Screw thin smartphones... here's my take on the perfect smartphone

[trenzterra]

Now I wish I had some design skills and the capital to see this phone through production... Unfortunately, the only thing I'm good at is writing, so I'll attempt to explain my concept in words and hope you guys will be able to visualise it and some manufacturer will pick it up (with permission, of course).

 

First and foremost, I'm not sure what's the obsession with thin smartphones. People shoved their 13.5mm iPods and 13mm iPod minis into their pockets for years, without much of a problem. The iPhone 6 is 6.9mm thick, but what for? From the iPhone 6 Plus 'bendgate' scandal, I think what needs to go down is height and width, rather than depth.

 

So I'm pitching a smartphone that's 10mm thick. 10mm because you'll be able to shove a larger battery in there. To compensate, I'll shave off the height and width of the phone. The screen size will be a manageable 4.7" to 5", enough to manoevre satisfactorily with one hand. The LG G3 comes to mind, of course. But I believe that phone can be further improved on---for example, the LG logo on the front could be replaced with a front-facing speaker instead. Apple's phones have never had a logo on the front, and I, too, don't see how that's necessary.

 

And it seems that many people like premium materials. So let's throw in an aluminium unibody. Now, the thing I can't figure out is why manufacturers can't place a unibody design and a removable battery together. To me, the solution is simple: have a bottom cutout for battery, somewhat similar to how you would insert and remove a battery on a digital camera. There's no need to have a removable back cover, just a flap and cutout at the bottom where you can press to insert and remove the battery. An additional small capacitor or battery could even be built in so the phone will be able to stay powered on for a minute or so while the battery is being replaced.

 

To address screen breakage, the phone will come by default with a matte rubber bumper, which will be integral to the phone's design. This means to say that the phone is designed to be fitted with a rubber bumper on the sides. To help you visualise, most Samsung phones have a chrome bezel around the side of their phones, just that they're not meant to be user-removable. A sample image below:

 

Since this matte rubber bumper is removable, users can feel free to remove it and replace it with another bumper, or even a case of their liking. If a user wants to use a case anyway, why add an unnecessary chrome bezel when the case can double up as the bezel instead?

 

To top it off, I propose the use of a vertical 'gesture touch strip' at the side of the phone. Apart from sliding/rejecting to answer or reject phone calls, the gesture strip could come in handy when scrubbing through videos, going back and forth webpages (or perhaps scrolling through webpages), and reading e-books. Such a touch strip allows for more fine-tuned control especially when scrolling through videos, and you won't need to shift the balance of the phone in your hand, making one-handed use perfectly serviceable on the go.

 

 

What do you guys think?

[The Evil Overlord]

I like the concept you've explained,

My personal 'perfect' smartphone was the Nokia N8, (N95 and N86 8mp both come close)

(I only wish someone took up further development of Symbian)

The screen and overall size was about perfect in my opinion, (close to an iPhone 3 or 4)

I had cases for my phones, personal preference, that rubber band housing is something I do like though.

I'm posting from my phone, (moto g 4g) so unfortunately, cannot supply you with the exact dimensions for you to consider, or dismiss.

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

Now the screen size will be a manageable 4.7" to 5", enough to manoevre satisfactorily with one hand. The LG G3 comes to mind, of course.

 

LG G3 is 5.5" and is bigger then "manageable" 

 

 

 

anyway, i am ok with 10mm of less.    

i want 1080p display -  definitely no less, but definitely no more.     long battery life and waterproofing.

 

 

i don't care for the latest processor tech one bit.  seriously, by 2 year old phone is already doing fine for internet, email, photos, and the rest of the stuff i want my phone to do.

latest processor tech is for android games only, or people who run specific programs.  but for specific programs get a specific phone. no need for general consumer.

 

i just want the best reception, since a lot of smartphones have a problem with that!   

 

 

 

so.

 

reasonably light weight and durable, and with at least some style... waterproof. 4.7 to 5" screen at 1080p.

 

that is all i care about for my next phone. 

[Rippleman]

I would prefer them just to make a 100 year late improvement to battery design.... and then you could have your cake and eat it to since some prefer thin phones and some prefer phones with more substance and weight. THEE most perfect phone i have ever felt in my hand is a Nokia 920... for me perfect curves and weight.

[remixedcat]

I just want one with good connectivity and batteries..

I want a new phone but none re worth a damn,

They all have serious issues..

Most of the time I just use my gnex as a hotspot that can make calls and just use my tablet.