Cellphones have revolutionized the way we communicate. Technology has made big leaps and this has allowed engineers to create stylish and high end phones that not just allow us to communicate through voice but also by means of text messages, pictures and video. Going one step further, designers are incorporating the concept of eco-friendliness with cellphones so that people will be able to reduce their carbon footprints. Check out some of the next generation concept phones that further the green cause without compromising on style.
1. i Roll cellphone concept
Remember how the people used to send messages, in those days, with the aid of pigeons? Well, a modern day designer has taken inspiration from the practice and has created a cellphone that can actually be rolled up to resemble a scroll. Designed by Sudhanwa Chavan, the i Roll phone will have a retractable energy-saving OLED display. The touch screen will contain all necessary functions of a cellphone and can be folded into the column when not in use. The Bluetooth-enabled phone comes with a headset that will be used to make and receive calls. Only a little bigger than a pen, the phone can be comfortably carried in your pocket without taking up space. The central column will display changing colors to indicate the status of the battery. The i Roll also comes with a rotating camera that can turn a full 360 degrees and which is compatible with 3G services, as well as an expandable memory stick.
2. Nokia’s futuristic HumanForm Cellphone
Nokia, the leader in mobile phone manufacturing, recently showcased its latest concept phone called ‘Gem’. Unveiled to celebrate Nokia Research Center’s 25th anniversary, the phone has been inspired by the flexibility of the human form. If you’re wondering what it’s all about, you’ll be amazed to know what this tear-shaped baby is capable of. Product of nanotechnology and HumanForm concept hardware, the phone can be bent and twisted to zoom in and out of images as well as control other aspects of the phone. Not only that, it is said that the phone can even take the shape of a user’s ear and head when answering and making calls for a higher level of comfort. If the concept can ever be realized, users will also be able to ‘feel’ whatever image they’re viewing. For instance, if you’re checking out a picture of rocks, you will be able to feel bumps. This will be made possible due to the use of an ‘electro tactile’ display.
3. Solar-powered cellphone with transparent OLED display
Solar-powered cellphones aren’t a new concept but this next creation deserves mention due to its cool design. The brains behind this cellphone, named Sign, is Joseph K. Lee. The face of the phone is spotless but conceals a screen which utilizes transparent OLED technology. The rear has a solar panel that traps energy from the sun’s rays to charge the battery up to 80 percent. The keypad area also makes use of transparent OLED technology so users can trigger the area by touching it, whereupon numbers, icons and text will appear.
4. Concept solar-powered cellphone
Another solar-powered phone makes the list with this next creation by Yana Moskalenko, a Georgian designer. Sleek and very gorgeous to look at, the phone comes in two colors of black and blue. What sets it apart from other devices in its class is a unique feature that displays the specs users can expect to find inside. However, the price is pretty steep at $2,000 which could put some customers off. Users will get 45MB of internal memory which is expandable, 200 hours of standby time and an hour’s worth of music runtime. Other specs include a 240 x 320 resolution TFT display and a 17,000,000 color scheme.
5. Eco Spin by Jung-woo Choi
Designer Jung-woo Choi has created the Eco Spin which makes use of dual battery modes. Customers can utilize Black Crack for business type functionality like high-end apps and other heavy usage. Or, users can apply the Metal battery for low-end usage like texting and making and receiving calls which reduces energy consumption. This ability to switch between two user interfaces will prolong battery life by a considerable extent. The battery can be charged by pressing a circular button and rotating it.
6. Paper Origami cellphone design
Drawing inspiration from the Japanese art of paper folding, Origami, Chengyuan Wei has come up with a novel concept – a disposable phone made out of paper. Dissatisfied with the amount of material that goes into making a cellphone, Wei created the Origami handset that seeks to minimize clutter. The original style is just a flat, thin surface that springs to shape when a user answers the phone. If you no longer wish to use it, you can simply dispose of it.
