This new ‘phone’ will revolutionize your life. The noPhone looks and feels like an iPhone. It looks to be about 5 inches large and fits comfortably in your hands with matte, leather-like skin. The nophone features a never before seen advantage over smartphones: It never runs out of battery. In an age of phones needing to be recharged every other day (or everyday!), this is an almost god-like feature for phones. Not only that, it doesn’t require any upgrades and is completely shatterproof!
On the other hand, it also suffers from a debilitating disadvantage of not being a real phone. Apart from sharing the same general look, dimension and weight of a phone, the nophone is not an actual product (as far as I can tell). According to their website, the noPhone is “a technology free alternative to constant hand to phone contact. With a thin, light and completely wireless design, the noPhone acts as a surrogate to any smart mobile device, enabling you to always have a rectangle of smooth, cold plastic to clutch without forgoing any potential engagement with your direct environment.”
If you need further evidence of the noPhone’s benefits, just look at the testimonials:
- “I used to sleep with my phone in my hand, but my night terrors would cause me to hurl it across the room in an unconscious panic. With the noPhone, I can still enjoy the comfort of holding a phone in my sleep, without waking up to a shattered screen. Thanks, noPhone.” -David H
- “With the noPhone, my eye contact skills have improved 73%.” -Whitney R
- “Because of the noPhone, I haven’t drunk texted my ex boyfriend in one whole week.” -Craig G
This phone has garnered plenty of interest. In fact, Ingmar Larsen, one of the designers of the project, shared that they are interested in the idea of actually manufacturing and selling the noPhone in the future!
According to Larsen, the inspiration behind the noPhone was to create awareness on people’s addiction on their phones. In fact, a term was coined in 2010 to describe the fear of being without a mobile device – nomophobia. A Lookout survey by Harris Interactive in August 2013 gathered shocking findings including 63% of respondents reporting that they would feel upset if they were to go out without their smartphone. A whopping 97% of smartphone users check their phones regularly while out with family or friends.
noPhone was created as a placebo so people would stop obsessing over their smartphones and focue more on the social environment. So next time you go out on a social gathering, keep your phone in your pocket and enjoy yourself without checking facebook once every ten minutes!