Lotus Technologies has introduced the Lotus Diplomat smartphone, which will be funded through a crowdfunding campaign. Pricing and release details have not yet been announced, but the company is already displaying the product on its official website. The device features a physical keyboard, making it comparable to earlier BlackBerry models.
The keyboard is relatively large and includes a shortcut bar beneath the display, along with dedicated numeric keys, eliminating the need for secondary key functions when entering numbers. This layout is intended to support faster typing. A second display is integrated into the keyboard with an always-on mode for showing the time. When the device is in active use, this display switches off but remains available for input.
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The main display measures 5.3 inches, has a 4:3 aspect ratio, and offers a resolution of 2560 × 1920 pixels. Buyers will be able to choose between OLED and IPS panel options. The device is expected to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, paired with 24 GB of RAM and up to 1.5 TB of storage. Its dimensions are listed as approximately 5.87 × 4.45 × 0.33 inches, and its weight is around 9.45 oz. Additional hardware features include an IR blaster, allowing the Diplomat to function as a remote control for devices such as televisions.