This one either hits your “cute” button or your “gag me with a spoon” button.  A new concept cell phone is being introduced in Japan and it is fuzzy.  This phone definitely will not fit in your pocket, purse or possibly even tote bag.

Willcom Inc has created this GSM Kuma/teddy bear phone for the 2008 Good Design Expo.  From the picture, it looks as if the speaker portion is in the bears muzzle and I’m not even going to guess where the mouth piece is located. 

Willcom is not noted for novelty cell phones.  If anything its cell phone line up looks pretty standard, although colorful.  Most of the handsets are your typical flip/candy bar/smart phone variety but in shades of blue and pink not found here in America. 

The last phone Willcom issued a press release for was a “smartphone with fully-flat surface and two-mode touchscreen.”  Now they have this teddy bear which is certainly not a smartphone, flat or touchscreen.

You answer and hang up by pressing the bears tail.  The phone can have up to four numbers programmed in for speed dial (one in each paw) and will also have a vibrate function.  The phone would cost $500 without a contract if it hit the market or $199 with a contract.

I’m not sure this bear is very huggable but walking around New York carrying on a conversation using this new phone might get you instant psychological help.  I know it would in the North Carolina mountains.

One good aspect might be an inability to carry on an argument using this cell phone.  It would just be too absurd.  You just can’t use a phone like this to call and complain to anyone even your local phone company.

Serious conversations might also have a hard time happening with this phone in hand.  As far as concept phones for children, this might actually work but I’m not sure most cell phone companies target toddlers. 

What’s next? A tickle-me Elmo phone that laughs when a call comes in?

via CScout Japan and Engaget

photo via CScout Japan

Entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 6:48 pm under Amusing, Strange, Technology.  Print This Post