Just when we thought we'd seen it all in the way of concept cell-phone designs, NEC comes out and surprises us. The company's Design division has thought up the "tag" — a phone that has more in common with Gumby than the slick, shiny phones of today.
Made of rubbery "shape-memorizing" material, the tag will bend and twist at your command. Forget extra armbands — the thing is an armband.

Thanks to the development of ubiquitous technology, hardware is becoming smaller, thinner, and less visible than ever before. On the other hand, the volume of information we handle is expanding at an accelerated rate. In the near future, IT devices will go beyond the conventional framework of efficiency and convenience.

NEC designers have created design possibilities with near future paradigms in mind: the world where humans and machines resonate with one another. We propose devices that judge situations to meet user’s needs, and interfaces that let users access unlimited information as naturally as breathing.


Soft-shell mobile phone.
"tag" is a new, malleable, casual communicator. It is not only soft but also flexible, for example, it can be hung from a belt or wrapped around the user’s arm. Shape-memorizing material and multiple pressure sensors allow the phone to change its shape according to the mode. The user can also alternate the mode by changing the shape.

Once NEC gets this into production (no plans right now, apparently), you can bet it'll have to prove its mettle overseas before it makes it over here. You know, like every other mobile phone ever made.
I think it will atract all kinds of people from business, fashion class to low end class.

This is a concept model that is not planned to be commercialized at this point.

written by Florin C.