspects. The AMOLED display has a diagonal of 4.02″ and a resolution of 1240 x 1080 px. Unfortunately, the panel has to make do with a 60Hz refresh rate, and this is probably not just an effort to save costs but also battery life. The battery has a capacity of only 2,200 mAh. The manufacturer also justifies the use of the older and less powerful 4G chipset Mediatek Helio G99 by the effort to save energy. This is complemented by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.

Velikost a tvar zde však nejsou to jediné zvláštní. Stačí se podívat na záda a spatříte modul jediného fotoaparátu na otočné konstrukci podobné té, jakou před časem používal u svých smartphonů například Asus. Jen v tomto případě se výrobce zřejmě ani nesnažil modul nějak elegantně zapracovat do konstrukce telefonu. Uvnitř výrazného tubusu se pak ukrývá 50MPx snímač Sony o velikosti 1/1.56″ s optickou stabilizací a f/1.88 objektivem. Z další výbavy pak stojí za zmínku hlasité stereo reproduktory nebo čtečka otisků ukrytá v tlačítku napájení.

Worldwide coverage with vSIM?

The iKKO Mind One Pro definitely caught attention in the campaign with its phrase about free “AI internet.” When purchasing the Pro model, you get free internet connectivity for using various pre-installed AI tools. Currently, the service should include AI translation in various applications, including live transcription, note-taking, or a classic AI assistant with photo-based search capabilities. These services are supported in 60 countries, including the Czech Republic – you can view the complete list below.

It should be emphasized that this is not a classic internet connection for all applications and web browsing. For that, you can use either a standard nano-SIM or a pre-installed virtual SIM. Although the manufacturer does not specify the exact prices for internet connectivity via this service, they are reportedly expected to match the usual prices of local mobile internet providers. This, exclusively internet-based, coverage should then be available in 120 countries – again, including the Czech Republic. I cannot overlook the system either. It is Android 15, but the manufacturer also boasts about its own AI OS. However, this seems more like an application overlaying the still-running Android in the background rather than a second full-fledged system.

This QWERTY case will win over many fans!

One of the things that impressed me most about the iKKO Mind One Pro is undoubtedly the optional case with a QWERTY keyboard, a DA converter, and a 500 mAh battery. Not only do fans of physical keys get one of the few options to avoid a software keyboard, but the magnetically attached case also serves as a small power bank. While I would have liked at least double the capacity, every mAh is useful given the phone’s very small battery. The manufacturer leveraged its origins in the audio industry to include a DA converter, the Cirrus Logic CS43198, along with a 3.5mm jack.

And how much does the manufacturer charge for this atypical smartphone? At the time of writing, the Kickstarter campaign has the last few units remaining with a $130 discount for $369, which translates to approximately 7,950 CZK. After that, it will be sold with a $70 discount for $429, and the retail price outside the campaign should be $499 – approximately 9,300 and subsequently 10,800 CZK. The aforementioned case will cost an additional $79 / 1,700 CZK. A model without the “Pro” designation is also expected to arrive. This one will lack sapphire glass over the display and prepaid AI internet. However, its price is not yet known.

Are you interested in the iKKO Mind One Pro smartphone?