Nokia's nanotech Morph goes on display, signals melting devices in our future

Why is Nokia always trying to outdo everyone with its fancy-schmancy concepts and designs? Why can't they just get in line and keep it simple? We may never know the answer to those questions, but what we do know is that the company is presenting a new concept device called the Morph that would be right at home... in the year 3000. The unit is included in the MoMA's "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition catalog, and boasts the ability to stretch and flex to almost any shape a user could think of. The nanotechnology-based device would deliver transparent electronics, self-cleaning surfaces, and the malleability to transform into any number of configurations. Of course, the actual technology required to put this together is years or even decades away, though Nokia expects to see some of these innovations making their way into high-end products within seven years. See the device doing its thing in some photos after the break.

Update: Tipster Pdexter pointed us to a video of the Morph in "action" -- check it out after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Niallers @ Feb 25th 2008 10:02AM]

Holy Smokes Batman!

[MrFairladyz @ Feb 25th 2008 6:36PM]

I call it the iPhoney. Take that, iPhone.

[MrFairladyz @ Feb 25th 2008 6:46PM]

It may do everything you ask it to, but it all boils down the greatest task of all...


Does it blend?

[Jherez @ Feb 25th 2008 10:10AM]

Whoa!!! I have one of these in my basement. Lawsuit Time!

[phanbouy @ Feb 25th 2008 10:57AM]

me2. too bad it's all immoral and stuff according to middle america. =)

[James @ Feb 25th 2008 9:58PM]

The idea of this is preposterous! This whole idea is the brain work of the devil! So very, very immoral and degrading!!! ...or at least that's what I hear... Maybe not...

[tanooki2003 @ Feb 25th 2008 10:18AM]

This is awesome. It's about time i start seeing some great strides in technology. It is seriously overdue.

[Alex @ Feb 25th 2008 2:58PM]

In what sense? Technological progress has been accelerating steadily since the industrial revolution. Remember, it is a natural human tendency to over-estimate short term change and under-estimate long term change.

[Mike Campbell @ Feb 25th 2008 7:11PM]

Not that I disagree with you Alex but did you pull that quote about technological progress straight from the latest Wired magazine? LOL

[rob @ Feb 25th 2008 10:19AM]

This is clearly alien technology!

[113 @ Feb 25th 2008 11:31PM]

hahahahahaha classic comment

[Mic2000 @ Feb 25th 2008 10:20AM]

Are these CGI renders or just real life mockups? They look awesome :D

[Alex R @ Feb 25th 2008 11:23AM]

@ Mic2000
They look like CGI images cos the woman's hand in the last picture looks a bit "cut-out".
Anyway, the first thing I thought when I saw the first picture is: Oh, wow! It looks like the Original Xbox's dashboard! (with that hideous green)

[rockintom @ Feb 25th 2008 10:24AM]

Planning for the future is nice and all, I suppose, but how many generations in the future is this?

[anjin @ Feb 25th 2008 10:27AM]

I'd like to have something similar now! I want it noooooww!!!

[richard knights @ Feb 25th 2008 10:32AM]

Yes!! but will it bring me genuine happiness and life fulfilment???

oh

am I in the wrong forum?

[patsy @ Feb 25th 2008 11:36AM]

If you hold it in one hand, you can use the other for happiness and fulfillment.

[maveric101 @ Feb 25th 2008 9:55PM]

And the Funniest Comment of the Day award goes to... PATSY!!!

i'm serious. quite clever, old chap.

[Scout @ Feb 26th 2008 1:31AM]

@patsy

LOL..:)). Best.Comment.Evar!!!1

[Superprime @ Feb 25th 2008 10:32AM]

"Why is Nokia always trying to outdo everyone with its fancy-schmancy concepts and designs? Why can't they just get in line and keep it simple?"

I hope to god that's a joke

[Tom @ Feb 25th 2008 2:38PM]

Me too, i seriously wonder who they get writing for Engadget sometimes seeing as the ENTIRE website is devoted to consumer goods which depend on some companies stepping out of the box and looking into new technology in order to give us updates on. Otherwise we would be stuck with the same things forever.

[maveric101 @ Feb 25th 2008 9:59PM]

it's this new thing some professor at Yale invented a couple weeks ago. i believe it's called sarcasm.

[Kurian @ Feb 25th 2008 10:34AM]

Will you report all my ideas on Engadget as well?

[barrywoods @ Feb 25th 2008 10:34AM]

Wait a minute!! You guys crap all over any home brewed 3D rendering/Photochop of what some dude in his basement wants the next iGadget to look like. Then you cream in your pants over some 3D rendering/Photochop a real phone maker produces? We won't see things like this in our life times.

[Myk @ Feb 25th 2008 10:37AM]

Hey, thi is smart on Nokia's part, they're c**k-blocking Apple...Because you know that if Apple decides to do something that everyone will like and is futuristic and should be commonplace they'll just patent it and keep everyone locked out... (tactile touch screen feedback, touchscreen gestures, "look and feel" of everything iMac-ish [crap, I just used a copyrighted word], the use of the prefix "i" to denote "coolness")
Good job Nokia...I, for one, gladly welcome the day when I can carry around a piece of electronics that will cost thousands of dollars and when it gets infected with a virus, will have the ability to ACTUALLY infect me (via the nanotech)!

But otherwise...holy crap that's cool as hell looking!

[Raheem @ Feb 25th 2008 10:45AM]

Shut up. :)

[Richard Lai @ Feb 25th 2008 10:37AM]

I can read her text...

[Macfly @ Feb 25th 2008 10:47AM]

Sorry guys, it does'nt play Doom!

[Niallers @ Feb 25th 2008 10:50AM]

Ahh but will it blend!

[Elora HRanma @ Feb 25th 2008 10:54AM]

In Nokia's future DOOM plays YOU!

Oh, and it will probably play Crysis, if Microsoft still supports DX9/10 in 3001.

[Alex R @ Feb 25th 2008 11:25AM]

It should be: 'Doesn't' You had the apostrophe in the wrong place.

[Howard @ Feb 25th 2008 11:40AM]

Yes, but it plays Duke Nukem Forever.

[eggothewaffle @ Feb 25th 2008 11:00AM]

My word! Two/thirds of me finds this nanotechnology morally unacceptable!

Thank God I have other news sources which are far more fair and balanced than this outrageous "Engadget" schlock!

[Xzavier @ Feb 25th 2008 11:06AM]

As for me I am waiting for somebody to make a K/A theme of this "Nokia's Nanotech Morph" for the PPC!

I already have an touch screen interface on the handheld device, just need a K/A U.I. and I am good to go!

I wonder if those guys over their at xda-developer has seen this link... Hum???

[Frankenstein Black @ Feb 25th 2008 11:08AM]

Pie in the sky and no one alive will see this fly, because it’s as far into the future as the minds eye, so why not just make this today Nokia guy?
http://www.eternal-champions.com/images/efc_device.jpg

[saq @ Feb 25th 2008 11:18AM]

The fact that they think this is viable for the year 3000 really shows that whoever involved in this project simply doesn't "get it" with technology trends.

I think Peter F Hamilton's vision of future technology trends in the "Nights Dawn" series really gets it. "Nanonics" are nanocomputers that "implant" into your body and use your brain's natural cognitive and mental abilities to interact with computer systems. I think this is VERY likely the way things are going and it will be done WELL before the next 992 years.

[Mike @ Feb 25th 2008 11:23AM]

Shouldn't this be: Nokia unveils CGI renderings of technology they've seen somewhere in some movie as 'concepts' in desperate bid to attract attention away from Apple's iPhone?

[Pdexter @ Feb 25th 2008 11:39AM]

You know Nokia has been releasing these concepts before iphone? Look what you did made me talk something that has nothing to do with the topic!!
I want to own Aoeon it's just too sexy! Dosent matter if it's iphone nano or Nokia's i just want it.

[Pdexter @ Feb 25th 2008 11:57AM]

*Aeon

[Semi @ Feb 25th 2008 11:24AM]

why not just a com badge...star trek...

[Matt @ Feb 25th 2008 11:37AM]

So this is what KITT is made out of.

[sam @ Feb 25th 2008 11:40AM]

Yeah it's one amazing peace of tech
Try to guess I'm posting this from that unbeleivable device..

Laughing at all

[Benson @ Apr 16th 2008 9:04PM]

Oh, man! They didn't tell us it had a time machine; that's even better than Gmail Custom Time!
http://mail.google.com/mail/help/customtime/index.html

[KJa @ Feb 25th 2008 11:52AM]

Video of these concepts.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IX-gTobCJHs

[kempcross @ Feb 25th 2008 12:13PM]

What does the "69" button do?

[palehorse @ Feb 25th 2008 1:14PM]

LOL!! I had to go back and look, but you're right, there is a damn "69" button on the phone-looking Morph... craziness! now THAT is progress!

My only question: Will that interface be compatible with Wife v1.0?

[ZeroCorpse @ Feb 25th 2008 2:49PM]

OMG. Dorks.

That's not a "69" button. It's a zodiac symbol for Cancer; The face is covered in Zodiac symbols.

What are they teaching you kids these days?

[kempcross @ Feb 25th 2008 3:25PM]

You mean, what were they teaching us kids in the 80's?

Apparently cooler things than zodiac signs.

[-kakashi- @ Feb 25th 2008 8:47PM]

Cooler things .. come on zodiac signs come in in what is known as common knowledge

ps: id like to have one of thous ... but i want it now!

[John Bailey @ Feb 25th 2008 12:34PM]

Amazing!!! a phone article where someone isn't saying how much better the iPhone is!!