14 DAY TRIAL // A parody-of-a-phone called the NoPhone has managed to rack up almost nine large ones on Kickstarter (out of a $5,000 / €3,941 goal) thanks to the brilliant marketing by the project’s founders and the widespread media coverage over the past few weeks.
The NoPhone, as its name implies, is anything but a phone. By all accounts, it is indeed a no-phone.
That’s because it’s just a 3D printed plastic rectangle with no electronics whatsoever on the inside or the outside. It will ship with a mirror stuck to it (if you opt for one) so you can take real life selfies, and it will enable you to just live your life, as the creators put it.
Awesome marketing yields results
It’s really not surprising that the Kickstarter campaign took off and reached its goal before the end of the allotted timeframe. Here’s what the team has to say about its offerings:
“Introducing the NoPhone, a technology-free alternative to constant hand-to-phone contact. With a thin, light and completely wireless design, the NoPhone acts as a surrogate to any smart mobile device, enabling you to always have a rectangle of smooth, cold plastic to clutch without forgoing any potential engagement with your direct environment. Never again experience the unsettling feeling of flesh on flesh when closing your hand.”
The how-it-works guide is a two-sentence affair that states, “Pick it up. Hold it,” yet the project founders insist that the unit ships with an instruction manual. You can still secure one for as little as $12 (€9.45), but hurry up because the offer will end in about half an hour from the time of this writing.
“Once this project is funded, we will manufacture the NoPhone. It will be the same as the 3D printed prototype, but the surface of the manufactured version will be smooth,” says the team.
Comparison to iPhone 6
Part of the brilliance behind the marketing has to be attributed to the iPhone 6. Timed perfectly with the Apple handset’s launch, the NoPhone is shown in stark contrast next to the Cupertino-born gem. iPhone 6 resolution: 1920x1080. NoPhone: No.
As you might have figured out for yourself, the thing is shatterproof and doesn’t bend either. Well, it probably does, but not to the point where it affects your ability to post your cereal to Instagram.
So that’s the NoPhone. It’s awesome as a statement, so if you have some hipster friends that are constantly whining about poor Wi-Fi or whatever, get one now and wait for the big moment.
