10 Cool Smartphones That Were Cancelled

These are the dope mobiles that got axed before hitting the domestic front.

Aug 06, 2013
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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

On an estimate, over 50 smartphones are introduced to the consumer public every year. We’re talking handsets distributed across all major mobile carriers and platforms in the U.S. alone: including Android, BlackBerry, iOS, and Windows Phone. But for every iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy Nexus there is the next big smartphone that never launched (or if so, never made it onto domestic soil). These are devices originally slated to hit the market, but were pulled due to business restructuring, partnership failures, or simply unknown reasons. From the looks of it, we missed out on some sweet mobile hardware. Just sayin'. Here is a look at 10 Cool Smartphones That Were Cancelled.

Nokia Lauta

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Year: 2011

Reason for cancellation: Nokia jumping ship to Windows Phone

The Finnish smartphone creator was gearing up to release its N9 successor codenamed the Lauta in fall 2011. Running on the Linux-based MeeGo OS, the mobile sported a radical slide-out QWERTY keyboard design and ironically shared a resemblance to some of the company’s future devices such the Lumia 800 and 900 models. Other notable specs included a 1GHz processor, 3.9-inch “Clear Black” AMOLED display and 8MP rear camera. Word is Nokia created fully functional prototypes of the phone, but shelved the project after committing to the Windows Phone platform.

BlackBerry Colt

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Year: 2012

Reason for cancellation: Unknown

Before the Z10 was conceived, BlackBerry had the intention of releasing the Colt as its flagship BB10 phone. It was said to be thinner than the Bold 9900 and 9930, while ditching all physical buttons and keeping intact the stainless steel frame design. It was rumored to feature a dual-core CPU, 4-inch touchscreen with a higher resolutation rate than 900 pixels and dual cameras. When asked why the Colt was no longer in existence, BlackBerry pleaded the fifth.

Emblaze First ELSE

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Year: 2010

Reason for cancellation: Critical delays and failure to secure partnership 

An attractive design, quality specs, and the most gorgeous UI ever seen on a smartphone—Emblaze could have easily snatched up third place in the mobile wars with its visually stunning handset. The First Else was labeled a “super phone” that ran a new mobile OS based on Linux called Else Intuition, a one-thumb interface that promoted a semi-circle options wheel for prompt use. A strong outing at CES 2010 led us to believe the phone would become a strong contender on the mobile scene, but Emblaze pulled the plug before we could ever get our hands on it. Damn shame.

HP iPAQ 610

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Year: 2008

Reason for cancellation: Legal disputes between mobile phone technologies

After suffering numerous delays, HP called it quits on the navigator smartphone…in the US that is. Running on Windows Mobile 6 Professional, the iPAQ 610 provided some unique functional elements including a built-in numberpad, assisted GPS, and innovative Smart Touch wheel: a feature that allowed users to select items quickly with one hand. There was still some doubt as to whether HP would release the device in general, but the PC giant made it available in Europe in extremely limited quantities. In other words, you won't find it on eBay.

Nokia 600

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Year: 2011

Reason for cancellation: Unknown 

Nearly 24 hours before its release, Nokia axed the 600’s official launch. Many experts attributed the company's decision to the production of its future Windows Phones and the launch of its two other Symbian Belle-operated phones, which were all practically identical on all fronts. With a built-in FM radio transmitter capable of forwarding music from your phone to radio receiver, an internal FM antenna for radio listening headphone-free, and NFC capabilities—the device looked to offer one of the best multimedia experiences on a mobile. 

LG GW990

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Year: 2010

Reason for cancellation: MeeGo OS wasn't fully ready

It’s taken a partnership with Google and the release of the Android flagship Nexus 4 for LG to gain some notoriety in the smartphone game. In retrospect, the electronics kingpin had the opportunity to generate some momentum had it went through with the release of its Intel Atom-based Moorestown CPU-powered handset. One of GW990's top draws was its ability to display two windowpanes side by side on a 1024 x 480 display, making it simpler to jump between screens. Software issues led to its demise.

Sony Ericsson P5 Paris

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Year: 2008

Reason for cancellation: Unknown 

No one ever figured out why Sony cancelled what was looked at as the best Symbian UIQ3-based smartphone on the market at the time. Leaked images suggested the handset would support a built-in GPS with WayFinder Navigation software, Google Maps, XMB-inspired Media Center, 5MP camera with touch-autofocus, and the same media player found in the G700 series. Modern mobilephiles might laugh at such specs, but back in 2008, anyone without an iPhone saw promise in the Paris. Hearsay has it Sony chose to replace the phone with a premium Walkman phone known as the Hikaru.

HTC 8X Zenith

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Year: 2012

Reason for cancellation: Resolution issues 

Look familiar? That's because you're looking at the Droid DNA. But before HTC brought its flagship smartphone to Verizon, reports suggested the Taiwanese mobile manufacturer was on the verge of releasing this specific model as a 4.7-inch WP8 device featuring a 720p Super LCD 2 display, quad-core Qualcomm CPU, and 8MP camera with 1080 video capture. Unfortunately, the Zenith was shelved due to Microsoft’s platform not being able to support 1080p resolution.

Nokia Android Phone

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Year: 2011

Reason for cancellation: Manufacturer chose to run with Windows Phone

Would you believe there was once a time when Nokia debated over moving on with Google’s OS rather than Windows Phone? It’s true. CEO Stephen Elop expressed the company’s interest in Android during an investor event in 2011. That same summer screenshots of what was presumed to be the N9 running Android software leaked online, leading many to believe Nokia had plans of releasing such a device. Elop went on to bet the company’s future on Microsoft instead. Right call?

Palm Pre 3

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Year: 2011

Reason for cancellation: Unkown

The Palm Pre clearly goes down as one of the most slept-on gadgets of all time. And when HP announced plans to release the Pre 3, the WebOS faithful were pretty ecstatic over the news. Then the company stated it was dropping its webOS business and cancelled the US release of the handset one day after launching it in the UK. The Pre 3 offered a larger keyboard and introduced Touch-to-Share technology, allowing users to share URLs, phone calls, SMS, and data for third-party apps by tapping the phone and HP TouchPad together. Our loss.

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