Just when you think you’ve seen all the smartphone form factors – flip phones, triple-fold ones, ones with popping cameras, and whatnot – there’s still one more to surprise you. This is the Twin Phone designed to have the most flexible form factor you could imagine on a daily driver device. You can virtually take this phone apart into two halves, because why not?
The concept device created in collaboration with Olivier Verbeke concentrates on the perils of modern-day devices that overpower the user’s will to have self-control and not go down the doom-scrolling rabbit hole. While we do have dumb phones and dedicated applications to control smartphone addiction, whether they actually work is anybody’s guess. That’s where Twin Phone has a different approach to things.
Designer: Wild Mind and Olivier Verbeke
Two halves of the phone serve their own dedicated purpose, while putting them together brings the best of both worlds together. One half is a simple phone for basic functionality like taking calls, texting, reading e-books, or essential functions like navigation. The other half has a larger battery module for heavyweight tasks and functions as a dock for the smaller unit to snap onto. Slide them together, and there is the Twin Phone ready for a day’s work, just like your usual modern-day smartphone.
The simple phone module has everything toned down in that mode, as the E-ink display is easy on the eyes and uses very little power. Since the compact form of this module houses a smaller battery, power conservation is essential, which is achieved by the minimalist approach. This comes in handy when you simply leave the other module in your closet and tag along with the module without feeling disconnected from the world. Come back home and put the two modules together to get the advantage of a “smart phone” in your possession.
Twin Phone is built from recycled plastic, and the on-board battery can be replaced by removing the screws on the back. A larger screw on the back acts as a strap attachment for the lanyard function. To keep the phone relevant for young users, the designer imagines the device in a range of peppy colors, including blue, orange, purple, military green, and muted white.
I simply love the idea of such a thoughtful device, which doesn’t try to completely put a stop to smartphone usage, giving one no option to retreat for some breathing space. The phone lets you decide when it is time to go minimal and when it’s time to explore the capabilities of a powerful device. This freedom lets the user gradually ease into a lifestyle wherein the phone is no longer dictating terms, and solves the intended purpose for once.
