The Black Box Touchscreen Phone

Although we have featured a few mobile phones on Thoughts from the Sidelines which have boasted particularly stunning designs, this phone, which is presently only a concept, is a definite head-turner in its own right. And, personally, if this was available on the high street I would be certainly one of the first in the queue.

Referred to as the Black Box, the entire front surface of the phone comprises of a touchscreen that dynamically adapts to the mode required. If you want to make a call, a keypad is displayed, if you want to take a photograph the entire face of the phone becomes a viewfinder.

One of the problems associated with mobile phones as they develop further to take on a host to supplemental roles – how many mobiles merely offer just a phone facility these days? – is how to offer a simple means of navigating the wealth of functions available to the user in a fashion that is not only simple but also intuitive whilst minimising the level of clutter on the phone itself.

The Black Box concept phone – a proof of concept developed by BenQ-Siemens – is an elegant solution to the problem in that the phone is able to adapt fully to the task in hand and therefore offers complete versatility without needless over-complication – and in that, the Black Box touchscreen concept is sure to serve as trailblazer in future phone design.

Glossy Goodness – Sample Black Box Touchscreen Modes
(Calculator, radio, phone and camera)

Of course one of the byproducts of using a touchscreen for user input is that the phone will offer little in the way of tactile response to keystrokes – after all, there are no actual keys. One obvious method to get round this would be to offer a brief audible response to such inputs but, either way, I can’t envisage the lack of tactile response as being something that would keep potential customers at bay – not when the phone looks this good.

If this is the future of cell phone design – and it is virtually impossible to genuinely believe that it isn’t – then the future looks extremely promising.