This Android phone for audiophiles offers a high-resolution DAC, balanced output and 3.5mm jack – plus a cool cyberpunk look that puts Google and OnePlus to shame
Could your phone also be your hi-res music player? Moondrop certainly thinks so. The company teased on social media that it’s working on its very first phone, but looking at the specs it’s touting, this isn’t just any phone, but an audiophile-friendly phone with components from the best MP3 players.
In a world where even a 3.5mm jack plug is becoming increasingly rare, Moondrop’s upcoming phone stands out for its audiophile credentials. It has a 4.4mm output for the best wired headphones and high-quality circuitry for Hi-Res audio.
Moondrop specializes in audio equipment such as high-end headphones and DACs – you may have remembered when we reported on the launch of its DiscDream audio player for CDs – and its vision is to combine that expertise with Android companies’ smart smartphones.
The phone, currently codenamed MIAD01, will be as beautiful to look at as it is to listen to. It has a 6.7-inch OLED display with 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, and Moondrop says it’s a “first-class audiovisual experience.”
Moondrop MIAD01: main features
The main features here are of course the audio functions. According to Moondrop, the phone will have a fully balanced 4.4mm output and a 3.5mm output, with the latter most likely fitting to the 4.4mm output via an adapter; a “flagship decryption chip”; a power supply with low failure rates; and a gold-plated audio circuit.
One way this phone differs from other Androids like Google Pixel is the rounded back of the phone, which houses a protruding section that houses the camera lenses similar to what you’d see on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite. According to Android Policethat chunk is most likely there to house the additional audio circuitry for the 4.4mm output and to provide enough space to isolate the audio circuitry from potential interference.
So far we can only go by professionally produced teaser images and the specifications outlined above – so far there is no indication of a launch date or a price. But on paper at least, this sounds like it could be a very interesting option for Android music fans who prefer not to carry a phone and a separate music player with them when they’re on the go. It will be very interesting to see, or rather, hear if this new phone can deliver the audio excitement it seems capable of.