Smartisan U1 is designed to be appropriate rather than only affordable. Like many everyday objects, it is humble yet elegant, without any compromise on design quality. It has an iconic front face inherited from Smartisan T1, whose proximity and ambient light sensors are integrated with ear speaker into a single pill shape. The changeable back covers for U1 come a range of rich colors, and the classic stripes design makes the phone interact with hands tactilely.

The mission of Smartisan is to draw upon a spirit of artisanship and perfectionism to create consumer electronic products (primarily smartphones) that offer a first-rate user experience, and to improve people's quality of life.