Cell Phones of the Future
You think your Razr's cool? When it comes to mobile phone design, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Clamshells and candy bars be gone. Tomorrow's cell phones may bear little resemblance to the snap-open handsets or even the sleek, flat rectangular phones we sport today.
Visionaries from design firm Pilotfish and sensor maker Synaptics have created a phone that has no buttons. It's operated with gestures. Designer Manon Maneenawa has built a phone that can be converted into an alarm clock or a wrist watch. Sweden's GoldVish just began selling a phone for $1.26 million that features diamonds and a secret compartment.
Read on for a glimpse at the future of cell phone design.
Thin Is In
Designer: Samsung
Model: The Ultra Edition (Europe)/Platinum Card Phone (Korea)
Price: Varies by country
Availability: Available in Europe and Korea starting in the second half
Even as other phone designs morph, thin will still be in. At 6.9 mm, this is one of the slimmest handsets on the market. It could even fit in your wallet. Still, it comes with a 2-megapixel camera and Bluetooth for connecting to other devices-all that, at 91.5 grams.
Who's Got the Button?
Designers: Pilotfish and Synaptics
Model: Onyx
Price: Not available
Availability: Not available
This handset, still in the conceptual phase, has no buttons. Instead, it uses sensor technology to let users dial numbers or open applications with signs and gestures. It also recognizes body parts. Lift it to your cheek to answer a call.
Triple Watching
Designer: Manon Maneenawa
Model: The Triple Watch Cell Phone
Price: Not available
Availability: Not available
This phone can be transformed into a wristwatch or an alarm clock. As a wristwatch, it has a speaker button that lets users talk while driving. Like the Onyx, it is still just a prototype.
Talk & Roll
Designer: Philips
Model: Readius
Price: Not available
Availability: Not available
This cell phone display from Philips uses electronic ink and can be viewed in broad daylight. Still in prototype stage, this device is ideal for watching movies on your mobile. When it's not in use, it can be rolled around your phone for added convenience.
Pivot Point
Designer: Lunar Design, for Pantech
Model: Pivot
Price: Not available
Availability: Not available
This handset features a swiveling screen that can be set up like an easel for easy typing, say, with a keyboard attachment. If it ever gets out of the design stage, the device is sure to be a hit with mobile TV and video-conferencing junkies.
Back to the Future
Designer: Spark Fun Electronics
Model: Port-O-Rotary
Price: $399 for black model, $499 for red
Availability: www.sparkfun.com
This phone is retro rotary dial in looks only. It operates on the mobile networks run by Cingular Wireless and Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile and lets you transfer data from one phone to another with a SIM card.
source
Clamshells and candy bars be gone. Tomorrow's cell phones may bear little resemblance to the snap-open handsets or even the sleek, flat rectangular phones we sport today.
Visionaries from design firm Pilotfish and sensor maker Synaptics have created a phone that has no buttons. It's operated with gestures. Designer Manon Maneenawa has built a phone that can be converted into an alarm clock or a wrist watch. Sweden's GoldVish just began selling a phone for $1.26 million that features diamonds and a secret compartment.
Read on for a glimpse at the future of cell phone design.
Thin Is In
Designer: Samsung
Model: The Ultra Edition (Europe)/Platinum Card Phone (Korea)
Price: Varies by country
Availability: Available in Europe and Korea starting in the second half
Even as other phone designs morph, thin will still be in. At 6.9 mm, this is one of the slimmest handsets on the market. It could even fit in your wallet. Still, it comes with a 2-megapixel camera and Bluetooth for connecting to other devices-all that, at 91.5 grams.
Who's Got the Button?
Designers: Pilotfish and Synaptics
Model: Onyx
Price: Not available
Availability: Not available
This handset, still in the conceptual phase, has no buttons. Instead, it uses sensor technology to let users dial numbers or open applications with signs and gestures. It also recognizes body parts. Lift it to your cheek to answer a call.
Triple Watching
Designer: Manon Maneenawa
Model: The Triple Watch Cell Phone
Price: Not available
Availability: Not available
This phone can be transformed into a wristwatch or an alarm clock. As a wristwatch, it has a speaker button that lets users talk while driving. Like the Onyx, it is still just a prototype.
Talk & Roll
Designer: Philips
Model: Readius
Price: Not available
Availability: Not available
This cell phone display from Philips uses electronic ink and can be viewed in broad daylight. Still in prototype stage, this device is ideal for watching movies on your mobile. When it's not in use, it can be rolled around your phone for added convenience.
Pivot Point
Designer: Lunar Design, for Pantech
Model: Pivot
Price: Not available
Availability: Not available
This handset features a swiveling screen that can be set up like an easel for easy typing, say, with a keyboard attachment. If it ever gets out of the design stage, the device is sure to be a hit with mobile TV and video-conferencing junkies.
Back to the Future
Designer: Spark Fun Electronics
Model: Port-O-Rotary
Price: $399 for black model, $499 for red
Availability: www.sparkfun.com
This phone is retro rotary dial in looks only. It operates on the mobile networks run by Cingular Wireless and Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile and lets you transfer data from one phone to another with a SIM card.
source
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