Originally posted by punkrachmaninov pardon my french taste—but the k-01 flopped STRICTLY because of the experimental nature of the industrial design.
At the time, a great many people complained at length about more than just the design - the lack of an EVF (even as an option), the lack of a tilt screen, the substandard video, the slow AF performance (or complete failure to AF with some long lenses), the high launch price. The styling was just one problem of many - and quite a few people seemed to be able to tolerate, even like, the design - at a (much) lower price point.
Sony had a smaller mirrorless (NEX-5 series) at a lower price (launch price about the same as the K-01 after the six-month price reduction). It was superior in all of these areas, AND it could use a much wider range of vintage lenses - changing the styling of the K-01 still would have produced a product that compared poorly to the competition. A bigger battery and compatibility with (some) K-mount AF lenses would not have made up the difference.