Elephone has announced its newest smartphone, the S7 – a handset which is actively being marketed as ‘explosion-proof thanks to three layers of protection.
Ever since Samsung was forced to make the decision to cancel its disastrous Galaxy Note 7, rival Android manufacturers have stepped up their game. Xiaomi has ribbed the South Korean giant with the Mi Note 2, and now another Chinese manufacturer – Elephone – has stepped up to the plate.
If you haven’t heard much of Elephone up until now, you’re not alone – the company last made headlines for debuting the dual-booting Vowney smartphone. Now the firm has turned its attention to plundering Samsung’s market; no less so than with a smartphone that’s actively advertised as being ‘explosion proof’.
Read: South African Airways bans the Galaxy Note 7 from all flights
It doesn’t help much that the device closely resembles the ill-fated Note 7. With a curved glass display, a glass rear panel, and a Samsung-inspired front-mounted fingerprint scanner, the S7 (we see what you did there, Elephone) emulates the Note 7 in looks, but doesn’t sport equivocal hardware.
However, it does include technology we bet Samsung wishes it could advertise at present; the phone – according to Elephone – includes ‘three layers’ of safety; first, a battery that’s been extensively tested, secondly, an explosion-proof membrane, and thirdly, an explosion-proof TPU shell.
At this point, we’re just going to come out and say that being ‘explosion proof’ shouldn’t be a marketable feature at all.
On the technical front, the S7 arrives with two configurations; one has a 5.2″ HD display while the other employs a 5.5″ HD display. Both variants rely on a MediaTek Helio X20 SoC, while iterations exist which accommodate 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, and finally 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage; all three versions of which include microSD support and dual-SIM capabilities.
Beyond those figures, the S7 includes a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 5-megapixel secondary unit, while the device runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and makes use of a 3,000mAh battery.
The entry level version of the S7 will retail for $139.99 and will only be available in gold, while the middling options range from $169 USD (gold) $189 USD (blue) and $199 USD (green). The premium version retails for $199 USD (gold) $229 (blue) $239 USD (black) and $249 USD (green).
While this might all sound like a practical joke, it’s not – the Elephone S7 is now available for pre-order. If you feel like giving the Note 7 another kick in the crotch, you can check it out below.
Read: Samsung sets up Note 7 exchange counters at major South African airports
What are your thoughts? Be sure to let us know your opinion in the comments below!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
Source: Elephone
