TV (and me) needs a flip Phone

Posted on March 11, 2010 by David K

communicatorPicture the scene, our hero, lets call him Jack, has just had a big argument with his boss on the phone. He’s just threatened to expose him and his missmanaging of the crisis to the president, he ends the call with a stunning ultimatum, snatches the phone away from his ear and, with a crescendo of music in the background, stabs ineffectually at a non responsive touch screen to end the call…….
What he, and all TV goodies, and baddies, need is a dramatic way to end a call. There is something satisfying and final about flicking shut a flip phone that says “I’m done and don’t mess with me”. You just don’t get the same effect with a slide or a touch screen. Let face it flip phones are cool, ever since Captain Kirk first flicked open his communicator and told Scotty to beam him up, that’s all a true geek has wanted their phone to do. If it can get on the Internet, pick up emails and stuff, so much the better, but really, it just needs to flip.
Here’s a 2010 prediction for you, the first company to produce a decent Smartphone in a flip format will have a runaway success on their hands.

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7 Responses to TV (and me) needs a flip Phone

  1. Shaun says:
    March 12, 2010 at 12:33 am

    I agree it works in a film and in real life- the satisfying click of closing the phone to end the call.

    Still not convinced that a flip phone can be practical for the things smartphones do today- GPS, watching movies, playing games etc. It seems to be touch screen or hardware QWERTY and the flip form factor suits neither.

  2. David Keppler says:
    March 12, 2010 at 12:48 am

    I can’t see why a flip is much different to a qwerty slider like the Pre. You could actually have a much bigger keyboard. Lanscape viewing is a problem, how about a swiveling flip?

  3. Shaun says:
    March 12, 2010 at 8:40 am

    I thought about the swivel thing, but I wonder if that would add complexity.

  4. Peter (PDA-247) says:
    March 12, 2010 at 9:31 am

    Never had a flip phone myself (Sliding keyboard ones yes)

    No idea why, I just have some aversion to them :/

  5. vboelema says:
    March 12, 2010 at 1:47 pm

    What I like about flip phones is that your screen is protected, and the wee screen on the outside is useful for seeing the time and date at a glance and to see who’s calling.

  6. teejay69 says:
    March 12, 2010 at 5:18 pm

    Well since you bought it up – the communicator is what all this madness is all about! It is the thing we all want. Consider this – the Star Trek PAD IS the next step?? Coincidence? I think not! Life as we want to know it IS STAR TREK!

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