No, really, we’ve come a long way, baby (since the early 1900s, that is). Check out this Russian peasant making a call:
The good thing about concept design is that you don’t have to worry too much about how the actual thing is going to be made. Can the existing technology support your concept? Is the design feasible or practical enough, or is it just a “geek magnet” like some alien gizmo from Star Wars? These questions may not seem that important at concept stage. In some cases you don’t even need to build a prototype! Just come up with a wild idea, dream BIG, dish out impressive 3D renders – and you’re good to go.
1. The Natural Year Phone by Je-Hyun Kim
This was created in the name of recycling… after all, how durable do we want our devices to be when they become near-obsolete in five years? The phone is made of hay (or should we say of “weed”?) and completely disintegrates in two years’ time – only the screen and soft keys remain behind, and even these may be subsequently recycled. However, we have doubts about its practicality. Just one of those “nice to see, good to hold… but no thanks!” pieces of technology
(designer: Je-Hyun Kim)
2. Window Phone by Seunghan Song
What features would you like on your phone today, mister? The weather? Done! The Brits may like this glass
cell phone concept, as it will predictably predict even the most unpredictable English weather, if such a thing is at all possible.
3. Cell Phone Inspired By Chinese Scrolls, by Yun LiangA roll-out display and cute buttons placed on the scroll are definitely hot-looking… but imagine using this piece on an everyday basis. If you’d need to pull the display out in a jiffy, then the tactile bit for keypad will last as long as you treat the baton well. Key words… treat the baton well.
(designer: Yun Liang)
4. Easy Tiles Phone by Tzu-Fu Wang
What would you do if you didn’t have the iPhone or its cool apps and games to while away your time? Sorry, didn’t meant to scare you… lemme rephrase, your iPhone is SAFE and SOUND, but give the Easy Tiles Phone a second’s thought. Easily upgradable apps that slide in and around the phone, make this one of those DIY thangs that give you total control to upgrade the gizmo as you like. Let’s also assume you have a postal address in Utopia and upgrades are dirt-cheap!
5. Radia – Circular Cell Phone by Michael LautWho says cell phone has to be rectangular? An oddball round shape can also be suitably scintillating. No kidding, but this one might be a feasible design for Paris Hilton, who loves to talk in circles… literally!
And we’ve barely even scratched the (non-scratch) surface! Here’s still more…Weirdest Shape For A Cell Phone:
Bracelet Phone by Tao Ma . Combine the two and you have… handcuffs!
Another strong contender for the strangest phone shape is this O2 “Molecular Phone” by Tjep Design:
Weirdest Material For A Cell Phone:
Maple Phone by Hyun Jin Yoon & Eun Hak Lee
Weirdest Display for a Cell Phone:
… is a total absence of one! Behold the Trou Hologram Mobile Phone by Mac Funamizu:
Weirdest User Interface for a Cell Phone:
A Finger Touching idea by Sunman Kwon:
