By Belvia Editorial Team · Updated 10 May 2026
So far we've been blown away by the gorgeous top-end phones of 2013.
Phones like the HTC One Sony Xperia Z and even Blackberry's Z10 are absolutely stunning. (Even the 'ugly duckling' of the bunch the Samsung Galaxy S4 is mainly looked down upon for being too similar to its big brother the Galaxy S3.) But phones weren't always made to such a high standard. In fact there are many mobile phones that even the least fashion-conscious user wouldn't be seen dead with nowadays. Today we're going to be looking at some of the most hideous mobile phone designs we could find. Keep some sunglasses handy - we can't guarantee these abominations won't damage your eyes! Let's begin...
First up is the Golden Buddha Phone. At first we thought this device was too self-consciously kitsch to qualify as a truly awful design but after a little research we changed our minds. It was probably after learning about the 24 karat paint job chunk of jade and real pearl lacquer used in the construction of the handset. For a religion that prides itself on frugality it's certainly got enough worldly goods rammed into it! But even discounting the colour scheme and cost (debuting at over $1700 in its native china) the Golden Buddha Phone has a truly horrible design. It looks more like a makeup mirror than a phone.
Next up the Motorola Flipout! Motorola has made some fine handsets in their time; slim and sexy offerings like the Razr M made them a big name in the smartphone business and their recent acquisition by Google is bound to lead to some more gorgeous top-end mobiles somewhere down the line. But even the best company slips up - as the Motorola Flipout should prove. The name alone is cringe-worthy; as a rule of thumb you should never have a gadget after a temper-tantrum. But it's the design that really lets the phone down. With a hinged screen that flips over the keyboard when not in use it isn't just an ugly phone - it's a fragile one too. Too much pressure and the screen and keyboard will separate leaving you with two expensive and unattractive paperweights!
We're not sure where to begin with this one. We should point out that it is a Toshiba phone; while they've had great success in consumer electronics there hasn't been a good Toshiba smartphone yet and unusual design decisions like this are the reason why. The Toshiba G450 resembles a remote control more than a conventional phone. Rather than a conventional keyboard with numbers rowed 1-9 it has two ungainly circular keyboards which are studded with numbers. The screen is also circular and lies at the top of the device - with the power button set in the right hand side. Not only ugly the G450 is also nearly impossible to type with: it's difficult and uncomfortable to hold the screen is restrictively small and the buttons just hurt your fingers when you try to use them with any degree of speed. In short it's rubbish.
This one has to be a joke right? There are plenty of phones that sacrifice looks for ergonomics (Samsung's plastic smartphones spring to mind: less attractive but easier to hold and cheaper to make) but the C99 Star Phone has sacrificed both. It probably provides an excellent grip courtesy of its jutting starfish design... but we're not sure how you'd be able to use it for any length of time when it came to playing games or texting friends which are primarily what you want in a phone. We are sure however that when making calls with it you would look like an idiot.
There's a proud tradition in China of tailoring phones to different demographics. The C99 Star Phone is such an example; you'd have to imagine its designed with children in mind. The Jinpeng A1308 'love heart' mobile however is designed with women in mind and we're pretty sure that counts as sexist on some level. Like the Buddha phone it looks like a makeup mirror - but whereas that was shoddy design we're pretty sure this is deliberate. Boasting a love-heart shape and emblazoned with many more of the things (including the home button which is a bright candy red) this garish handset would probably insult the intelligence of an 8 year old girl. We can see a use for it however - if your girlfriend asks you for an iPhone this Christmas and you want to break up with her get her this instead!
This looks less like a mobile phone design than a scanner from a low-budget 1960s sci-fi show. Billed as a 'phone watch and camera' the Telson TWC 1150 also pre-packages voice recognition software into its less-than-sleek body. It speaks poorly to the rest of the designs we've looked at but while this handset may be misguided at least the manufacturer has tried to make it worthwhile. But combining so many features into a single phone has made it excessively bulky. Fortunately that side-facing digital camera does clip off again in the event that you ever want to fit this mobile into your pocket.
This one is here by virtue of the fact that Nokia an established telecommunications giant really should have known better than this. Conceived as a fashion phone (what?) the Nokia 7600 has a 'unique' design. Though if you've ever seen a tamagotchi you may be getting flashbacks right around now. Released in 2003 the 7600 featured interchangeable covers allowing the dedicated user to change the look of their handset. But no matter what colour cover the user opted for it was still on a Nokia 7600 rendering the whole exercise a little bit pointless. Nowadays Nokia are known for their bold and colourful Lumia range of handsets - showing how you do unique design correctly rather than modelling your handsets on a pig's ear.
While your here .. Check out our cases and covers for all top smartphones.
iPhone case mistakes to avoid 2026
Design history is a useful warning system. The phones that aged worst (chunky bezels, gimmick keyboards, dual screens that never made sense) tell us a lot about which case design choices to avoid in 2026. Three case mistakes still being made by major brands this year:
Mistake 1: novelty hardware that breaks first. Cases with built-in pop-out stands, sliding card holders, or clip-on lens attachments consistently fail at the moving-part joints within six months of daily use. The phones above failed for the same reason: too much novelty, not enough engineering. If you are tempted, read our cheap vs expensive phone cases guide first.
Mistake 2: rubber finishes that yellow. The 2026 case market is still flooded with TPU cases that turn brown within a year. Our best phone case brands UK 2026 guide includes UV stability test data; brands using genuine UV-stable polycarbonate (including Belvia's Clear MagSafe Pro) hold their colour for 18+ months. Brands using cheap TPU yellow within four to six months.
Mistake 3: oversized branded logos. The 2014 to 2019 era taught us that giant front-facing brand logos age badly fast. Modern luxury (see our old money phone cases guide and our quiet luxury edit) is about restraint: small embossed logos, refined materials, and tonal palettes.
Recovery picks if you have made one of these mistakes: the Belvia Black Lychee (covered in our luxury iPhone 16 Pro Max guide), the Belvia Onyx Slim (minimalist and ages well), and the Belvia Pearl Drop (feminine without being trend-dependent). All three are Designed in London with materials chosen specifically to outlast trend cycles. Hassle-free returns if you change your mind within 30 days.