Now you can field your calls while you field the tennis balls. Julia Hartley- Brewer reports
It looks like a chunky digital watch, is not much bigger than a matchbox and weighs only 39g. Its resemblance to a Star Trek transmitter enables the owner to do a convincing impression of Captain Kirk.
This is the revolutionary wristphone, unveiled last week as the world’s smallest cellphone. Worn on the wrist, it features a phone combined with a digital watch.
Although it measures just 7cm by 6cm and is only 2cm thick, the phone, developed by Samsung, contains the latest cellular technology.
Catchily named the SPH-WP10, it was launched in Korea on April 1, but a Samsung representative said: “Everyone thought it was an April Fool’s joke because it sounded so futuristic.” There are no plans to launch it on European markets.
The gadget was unveiled at Telecom 99 in Geneva, an international showcase for inventions and innovations in electronics.
Its greatest selling point for cellphone fans – its portability – will also be its most irritating point for the millions of people who loathe the insistent chirping and beeping of other people’s phones. This device, after all, can be carried at all times, even while playing sport.
Because it can be worn virtually anywhere, the wristphone is less likely to get lost or stolen than conventional cellphones- which recently overtook umbrellas as the most frequently lost items on British public transport.
Samsung says the wristphone’s smaller size will not mean fewer functions. The battery offers 90Eminutes of continuous call time and 60 hours of standby time, and it is loaded with features such as voice-activated dialling, a phone directory, ear microphone and vibration alert. It comes with a graphic liquid crystal display that shows the current use mode through animation.
Telecom 99 also saw the launch of a phone allowing users to download digital music recordings from the Internet and to book airline tickets. It even enables users to order their favourite beverage by dialling hi-tech drinks machines instead of using coins. The cost is then automatically added to their cellphone bill.