Monsters from Asia: the Meitu V4s is an edge in a round world

With smartphones in danger of becoming commoditized, it seems it's increasingly hard for manufacturers to stand out with their products. But that hasn't stopped phone makers from trying. Some bet on price, others on unique software features. Meitu—an obscure maker outside of China—is putting its money on distinctive design.

The Meitu V4s, the company's latest high-end, is unlike any other smartphone on the market right now. Alike to a rhombus in form, the V4s' most distinctive quality are its unique looks. But it's not just about the shape, as the materials in use here impress also: a mix between aluminum and calfskin leather lend a premium look (and feel, we'd wager) to the device.

On the inside, the Meitu V4s is none too shabby, either. We start off with a relatively compact, 5-inch AMOLED display with a pixel resolution of 1080 x 1920. Powering the screen is an octa-core, 2GHz MediaTek Helio X10 processor (the 64-bit MT6795), coupled with a PowerVR G6200 GPU and 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM. A whopping 128GB of internal storage comes standard, which is welcome seeing as how there's no microSD slot available with this one. Keeping the lights on is a 2,650 mAh Li-Po cell.

On the imaging front, we've got a 21-megapixel Sony Exmor RS IMX230 sensor helped by a Fujitsu imaging processor, along with dual-color LED flash and f/2.2 aperture lens. The large camera hump on the back is covered by a sapphire lens to prevent damage. The best part? This same camera is available up front for all your selfie needs, complete with a powerful flash.

So how much? This being a fashion-conscious, premium smartphone—and one endorsed by none other than the stunning Angelababy—it doesn't come cheap. The 'Standard' version with a non-leather back costs the equivalent of $530 in China, while the 'Elite' model carries a $668 price tag locally. Originality has a price, it seems.