smartphones
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Why Lei Jun Keeps Starting Over
At 40, Lei Jun co-founded Xiaomi. At 51, he took on electric cars. Behind both decisions sits an older ambition, formed in a university library, and an unusually public willingness to be a beginner again.
Samuel Ohev-Zion and the price of belonging
Before he put BLU on a phone, Samuel Ohev-Zion knew how to get one onto a shop counter. His career turns on a deceptively simple question: how much should joining the smartphone world cost?
Ravi Kunwar and the unfinished business of the basic phone
From Nokia’s familiar keypad to HMD’s own smartphones, Ravi Kunwar keeps returning to a practical question: what should a phone let its owner do? His answer runs through digital payments, repairable devices, and an India-first ambition.
Lewis Hilsenteger
Lewis Hilsenteger is the Canadian creator behind Unbox Therapy, one of YouTube's largest technology channels with over 25 million subscribers and nearly 5 billion total views. Known for his authentic, unscripted reactions to gadgets and consumer electronics, he rose to global fame in 2014 with the viral 'iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test' video that sparked the worldwide 'Bendgate' controversy. Beyond YouTube, he runs a second channel 'Lew Later,' founded Latercase — a minimalist smartphone case brand using aerospace-grade aramid fiber — and has collaborated with brands including Samsung, Apple, Google, and Intel.
Marques Brownlee
Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, is the internet's most-trusted voice on consumer technology. Starting his YouTube channel at 14 while still in high school, he built a 20+ million subscriber empire on the back of obsessive production quality and a consumer-first perspective. Beyond reviewing gadgets, he co-hosts the Waveform podcast, serves as board member and chief creative partner at Ridge, is a 2022 WFDF World Champion in ultimate frisbee, and was named to TIME's 100 Most Influential People in AI in 2024.