Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Remember the movie Iron Man 2 where Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) uses a transparent phone that does just about everything? All the way through the movie, the futuristic device is employed in various scenarios enabling our hero to use it as a TV remote, home security system and even a projector. This is what the Smartphone of the future looks like.
We have also seen similar futuristic concepts of Smartphones used in other Sci-Fi movies as well some of which have now become a reality. And it is no wonder the pace at which technology is moving, no concept is impossible to execute. The days are long gone behind us when a phone was used only to make calls and send text messages. Nowadays, people demand convenience. They are willing to pay for a smartphone that can do just about every task for them.
Sighting this demand for a better lifestyle, various industrial designers and phone developers have created several concepts for smartphones that can be implemented in real life. Some of these ideas may sound a little far-fetched but with the right tools and technology in place, they are not impossible to replicate in real life.
Check out these 10 super cool smartphone concepts that we wish were real.
1. Concept Plumage
By Jet Ong
This concept tries to highlight the importance of having a keypad for touch phones. Designed by Jet Ong, this inspirational device has a foldable QWERTY keypad for Windows Phone. Basically the entire screen is covered with a protective flip cover made of fabric that can be folded in half, thus revealing a QWERTY keypad for ready access.
The designer of this concept phone has not disclosed any other technical specifications for the phone, as his main focus was on the design aspect. For people who like to have a touch and type phone, this is a unique concept indeed.
2. Mobile Script
Ever imagined carrying a laptop in our pocket? Well here is one concept device that challenges to make that possible. The ‘Mobile Script’ is a smartphone concept that lodges a gigantic 9.5 inch display screen within its body in a collapsed state. So you can draw out the screen from the side of the phone whenever you want and still carry it in your pocket. How about that?
The device itself is 5 inches (130mm) in height and around 1.3 inches (35mm) in width and looks like a TV remote. The wonder does not end there as the device, also seeks to charge from solar energy. According to its designer, the case is made up of nano material that converts sunlight into energy to charger your phone. Pretty convenient! Let’s hope it turns into a reality sometime soon.
3. LIMBO
By Jeabyun Yeon
Limbo is an innovative concept that truly defines the future of Smartphones. With top brands like Samsung and Apple already in the race to create flexible and bendable Smartphones, the ‘Limbo’ concept is one to watch.
The device is built using elastic materials like Thermoplastic polyurethane and hi-polymer along with a flexible display that allows the Smartphone to transform into a ‘smartwatch’. Technical specifications include 4.3” AMOLED flexible display, 8 MP rear camera and 1.3 MP front camera for video chat. All in all, this concept device allows for better usability and lifestyle for Smartphone users.
4. Sony Transparent Smartphone
By BRANDA
Here is a concept that will surely thrill all Sci-Fi fans…transparent Smartphone. A creation of marketing firm BRANDA as a concept for Sony, the phone showcases a smooth transition into a future of “more by less”. The concept basically involves reduction of occupied space inside the phone.
Chipsets are enclosed inside ‘aluminum round squares’ that hide the silicon inside. Moreover, all enclosed chipsets communicate with each other via ‘carbon nanotubes’ that are so incredibly small in size, it makes the device appear see-through. It also has a transparent OLED display that shows only the part of screen that is active while keeping the inactive space transparent.
5. IPhone Pi
By Chike Newman
Now here is one Smartphone concept that is completely original and unusual…the iPhone Pi (a.k.a the symbol ‘?’’). We have always witnessed all Smartphones manufactured in the same old rectangular shape. But this wonderful concept seeks to alter that with a ‘circular’ design.
Designed by Chike Newman, the size of iPhone Pi is roughly equivalent to the human palm. It retains Apple’s old ‘Home Button’ and nearly resembles a big stopwatch. The biggest drawback of this concept is how you can actually hold the device to take pictures with it. Which raises the question…Are we ready for a round shaped Smartphone?
6. HTC Dream 8
Despite being one of the first companies to have entered the Smartphone industry, HTC has lost considerable ground in recent times. And of course they cannot live entirely on the sales of HTC One, their flagship phone. HTC needs to tap the tablet market more aggressively just like LG did recently with its G Pad 8.3.
They can certainly do this through HTC Dream, a concept tablet phone. Designed by Giorgi Tedoradze, the HTC Dream concept has a gigantic 8 inch display powered with a 1.6 GHz dual core processor, 2GB RAM and internal storage ranging from 16/32/64/128GB of storage.
7. fLEX Click
The biggest reason I don’t prefer Smartphones with touch screens is the difficulty in typing. With a keyboard or type interface, I can easily know where I’m typing since I can feel the button actually ‘click’. But with a touch screen there is lack of tactile feedback causing finger stress and lack of precision while typing.
However, the fLEX click concept phone designed by Valetin Neda seeks to address this problem fittingly. Under its curved Soft Touch display lays a matrix of microswitches which activate based on content displayed onscreen and can only be pressed where you expect to find a button or control. This enables a user to actually feel a click while they are pushing down a button thereby providing a faster navigation. You wouldn’t even have to look at the display while typing. The device is also curved from top and bottom making it easy to slip into your pocket.
8. 360 Degree Phone Concept
By Kent Dechjun
When viewing something on your Smartphone, ever wondered how the flipside would look like? We cannot do that because the phones we use show 2D graphics and not 3-Dimensional. This might be possible only in futuristic Smartphones that we see in movies. But with the 360 degree phone concept by Kent Dechjun, this dream can become a reality.
The device is built with a crystal clear screen that wraps around the entire body (front to back) of the handset and offers 3-Dimensional graphics. Picture this. You are watching a movie or image on your phone and when you flip it, you can see the backside of things. The phone also gives users the option of switching back to 2D graphics, by turning the back opaque so you can see only the front side. How about that?
9. HTC Two
By 91mobiles
There are numerous renditions of how the HTC One successor, ‘HTC Two’ would look like. Here is one concept that outclasses all others. The Smartphone literally lives up to its name by having two of nearly all its features…dual screen, dual OS and dual SIM.
From hardware perspective, the best proposition of HTC Two is that it is convertible into a tablet. It has two screens back-to-back that can be flipped to make it a full screen tablet. It gets even better as both the screens are powered by different operating systems (OS) at simultaneously. The concept involves Android OS running on one screen and Windows Phone 8 on the other. The best part is that after converting into a tablet, users have the option of again running a single OS on the entire screen.
Other performance specs include 2.2 GHz of Snapdragon 800 processor, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB built-in storage, a gigantic 41 Megapixel Pureview rear camera (5MP for front) and best of all a 4000 mAh battery that is chargeable in 20 minutes. Beat that!
10. Sony Xperia Pix
Sony is undoubtedly one of the most struggling tech firms in the smartphone industry. Despite its efforts of reinventing itself through its ‘Xperia’ series it has failed to capture a noteworthy market share. Maybe adopting this creative concept of a Sony Windows Phone designed by David Quijada will make an impact.
This wonder concept (dubbed Sony Xperia Pix) is largely inspired by Nokia’s Lumia series. Though there are no concrete specs available, it seems that the handset has an exceptionally long body probably with a 6-inch screen and equipped with Cybershot camera.
What Will Be Next?
Which of these smartphone concepts do you think will become a reality in the near future? What can we expect from the next generation of smartphones in the next decade or so?