Real phones have to contend with real problems and design trade offs. But unfettered by manufacturing constraints, concept phones are a way for handset makers to imagine the future of mobile devices.
At the CTIA wireless trade show, there were some of these concepts from companies such as Kyocera, Neutrano and Chinese firm ZTE Technologies. Among the ideas on display were watch phones with USB modem built into the strap, a phone that flips open like a book to lie flat offering users a large display and a phones with a wide screen that is reminiscent of a PlayStation Portable like handheld device.
"There are some interesting ideas and though many of them are years away from reality it is a glimpse into what the future phones could be" says Chetan Sharma, an analyst who has his own telecom technology and consulting firm.
Kyocera’s concept phone, for instance, rolls up in three parts, with one third hosting the keyboard. The rest is the display that can be opened up completely to offer a wide screen.
Watch phones seem to be particularly popular among designers. Earlier this year, LG showed off a working watch phone at the Consumer Electronics Show. LG’s Dick Tracy-like watch phone doesn’t have pricing or availability listed yet but the company has said it plans to launch the device this year. LG’s watch phone has a touchscreen, 3G, Bluetooth and a camera that can do both still photos and videos.
Chinese phone company ZTE hopes to take that idea to the next level. ZTE ‘s concept watch phone offers a USB modem at one end of the watch band. Meanwhile, another manufacturer Neutrano is working on a prototype of a watch phone, according to PCmag.com, that can be detached from its band and held up to the ear to act as a regular phone.
So could the trend of wearable computing be coming to cellphones?
Photos: Top- Kyocera concept phone. Right – ZTE concept/ Priya Ganapati
Post a Comment