10 Examples Of Gender-Neutral Smartphones

It’s not a hidden secret that gender neutral smartphones are only a myth. Most of us believe that the smartphones we use in our daily lives are developed by considering gender diversity. However, the reality is that these smartphones are designed with men as the default user.

This means that when designers design a physical layout or when programmers write code, they think of men as their primary users. Women, non-binary people, and marginalized people, such as disabled and elderly people, are often not considered. Or maybe these people are seen as secondary users. 

 Caroline Criado Perez writes in her book Invisible Women that the average smartphone size is often too large for women’s hands. Similarly, voice recognition software struggles to understand female voices. These seemingly minor design choices reflect a deeper, systemic issue—gender bias in smartphone development.

In this article, we’ll dig into how gender-neutral smartphones are challenging the norm. We’ll unpack what makes a smartphone truly inclusive and spotlight 15 real-world examples that are getting it right. Whether you’re a tech lover or simply curious about digital equality, this is a must-read!

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The Ideology of Gender Neutral Smartphones

1. Gender Neutrality in Tech

Gender-neutrality in smartphones starts with removing and associating pink or blue colors with different genders. However, it doesn’t stop here. It’s about designing tech that works for everyone, regardless of gender, size, ability, or background. 

It’s about recognizing that men, women, non-binary people, and everyone in between all have different needs. Adopting a gender-neutral approach aims to meet those needs without assumptions. This ideology might seem subtle at first glance, but it is very powerful because it focuses on universal usability over stereotypes.

2. Developing Inclusive Smartphones

Developing inclusive smartphones means using features that make a smartphone inclusive for all users. This can be achieved with small adjustments. For instance, despite limiting voice assistance to just a few tones or types of commands, imagine an assistant that adapts to different accents, vocal tones, and even gendered speech patterns.

Despite soft features, physical attributes such as hand ergonomics matter too. Designers should focus on designs that can be used comfortably by people with smaller or larger hands, or those with limited mobility.

Moreover, customizable user interfaces (UI) are also very important. Because they allow users to adjust things like color schemes, button placement, and font size to suit their preferences. Through these changes, a user can make sure the phone feels like their phone, not the designer’s version of it.

3. From Gender Inclusive to Gender Neutral Smartphones 

Adopting a gender-neutral smartphone strategy doesn’t mean making tech work for women or non-binary people. Instead, it means making things better for everyone. This can be achieved by adopting a customizable UI.

So an elderly person with declining eyesight will benefit from large text, just like a visually-impaired user will. At the same time, a gamer might appreciate customizable button layouts. 

The point is, when we stop making tech “for men” or “for women,” we end up making something that works better for a much wider audience. Inclusion doesn’t just fill a niche—it raises the bar for everyone.

10 Examples of Gender-Neutral Smartphones 

Some brands are making strides in designing and manufacturing gender-neutral smartphones. These companies focus on gender-neutrality in their features and apps by providing customizable options to their users. 

The diversity in features not only helps different genders but it also assists disabled persons. While we’re not there yet, it’s clear that brands are waking up to the fact that tech can—and should—work for everyone, regardless of gender.

Below you will read 10 examples of gender-neutral smartphones

1. Google Pixel 8

The Google Pixel 8 embraces inclusive design by offering sleek, minimalist aesthetics that avoid gendered colors. By offering soft and neutral shades like Obsidian, Hazel, and Rose, they are marketing them as gender neutral smartphones. 

Moreover, the AI assistant used in this phone is trained on diverse voice data, making it more responsive to various accents and speech patterns. The phone’s size also strikes a balance, with rounded edges and a weight that’s manageable for smaller hands, making it more inclusive and accessible for all users.

2. Apple iPhone 15

Apple has introduced smartphones with a 6.9-inch screen size. However, the iPhone 15 has ergonomic balance by offering a lighter titanium build and rounded edges that make it easier to grip for everyone, regardless of hand size.

Apple avoids gendered marketing. It offers multiple colorways like Blue, Natural Titanium, and Black, without suggesting that any color is intended for a particular gender. Moreover, Siri now responds better to a wider range of voice tones, promoting usability across genders.

3. Samsung Galaxy S24

Following its competitors, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S24. This phone has different variations, but the S24 leans into gender neutrality by offering symmetrical design, a thinner form factor, and a one-handed-friendly UI. 

Its accessibility suite allows for voice commands that aren’t biased toward male voice tones. Samsung also shifted its marketing strategy toward functionality, showing users from various gender backgrounds, and avoiding typical stereotypes in campaigns and product placements.

4. Fairphone 5

Fairphone is a Dutch company that started making its phones in 2013. Fairphones are said to be designed with ethics and equality by emphasizing sustainability and inclusivity in mind. 

Fairphone has a modular design that’s easy to repair regardless of one’s technical background. This is a subtle nod to breaking gendered assumptions about tech skills. Moreover, its software interface includes customizable accessibility tools, font scaling, and color contrast settings. These features, along with others, make it user-friendly for people of all genders and abilities.

5. Nothing Phone (2)

The Nothing Phone (2) is considered gender neutral with its minimalist aesthetic and transparent design elements. The owners have designed it to appeal universally without relying on traditional pink/blue gender binaries.

Its interface is minimal, customizable, and free of visual clutter that often gets gendered in other smartphones. Voice command features also reflect broad diversity in input, supporting inclusive UX. However, it has a 6.7-inch screen display, which makes it unfavourable for small hands. 

6. Sony Xperia 1 V

Sony smartphones have long followed a trend of adopting a gender-neutral marketing strategy. The Xperia 1 V continues this trend with its focus on content creation tools that appeal across demographics. This smartphone is perfect for filmmakers, gamers, and creatives of any gender.

It comes in two basic colors of black and white. It features a lightweight, easy-to-hold form factor and a UI that emphasizes functionality over flashiness or gendered animations. Despite its 6.5-inch display, it’s easy to use for small hands.

8. Zenfone 10

The Zenfone 10, offered by Asus, is a compact and powerful device. The Zenfone 10 appeals to users who prefer a smaller grip size, challenging the trend of ever-larger screens that alienate some users.

Asus keeps the phone’s branding focused on performance and convenience. Their advertising strategy is not flashy or attached to any sort of hyper-masculine imagery. The result is a phone that feels like it belongs to everyone.

9. Realme GT 5 Pro

The Realme GT 5 Pro maintains a neutral design language in its visuals and user interaction. It avoids aggressive “gaming” aesthetics that are often hyper-masculine. The phone comes in two colors of Sparkling Blue and Crystal Green, with different shades.

The team at Realme has developed a UI that allows its users to get granular control over gestures, icons, and layout. The freedom of customization allows full personalization across gender lines.

10. Oppo Reno Series

Oppos’ Reno series generally shines with its elegant yet gender-neutral designs. The look of most of the phones in this series has a combination of soft edges with modern tones like Mint, Rock Grey, Mint, Pearl White, or Blue.

Its camera, which is backed by AI, adjusts automatically for different skin tones and lighting conditions. This feature promotes inclusive image capture and representation. However, most of the phones in this series have a large screen, which might be a problem for small hands. 

Concluding Remarks

Gender-neutral smartphone design isn’t just about aesthetics, but it’s about access, identity, and equity. And gender biases in tech ruin the experience for many of its users. In such times, the rise of gender-neutral smartphones offers a hopeful path forward.

Despite the manufacturers, we as consumers have power too. The next time you’re shopping for a phone, look beyond the gloss. Choose the one that gives you the freedom to customize your phone according to your needs. Let’s support tech that reflects the diversity of its users, one gender-neutral smartphone at a time!