17 phones in 10 years. Which of these phones have won the highest award in the design world?

If you pay attention to product posters, you may have found that in recent years, more and more manufacturers will print a small red dot or red embedded "iF" in a more conspicuous position of new product posters. Square.

The small red dot on the left is the Red Dot Award, and the small square on the right is the iF product design award. Both are from Germany, and both are the largest and most influential competitions in the world's well-known design competitions.

However, as the number of winners in the two competitions has increased, and even flooded, people in the design community have begun to question the gold content of the red dot and iF awards.

Regarding the gold content of awards such as red dot and iF, we also wrote an article before and discussed in detail. For those who don’t care about the design world, they only need to know the "Best of the Best" in the Red Dot Award and the Gold Award in the iF Design Award. Or rather authoritative, that's enough.

Manufacturers usually use the "Red Dot Award" or "iF Award" to make a fuss. After all, if a manufacturer wins the "Red Dot Best Design Award", the award will be clearly stated. Not only vaguely expressed as the "red dot award." If you get the "iF Design Gold Award", then its logo will also be a small golden square instead of the usual red, as shown in the figure below.

We have calculated that in the past 10 years (2011-2020), there are not many smartphones that have truly won the "Red Dot Best Design Award" and the "iF Design Gold Award", with only 17 models in total. Next, we will take you to review these classic models again in order of year.

2011: iPhone 4, HTC EVO 4G

It is not surprising that iPhone 4 won both the "Red Dot Best Design Award" and the "iF Design Gold Award". The front and rear tempered glass, stainless steel frame, and 9.3 mm body make it a work of art in hand. Functionally, iPhone 4 added a retina screen, front camera, gyroscope, rear flash, and camera pixels to 5 million for the first time. It can be said that iPhone 4 redefines the possibilities of smart phones.

The Red Dot Jury’s "Awarding Speech" read:

Since Apple launched the first iPhone, the iPhone 4 represents the biggest creative leap. This form is characterized by a bright, high-resolution display with LED background lighting. Nothing can distract users. Whether you are a video phone, using the front or rear camera to take photos or videos, or using a multitasking application, the phone works perfectly and is self-explanatory. The jury believes that in order to ensure the success of future-oriented products, Apple has adopted a classic design principle: very simple and very good.

In the same year, another mobile phone won the "Red Dot Best Design Award", and it was HTC EVO 4G. As the world's first smartphone to support 4G networks, the release of HTC EVO 4G surprised four people. The 4.3-inch display looked like a tablet computer at the time, and its 8-megapixel camera and dual LED flash also made it outstanding in photography.

The Red Dot Award jury stated:

HTC EVO 4G has shown its advantages in mobile entertainment and live video. It has a streamlined design front and can provide an immersive movie experience. In addition, the device can be connected to a TV via the integrated HDMI output. The 8-megapixel camera on the back of the phone looks like a circle of fire.

2012: Sony Ericsson Xperia active

Seeing the name "Sony Ericsson", do you feel a little dazed? Before the two "separated", Sony Ericsson Xperia Active won the "iF Design Gold Award" for its three-proof design. What's interesting is that there is a very conspicuous pendant hole in the lower right corner of this phone, which looks like a rock climbing buckle, which is very individual.

The reason given by the iF jury is:

The product has a very elegant design and is very practical. Especially for sports users, this smartphone is the first choice, because its waterproof and dustproof performance makes it a very special product. It can be said that it is a symbiosis of function and elegance.

2013: iPhone 5, BlackBerry Porsche Design P"9981

The black version of iPhone 5 still seems to amaze me. Its new 7.6mm anodized aluminum body is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S. In addition, its diamond-cut chamfered edges look very delicate. The 4-inch Retina display, the new A6 chip, and the 8-megapixel iSight camera all make it a leader in the sea. Winning the "iF Design Gold Award" deserves its name.

The iF jury said in the "Award Presentation":

The larger screen means that the new generation iPhone iPhone 5 is bigger, but lighter, and can still be held in the hand perfectly. It is powerful and designed to make it the best solution in the field of smartphones. For us, it is the best product on the market, and even the display resolution is very high. Congratulations again this year for winning the iF Gold Award.

Another BlackBerry Porsche Design P9981 won the "Red Dot Best Design Award." This phone is the first product that Porsche Design has entered the mobile phone field. The body of the BlackBerry P9981 adopts an integrated stainless steel frame design. The back cover and charger are made of Italian high-end leather. The screen, back cover and charger of the BlackBerry P9981 are all assembled by hand. But the price of more than 10,000 yuan did not make it impress most people.

The red review panel believes:

BlackBerry Porsche Design P9981 can provide users with the highest level of the latest technology experience. What is fascinating is the highly intuitive operation of its interface. The phone has a timeless, perfect, and sophisticated modern appearance.

2014: 5 mobile phones awarded

2014 was the year with the largest number of award-winning mobile phones in the past 10 years. Let's start with LG G Flex, which won both the "Red Dot Best Design Award" and the "iF Design Gold Award". In fact, it is more like an experimental phone: 6-inch flexible curved screen, curved body, bendable battery, magic back cover self-healing technology, all make it look very different.

The red review panel said:

The innovative curved shape of the LG G Flex smartphone has many advantages. It can smoothly and naturally adapt to the contours of the user's face. Therefore, when using multimedia functions, the mobile phone can provide clear communication and immersion.

After the separation of Sony and Ericsson, Sony again won the "Red Dot Best Design Award" with the Xperia Z ultra. The 6.44-inch screen makes it one of the representatives of large-screen mobile phones. The front and rear glass panels and aluminum frame make it large and not bulky. The symmetrical design and thin body give it a very prominent industrial style.

The "awarding speech" given by the red review panel is:

Xperia Z Ultra is fascinating with its perfect symmetry. It has an ultra-thin design and can be placed in the hand well at any angle. The details of this smartphone are very fine. Its innovative design and well-thought-out features combine to provide a novel and engaging experience.

This year, iPhone 5c won the "iF Design Gold Award." To be honest, I don't like the design of iPhone 5c very much. I always feel that it lacks a sense of refinement compared to iPhone 5s. However, just looking at the back, the iPhone 5c can be said to use plastic to the extreme, and it doesn’t feel as cheap as plastic. In addition, it does not "expose" the antenna like the iPhone 5s, it looks more integrated.

The iF jury considered:

The new color adds freshness to the product and makes it full of vitality. This is a product that performs well in the market.

Perhaps iF prefers colorful fuselages. In the same year, the colorful Nokia Asha 501 won the "iF Design Gold Award". This phone is equipped with Nokia's new Asha system, but its configuration is relatively low-end, a bit like the cheap version of the Lumia series.

The reason given by the iF jury is:

Asha 501 has been carefully designed at a very reasonable price. The color shell of the mobile phone has formed a strong personality and resonated with the market.

This year, another domestic mobile phone received the favor of the iF jury and won the "iF Design Gold Award". It is The New HTC One. It is the world's first all-metal smartphone, and its sharp corners make it look capable and simple. HTC One is equipped with a 4.7-inch 1080P screen, and the special UltraPixel camera is also very interesting.

The iF jury stated:

HTC One is a high-quality mobile phone with excellent performance, and it has spent a lot of effort on detailed design. The curved back makes it fit the palm perfectly, providing an excellent product experience. This is a very exquisite mobile phone whose quality has pushed HTC to new heights.

2015: Hammer phone becomes the biggest winner

2015 is a year that left beautiful memories for Luo Yonghao. Smartisan T1 won the "iF Design Gold Award", and the consumer reputation is also good. The structure of the Smartisan T1 is exquisite enough. The carefully polished 3D apartment-shaped glass back panel feels great, and it also brings a subtle reflective effect, which looks very shiny. Symmetrical side keys and front function keys, when combined with Smartisan OS, can also get a sufficiently good experience.

The iF jury praised:

What fascinates us is that this phone has many well-designed details and complex new features, and the completion is very high. From packaging to the product itself, everything is well thought out. All in all, the most convincing attributes of this phone are ease of use and high-quality design and appearance.

This year, the "Red Dot Best Design Award" also went to Sony Xperia E3 and BlackBerry Passport. I estimate that the jury of the Red Dot Award should have a lot of fans. This is the third time that Xperia series phones have won this award since 2011. Xperia E3 is a product that focuses on the low-end market. Its slim and symmetrical design are its outstanding features.

The iF jury stated:

Xperia E3 is designed with a balanced proportion and soft appearance, making users love it. The symmetry of the phone left a deep impression on people, and the hand feels very comfortable. Due to its rounded edges, it can be easily operated with only one hand. The convincing design is reflected in the perfect balance of materials, surface treatments and colors.

The Passport model is the most impressive product of BlackBerry. The 4.5-inch square screen and the physical full keyboard make it full of style in an instant, making it difficult to "crash" with others on the street. The passport-style design makes it look like a strong business atmosphere, it should be one of the most individual mobile phones of the year.

The iF jury wrote in the "awarding speech":

The interface of BlackBerry Passport provides an exciting new tactile experience. Its huge display screen provides ease of operation and convenient navigation. The shape of this phone is inspired by the passport, and its design is exquisite and delicate, down to every detail.

2016 was a dull year. No mobile phone won the "Red Dot Best Design Award" and the "iF Design Gold Award". In fact, since this year, the "Red Dot Best Design Award" no longer has mobile phone products.

2017: iPhone 7/7 Plus

The most noteworthy features of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are the two black body materials. One is a bright black with anodized matte appearance, and the other is a dark black with a calm, matte texture. The bright black process is very impressive. Apple introduced in the promotional video that it finally achieved a uniform luster through nine-step anodizing and polishing process.

The iF jury stated:

Apple has established a design style through the iPhone 7 Plus and its clear and neat design. It has amazing details and very fine colors. The seamless and exquisite surface treatment makes it stand out in mobile phone products.

2019: Google Pixel 3/3 XL

After going through the window period in 2018, Google Pixel 3/3 XL won the "iF Design Gold Award" in 2019. This is the third-generation smartphone produced by Google, but it is only a niche toy in China. Among them, the small Pixel 3 has a screen size of 5.5 inches, and the front face is of equal width up and down. The large 3 XL is equipped with a 6.3-inch screen with a bangs design on the front face.

The iF jury considered:

The Google Pixel series is characterized by excellent quality. The attention to detail and colored materials is outstanding. In addition, its usability and functionality make the phone stand out.

2020: domestic mobile phone wins again

There are two mobile phones that have won this year, one is Google Pixel 4/4 XL, and the other is Meizu Zero. The material of Google Pixel 4/4 XL is mainly composed of aluminum and curved Gorilla Glass. The design language of the whole machine is relatively pure and simple.

The reason given by the iF jury is:

The Google Pixel 4 series emphasizes the evolution of the company’s pure design approach. The visual appearance is outstanding, treating all details and functional elements in a balanced and iconic way.

Another award-winning Meizu Zero is obviously more distinctive. Meizu stated that it is the world's first truly perforated and fully wireless smartphone. Its biggest feature is the ONE PIECE Unibody integrated ceramic body, 2.5D glass panel, and the design of no holes and no physical buttons. However, since its release, it has not been able to land on the market, a bit like Xiaomi Alpha means "showing muscles".

The iF jury considered:

The combination of high-end materials and the seamless integration of details and functional elements have brought the quality and precision of Meizu Zero smartphones to a new level.

The above are all the smartphones that have won the "Red Dot Best Design Award" and "iF Design Gold Award" in the past 10 years. How many have you used?

To be honest, the red dot and the aesthetics of the iF jury have always puzzled me. For mobile phones like Xperia E3 and Google Pixel series, it is difficult for me to capture the uniqueness of their design. In the process of sorting out these award-winning phones, I found that they seem to love phones with double-sided glass design, such as iPhone 4, Xperia series, Smartisan T1 and other phones.

In addition, since 2016, the number of award-winning mobile phones has suddenly declined. This may also reflect the increasingly serious problem of homogenization of mobile phone design. This makes people miss the initial stage of smartphones, the imagination of various manufacturers. For example, the cobblestone-shaped Lenovo Music Phone, the Xperia Lt26i with a breathing light on the "chin", and the almost borderless Sharp Aquos Crystal.

Of course, whether a product is awarded does not determine the success or failure of a product's design. Some models with outstanding design have not been favored by the Red Dot and iF jury. In addition to not conforming to the jury's aesthetics, it may also be because they were not sent for review by "spending money". If you are particularly impressed, or feel that the design is exquisitely designed, please share it with everyone in the message area.

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