Nokia Kinetic bendy phone is the next big thing [video]

LONDON, United Kingdom – Nokia Conversations’ video team was given a glimpse of the future by Tapani Jokinen, Head of Design, Technology Insights . . . and it’s bendy.

As our incredible footage shows, the user will control this flexible Nokia Kinetic phone by bending, twisting and even squeezing it.

I was given a chance to try it and found it very hard to put down. And the same went for the rest of the crew on the shoot. The Kinetic was one of the star attractions at Nokia World 2011 at London’s Excel Centre.

It’s the most tactile gadget I’ve ever held. You can’t resist flexing and curving the Nokia Kinetic. It’s as addictive as popping bubble-wrap. But this is no toy.

Twist forward to scroll through files and the twisting action controls the speed. The more you twist, the faster you scroll. Go too far and you simply twist back slowly until the file or contact you want is highlighted then, bend to action, or open the item on the menu.

If your phone rings, simply hold it to your ear and squeeze to answer.

“How often does form and function go hand in hand to this degree?” asks Tapani.

“This goes beyond touchscreen, but there’s no intention to replace it. This is multi-modal.

“There are cases where touchscreen is superior, but there are also cases where touchscreen doesn’t work, like when you are wearing gloves for example, in the cold winters of Finland.”

So the Kinetic adds extra twist, bend and squeeze dimensions to pinch and zoom on your touchscreen.

“We can even build in security functions so that the phone will only work when it recognizes your grip,” says Tapani.

“This prototype shows how intuitive and natural interaction can be. It gives you ultimate control, when you are browsing.

“It’s like in your car, when you turn the steering wheel a lot, the car will move faster. This is the same.

“By bending, twisting and touching the screen. You can perform one, two, three, possibly four actions simultaneously.”

The applications for this type of gadget are limitless. It will be very easy to fit these evices into the curve of a car dashboard, for example. And the total lack of buttons will make it simple to waterproof these devices.

From a personal comfort point of view, devices like the Kinetic will fit in your pocket perfectly because they will mould to your shape.

The Kinetic could be on the market in as little as three years. As Tapani says, we already have all the technology to produce it.

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