Was it influenced by Apple? Thinking about the future of the brand drawn by "BALMUDA Phone"

Balmuda

Ten years after Steve Jobs' death. The products he introduced to the world have influenced many people and are still loved. Above all, "iPhone" changed our lives and created new experiences. [Photo] A product that Balmuda made for Apple Meanwhile, there was a person who was influenced by him and finally made a smartphone. It is Mr. Gen Terao, the founder of the home appliance maker "BALMUDA". The recently released "BALMUDA Phone" has become a hot topic, for better or for worse, involving light and heavy users. This time around, Apple's presence, which is indispensable when talking about Balmuda, and what led to disappointment and controversy. I would like to think about the future that "BALMUDA Phone" envisions. "BALMUDA Phone" is the first memorable product of Balmuda's new brand "BALMUDA Technologies". The catch phrase is "compact and elegant." Contrary to the trend of increasing size, it is an ambitious work that pursues an elegant texture that is typical of Balmuda products, with a size that fits in your hand. A unique app that defines a new experience, a design that combines functionality and artistry, and a form reminiscent of the dawn of smartphones. It can be said that it is one that throws a stone in the saturated smartphone market. The price of the SIM-free version is 104,800 yen, and the price of the Softbank version is 143,280 yen, which is one of the most expensive smartphones these days. In terms of specs, there are many negative voices on SNS etc. because you can buy the same or better for the same amount of money. Opinions on this point are likely to differ greatly depending on where the value standard is set. For detailed specifications, please check the official website of BALMUDA Technologies. (Reference: https://tech.balmuda.com/jp/phone/spec/) Many people may remember "iPhone 3G" when they saw "BALMUDA Phone". Is it? Mr. Terao thanked Steve Jobs on the product page of this work. * 1 You can see that it has been greatly influenced. That should be it, "X-Base" that appeared as Balmuda's first product was a cooling stand for PowerBook. The subsequent "Floater" is a dedicated stand that allows you to stand your MacBook in clamshell mode. There is also a stand for MacBook called "Lift" on sale. Also, he was focusing not only on Mac-related items but also on iPhone-related items. It also sells an app "NumberKey" that turns the iPhone into a Mac tenkey, and a stand "SmartBase" that allows you to place the iPhone on your desk (a product of another brand "unite" that Balmuda was developing at the time). It is no exaggeration to say that Balmuda has continued to grow with Apple since its inception. Then, was there a surprise like the Apple product that Mr. Terao admires in "BALMUDA Phone" that appeared as the culmination of that? Balmuda has cherished a unique experience since its inception. It has surprised users by changing common sense in a certain field and delivering new experiences. However, this work seems to be less surprising than previous products. And it spread to users who were looking forward to the release, and caused pros and cons including the above-mentioned price. So what was the surprise that "BALMUDA Phone" should deliver? If you think about it properly, it would be a collaboration with Balmuda products. In 2013, Balmuda released "UniAuto", a remote control application that links smartphones and home appliances. * 2 (Currently no compatible products are on sale) If this work also has an app similar to "UniAuto", it may have delivered a surprise that is easy for users to understand at least. In particular, Balmuda enthusiasts would have wanted to work with home appliances. However, due to the experience of "UniAuto", the cooperation function in this work was not realized. IoT is expected to expand further with the spread of 5G. Therefore, from this stage, if we realized our own cooperation, we should have been able to clarify the difference from other companies. I think there were many convincing opinions about the pros and cons of the terminal price. This work is the first of BALMUDA Technologies, and it is said that it is a direction to continuously develop products. Therefore, it seems that what is likely to appear in the future is cooperation outside the house, that is, wearable products, not inside the house. For example, products such as smart watches, smart bands, and wireless earphones fall into this category. The former has a high affinity with the original application and is easy to use. The latter is related to music, which is Mr. Terao's own roots, and can be expected from the fact that the wireless speaker "BALMUDA The Speaker" has already been released. Wearable products are a good match because they easily reflect Balmuda's design and philosophy. However, wearables are so popular that common collaboration and familiar features will not provide a new experience. Will we focus on terminals such as smartphones and tablets in the future? Or do you focus on peripherals like wearables? Or will we expand our original application to users other than Balmuda? Now that cooperation with home appliances has not become a pillar of new experiences, what kind of surprises will be provided to users will be the key to BALMUDA Technologies. The logo is the face of the company and a proof of trust. Balmuda has changed its logo several times since its inception, but all have been fine-tuned. However, this time, with the launch of BALMUDA Technologies, the existing modern logo was not taken over, and a new logo like a sign was adopted. The logo reminiscent of the musical instrument maker "Fender" and the amplifier maker "Marshall" reminds us of the roots of former bandman Terao. At first glance, it's painful not to be able to recognize it as a balmuda, but it can be said that it is a shift that shows that much preparedness. In the world of rock bands, the first album is often said to be a masterpiece. Can BALMUDA Technologies' "BALMUDA Phone" really become a masterpiece? I want the domestic smartphone market to create a new wind. (Source) * 1 https://tech.balmuda.com/jp/phone/story/*2 https://www.balmuda.com/jp/uniauto/https://www.balmuda.com/jp/https //tech.balmuda.com/jp/https://www.softbank.jp/corp/news/press/sbkk/2021/20211116_01/

Ryota Kikuchi