Sure, it's fair game to cram
extra features into
PDAs, but stuffing a "removable cellphone" into a personal digital assistant's hidden compartment isn't likely to go over well in this millennium. Nevertheless, a hopeful patent filing spills the deets concerning a comical device that apparently disregards the handsets we so often refer to as
smartphones, as it describes a diminutive dedicated cellphone that clips into a PDA when not needed. Additionally, the mystical concept allows each device to sync information with one another, and claims to be a "do-it-all" machine that curiously requires two separate devices to pull it all off. Of course, the only obvious perks here are the ability the downsize and carry along just the mobile while your nagging relative enjoys a few of your MP3s on the PDA side, but considering the blossoming market of true
all-in-one conglomerates, we don't see this one moving one inch past the paperwork. [Warning: PDF read link]
[Via
Textually]
posted Apr 14th 2007 2:15AM
I'm not so sure it's a bad idea. A pda is usually bigger than a dedicated mobile phone. I don't always need my PDA with me when I need my phone with me. Would be nice to be able to leave the baggage behind when desired.
I have to say, that's a pretty stupid, or at least impractical, idea. Having the phone be removable will only limit its functionality, increase overall size, make the unit more complicated, and have one more thing to lose. They should just make existing PDA designs smaller but have smaller bezels to maximize the area occupied by the display.
For GSM phones, I don't see it as particularly beneficial, as it's pretty easy to swap sim cards. However, this could be great for CDMA users, as having to call your carrier each time you want to switch (VZW does't let you swap devices online with different data features) is a pain in the rear.
Furthermore, gadgets combining with other gadgets to make ubergadgets is cool as hell, and any opportunity to do so, no matter how impractical, should be encouraged.
No patent for simply combining two other patented items.
How about an iPhone that contains a Nano that contains a Shuffle?
Actually, in all seriousness, you could have a Shuffle-like player that plugs into a PDA/phone device which would then have a visual display for the data. It does seem unnecessary, but I do like the sound of ubergadgets...
Excellent! This is a superb idea. Let me explain - I love smart phones, but dislike sagging pockets. I really do use my smartphone features during the day, but in the evening, at the bar - I just want to be able to call the taxi. Soooo many times I've stared at my phone wishing I could shrink it or remove the bit that I need from the bit that I don't.
Voila! Bring it on :)
Nobody likes to hold a sandwich up to their ear in a bar. Having a modular handset is a good idea. However I agree, this might not move past the paperwork.
As soon as I seen this post, the first thing that came to mind, dumb. Its hard enough to remember to plug the phone to charge and even sync it with the PC. Now they want to add yet another part that I have to watch over.
I posted a similar idea here 6 months ago. I think the PDA idea is not so great, but rather would like to see this with a UMPC or Laptop. Your phone is removable from the laptop (also used as a Vista sideshow maybe) when you just need the phone. While docked it functions as an extra display, syncs, charges, and shares its cell/wifi radio for connectivity. It seems more a more functional idea when there is a greater disparety in the size and functionality of the 2 separable devices. In essence, those of us that sync our phones to the PC have this already, minus the shared functionality while the 2 are synced. I'd never think of tethering my xv6700, no not me...
I posted a similar idea here 6 months ago. I think the PDA idea is not so great, but rather would like to see this with a UMPC or Laptop. Your phone is removable from the laptop (also used as a Vista sideshow maybe) when you just need the phone. While docked it functions as an extra display, syncs, charges, and shares its cell/wifi radio for connectivity. It seems more a more functional idea when there is a greater disparety in the size and functionality of the 2 separable devices. In essence, those of us that sync our phones to the PC have this already, minus the shared functionality while the 2 are synced. I'd never think of tethering my xv6700, no not me...
are you guys serious, how is this not the best idea ever, this would be the only way i would ever get a pda. I hate those things, when i go out with my friends who have them its like they brought their fucking laptop with them, they sit on those things the whole time. This would be a good way to have the functionality without having to "be at work" or whatever people use them for all day long.
I agree that the idea of a full blown cell phone housed in a larger PDA like a kangaroo is silly, but if it's just a bluetooth headset, then it makes more sense. A BT headset that can dock to the top of a phone would make it easier to charge both devices and the phone could know to switch to BT when the earpiece was removed from the main body. I'm surprised no one hasn't done this before, especially considering replacement sets would be a lucrative business for the handset manufacturers.
BUT
Where will the Treo's battery go? :P
Exactly! That phone is the size of my PDA's battery.
Looks terribly similar to the Motorola Startac clipon organizer:
http://www.pdastreet.com/hardware/Motorola-StarTac-Clip-On-Organizer-2001-5-3-pdastreet-phones.html
Reminds me of the Neuros concept. Didn't work too well for them, though.
http://neurosaudio.com
I think its a great idea. The smaller phone houses the radio, sim and battery. During the day you need all the functions of a pda with keyboard, large screen ect and of a night when hitting the town, you just want to carry a small slim device to keep in touch with freinds and family.
Unhook the smaller device like you would a battery, pda bit goes in the glovebox or wherever and your set.
I like the mp3 player idea too, something like the small irver clips in somewhere and you can transfer all the songs youve just downloaded on a smoking huspa/ wifi phone.
Philips did this exact thing in 1998 with the Ilium/Synergy combo.
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=44944
It never shipped, but was shown around a lot. You got a huge touchscreen with the Synergy part, running all the EPOC apps (ie, Symbian before Psion formed the Symbian alliance), or you could just pull the very small - for the time - phone off and use that instead.
I had a brief play with one when I was contracting for Symbian, it was pretty cool for the time...
iPhone gen. II, FTW!!!
But I want cellphone removable ipod nano.
Please,
Deets is not a word, and should not be used. Stop!!
I know a lot of people with smartphones that also have a Razr or something for when they don't want the bulk of their primary phone. They have to fool with two phones, two numbers, and pay for an extra line.
This concept could do away with all of that, and it wouldn't have to increase the size of the smartphone much to do it. It's obviously not a huge seller but I think there could be a decent niche market for something like this.
iPhone gen. II, FTW!!!
--
Hardly, iPhone already does this in a much smoother way. It's call software.
Think about it for a second... we already have bluetooth headsets that include call display and mini-phone book. This is just a big glorified BT headset with buttons so you can actually dial - you know, for when you're out at the bar and don't want to expose your true geekiness by whipping out a pda.
The thing could be as small and stylish as you want (look how small BT headsets are!), and would work through a BT link to the pda.
I LOVE IT! BRING IT ON! when i want to talk on phone, i use this mini-phone that is smaller then the razor! and when i want to use pda to surf web, i snap the phone back in!
HP Omnigo 700LX
http://www.teclas.org/maquina.php?mm=O041
1996?
pda's are the future and present. More to come
Featuredmobile.com