Please, Don’t Squeeze my Cell Phone

Qian Jiang has designed a cell phone out of cotton. Qian Jiang’s Soft Phone is made out of a series of discs with electronic fabric stretched in between which gives the cell phone its shape. Qian Jiang’s Soft Phone is a novel idea - a cell phone that is as soft, squeezable and maybe even cuddly. The Soft Phone takes touch sensitivity to a new level - you squeeze the phone to hang up and touch data input. It is clear enough to allow light to display simple menus. A tiny squeezable clip contains cell antenna, battery, camera, blue tooth earphone and micro electronics. A QWERTY keyboard can be unfurled when needed. The Soft Phone’s originality will sell. Because it is such a dramatic departure from other cell phones, Qian Jiang’s Soft Phone could draw from consumers a “Love It or Hate It” response.

Questions abound with the Soft Phone. How do all of these features improve my cell phone experience? What are the real advantages to having this phone? Will the Soft Phone’s softness give it extra protection if it’s dropped? Does it have internet access? Can I download games, wallpaper and ring tones? Can I transfer pictures to my PC? How much am I giving up having a really cool gadget like this in cell phone functionality? What does the Soft Phone do better than most other cell phones in the market? Just being really soft is not going to make the grade.

The Cell Phone market is really competitive right now. Qian Jiang’s Soft Phone lacks substance. New feature packed phones are entering the market almost daily. Those phones highlight some feature that is better than most of the other phones out there. The Soft Phone’s being soft as cotton gives it a high coolness factor. Honestly, after playing with it for a while, I think it will lose its novelty and be placed in a dresser draw. The Soft Phone will take its place with other gadgets that were cool for a while but then bored consumers. Qian Jiang needs to add more features to the Soft Phone.