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Evangelion Partners with Oppo for Limited Edition Smartphone
By Yung Namahage • 3 years ago


You know what really bothers me about modern technology? Smartphones. I don't mean that in the "I just started watching Black Mirror and phones will lead to the downfall of society" way, I just think they look boring as shit most of the time. Growing up in the early to mid 2000s, I used to love seeing the variety of phones that were available in all kinds of shapes, colors and forms. Sure, modern phones are capable of much more than what we could've dreamed of some 15 years ago, but they look like bland black rectangles with different logos on the back. So I'm glad Studio Khara are willing to slap an Evangelion license on anything from chopsticks to marriage certificates, because I mean it when I say this tie-in phone is the best looking mobile device I've seen in years.



To celebrate the series' 25th anniversary and the upcoming Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time movie, Chinese company Oppo are releasing a limited edition Eva-branded Reno Ace 2 smartphone. And they really went all in on the design, giving it that signature Unit 01 purple and green paintjob plus a side profile of the iconic mech on the back. But the attention to detail doesn't stop there:



The box itself features the NERV logo, and once you open that up you see an entry plug that houses the phone itself and its bundled accessories: a protective case with a similar Unit 01 aesthetic, a SIM removal tool fashioned after the Lance of Longinus plus a charger and headphones that look like some top secret NERV gear. It shows that whoever designed these is a fan of the series. 


Of course, the phone isn't just here to look good. Like the orginal Reno Ace 2, it packs 5G capability, a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification, Dolby atmos speakers, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC processor with 8GB of RAM and 256GB memory. There's also a 16 megapixel camera on the front, while the back has a 48 megapixel main camera, an 8 megapixel ultra-wide camera and a pair of 2 megapixel special effects cameras.


But what if you need some more accessories to go with your Unit 01 phone? Something to demonstrate your devotion to one of the two famous waifu pilots of the series?



Oppo has you covered with a smartwatch emblazoned with Asuka's Unit 02 color scheme and Enco wireless earbuds modelled after Rei's plugsuit. 


This is the part where I tell you about the catch: not only are these all limited to 10,000 units each, they're only available in China. The phone will go for 4,399 yuan (around $616), the earbuds are 399 yuan ($56) and the smartwatch is 2,199 yuan ($308). There's also a NERV wireless charger, sold seperately for 299 yuan ($42) that's at an even more limited 5,000 units.


They're due to go on sale on June 1, so check the Oppo website if you'd like to get your hands on one. But if, like me, you're unlikely to get one anytime soon, maybe you could settle for an unboxing video. Even the software has been given an Evangelion makeover!


Which of these do you guys like best? The phone, smartwatch or earbuds? Do you think there's a lack of aesthetic variety in mobile devices these days or is that just me? Drop your thoughts below!