A smartphone designed to bring the Google Pixel experience to everyone — shipped globally as the Nokia 4.2 and recognised with a Good Design Award.
the idea
Panther was conceived as a low-cost Google Pixel — a pure Android experience with dedicated Google Assistant hardware at an affordable price point. The 5.71″ display means it's easy to hold the phone, no matter a big hand or a small hand. Our largest users are the social butterfly, in both the physical and digital world.
Colour was based on a research report from the stylist. I tried to imagine how users will use the phone and in what environment, which helped us narrow down colour selection. More than just the colour, micro texture on the plastic frame was also something I wanted to explore — but the test result on the appearance model did not look good, and that was too much risk for the programme to take, so we dropped the texture idea at the end.
process
Development ran through a series of workshops in China with our suppliers, R&D and sourcing teams. Together we managed to source low-cost hardened glass for the back cover — a premium finish kept within the tight budget of an affordable device.
direction
The final direction was set by the target user — the social butterfly, at home in both the physical and digital world — and refined against a set of appearance references and colourways drawn from the stylist's research.
product launch
