Forget smartphones – This is the “Soft” phone concept

While some people focus on having a mobile phone that can do everything from giving you driving directions to cooking a quiche, there are those that just want a super-convenient handset. We don’t think a convenient cellphone has to be mutually exclusive to a smartphone, but here’s one concept that places a priority on comfort and tote-ability than feature-set and processing power.

The “Soft Phone” concept from Qian Jiang uses a series of flexible rings with an electronic fabric stretched within. Material fibers are so thin and “optically clear” that they allow light to pass through, creating a unique and simple display. A full QWERTY keyboard is hidden within the collapsible handset – which is revealed when the handset is unfurled.

This is definitely an interesting concept that could have some serious impact on future handset design. Combining electronic fabrics (embedded within clothing or otherwise) and flexible displays could redefine portability in the mobile space. Or, you know, we could just implant future cellphones right into our arms.

[Via: YankoDesign]