My Samsung Ultra mobile is the thinnest but most delicate and fragile phone in the world; and it has the bruises and cracks to prove it. The Soft Phone concept by designer Qian Jiang offers exactly what I need. A soft, squeezable phone that can take a beating inside my jeans or wallet and still be good. The Soft Phone is constructed of a series of discs with electronic fabric stretched in between. The cell antenna, battery, camera, and micro electronics are all contained and protected inside a small clip which itself is made of soft, squeezable, stress-reducing silica. So when your boss or wife shouts at you in a call, you can just squeeze the phone to relieve your stress.
The interface utilizes a combination of tactile gestures such as squeezing to hang-up and touch on the surface to register input. The fibers are fine enough and optically trasparent allowing light energy to pass through to display simple contextual menus. When you need a full-fledged QWERTY just unfurl the collapsible structure and start punching your phone.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Soft Phone Concept
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop resilient and flexible phone designs that can withstand accidental damage.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Electronics Manufacturing
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Manufacture durable electronic devices using soft materials for enhanced resistance to damage.
