3 ms·

One of the confusing things to me about the apparently competitive smartphone market is how little creativity there is in smartphone design. Why do we only get

by guelo 11y ago

One of the confusing things to me about the apparently competitive smartphone market is how little creativity there is in smartphone design. Why do we only get thin rounded rectangles? Seems like there would be a market everywhere for big thick indestructible smartphones.

GFischer 11y ago
Caterpillar sells some purportedly hardened android phones: http://www.catphones.com/phones/b15-smartphone/ http://www.catphones.com/phones/b15-smartphone/ http://www.catphones.com/phones/s50-smartphone/ http://www.catphones.com/phones/s50-smartphone/
nodata 11y ago
Because it didn't really work out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_7600 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_7600 http://www.slipperybrick.com/2009/12/starfish-diamond-cell-phone/ http://www.slipperybrick.com/2009/12/starfish-diamond-cell-p... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_3600/3650 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_3600/3650 http://www.gsmarena.com/toshiba_g450-2237.php http://www.gsmarena.com/toshiba_g450-2237.php
- fwr 11y ago
  It's shocking that none of these forms ever caught on.
- bodo352 11y ago
  I worked on Siemens' Xelibri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xelibri http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xelibri) brand of phones. The problem was the lack of usability studies or real technical innovation. We basically chopped up existing Siemens models and tried to squeeze them in a "cool" looking housing without causing to much retooling for the manufacturing people. Many of the examples you listed did the same. Different for the sake of being different doesn't work out.
michaelbuckbee 11y ago
I think it's because the thin rounded rectangle is the base model and then almost everybody gets a case to customize it to their needs. There's a half dozen options at every point on the ruggedness, battery life (I'm thinking of things like the Morphie power case), water resistance and price spectrum.
deleted 11y ago
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by guelo 11y ago

GFischer 11y ago

Caterpillar sells some purportedly hardened android phones: http://www.catphones.com/phones/b15-smartphone/ http://www.catphones.com/phones/b15-smartphone/ http://www.catphones.com/phones/s50-smartphone/ http://www.catphones.com/phones/s50-smartphone/

nodata 11y ago

Because it didn't really work out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_7600 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_7600 http://www.slipperybrick.com/2009/12/starfish-diamond-cell-phone/ http://www.slipperybrick.com/2009/12/starfish-diamond-cell-p... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_3600/3650 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_3600/3650 http://www.gsmarena.com/toshiba_g450-2237.php http://www.gsmarena.com/toshiba_g450-2237.php

fwr 11y ago
It's shocking that none of these forms ever caught on.
bodo352 11y ago
I worked on Siemens' Xelibri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xelibri http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xelibri) brand of phones. The problem was the lack of usability studies or real technical innovation. We basically chopped up existing Siemens models and tried to squeeze them in a "cool" looking housing without causing to much retooling for the manufacturing people. Many of the examples you listed did the same. Different for the sake of being different doesn't work out.

michaelbuckbee 11y ago

I think it's because the thin rounded rectangle is the base model and then almost everybody gets a case to customize it to their needs. There's a half dozen options at every point on the ruggedness, battery life (I'm thinking of things like the Morphie power case), water resistance and price spectrum.

deleted 11y ago

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