Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/16/mobile_johns_phone/
Mobile phones for minimalists
Dear John's phone
Posted in Phones, 16th September 2010 12:29 GMT
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John's Phone, from the designer firm John Doe Amsterdam, could be the greatest grandparent phone [1] of all time. It is certainly an interesting minimalist experiment in usability.
Ten centimetres tall and weighing 95g, John's Phone [2] cuts the crap so pretty much all that remains is a basic box with a standard keypad.
A screen along the top displays incoming and outgoing phone numbers, as well as battery status. But how useful is a screen you can't see while dialling and where's the address book?
Built into the back is a removable pen and pad, so numbers can be stored old-school style, ideal for grumbling "it's not as good as it used to be" fogeys. It is possible to set up ten speed-dials though, one for each number.
There's no choice of ring tone, but a switch sets the volume between loud, normal and quiet. A vibration setting is also included, which according to the Dutch website, "works in all positions" - Don't you just love translation software?
With barely any functions and a 1200mAh battery, standby lasts longer than three weeks.
John's Phone is quad-band and comes with hands-free earphones. Available in several colours, prices start at €70 (£58). ®
A tip of the hat to Tim Russell, who brought this to our attention.