DoCoMo's separated phone hands-on and video from CEATEC

We got all down and dirty with DoCoMo and Fujitsu's prototype "Separated phone" today at CEATEC, and we can confirm that the device does, in fact do what they say it does. As reported earlier, the device uses Bluetooth to communicate between the phone's two magnetized halves, enabling configurations in everything from standard clamshell to gaming landscape formats. Perhaps the most compelling configuration is one that allows the phone to be held to the ear while one accesses data on the another half, complete with neck cramps. The touchscreen, Symbian S60-based UI was easy enough to use (albeit in Japanese) and features a hearty media playback element, but we were unable to squeeze any commitment to a launch date, price, or probability of seeing the unit on the market. That all said, the demo units were very much operational as you can see for yourself in the video after the break.

Gallery: DoCoMo Separated Phone

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[Jash Sayani @ Oct 1st 2008 2:38AM]

Looks nice.....

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 1st 2008 1:37PM]

Sweet! I've just DOUBLED my chances of loosing my cell phone!

[GadgetTamer @ Oct 1st 2008 2:54AM]

So if you loose half of the phone do you have to buy a whole new one? I KNOW that if i get one of these i'll loose the keypad, or the screen, but not both...

[LondonConsultant @ Oct 1st 2008 3:26AM]

Half the phone is meant to be loose - you can separate it. I'd be more worried that you could lose half of it.

[Valicore @ Oct 1st 2008 3:35AM]

I know that I would somehow be talking on it and have it fall apart.

[ShadowMaker @ Oct 1st 2008 2:48AM]

Now where did I leave that keypad?
Honey, have you seen my keypad anywhere? Honey?

[ShadowMaker @ Oct 1st 2008 2:49AM]

Now where did I leave my keypad?
Honey, have you seen my keypad? Honey?

[Johan S @ Oct 1st 2008 2:57AM]

Now where did I post my comment?
Engadget, have you seen my comment? Engadget?

[TheCow5 @ Oct 1st 2008 2:59AM]

LOL, this is dumb, they just created a remote and a screen.

this is simply dumb

[Pedro @ Oct 1st 2008 3:04AM]

test

[Jon Nelson @ Oct 1st 2008 2:29PM]

Fail.

[Johan S @ Oct 1st 2008 3:17AM]

Can one half of a phone work with the other half from another phone?

[Jon @ Oct 1st 2008 3:39AM]

So now not only do you have to remember where you left both parts you also have to have 2 lots of charging devices unless they piggyback in some way. Also battery life will be diminished due to the sending and receiving it will be doing.

[Chuck @ Oct 1st 2008 4:00AM]

Seems it work great if you could call one half from the other to find out where you left it.

[Deeznuts420 @ Oct 1st 2008 8:15AM]

but who would pick up the other half :O

[Troels C @ Oct 1st 2008 3:54AM]

But why split the 2 parts up in the first place?

[Drunkandeatinghoneybunchesofoats @ Oct 1st 2008 4:17AM]

Absolutely useless. Please illustrate me on how this is something that could be usefull to me.

[Rynth @ Oct 1st 2008 5:08AM]

No!

Ha, what you gonna do now!

/gets coat.

[frankXchange @ Oct 1st 2008 9:27AM]

You can use it as an ultra large media display system. Just place the display half inside your glasses, or tape it across your eyes, then use the other half as the remote control.

I'm hoping the magnets are strong enough that, once you've separated them from your car keys and loose change in your pocket, you can place one half on either side of your head and have the magnets hold them in place.

[David Talmage @ Oct 1st 2008 10:14AM]

As displays get better, maybe you could upgrade the display part of the phone without buying the rest of it. If the platform is open, there might be a number of competing displays you could buy. You could choose the best of breed for the display and the best of breed for the keypad.

[90 @ Oct 1st 2008 5:17AM]

it's MOAP-S. not the S60.

[josh @ Oct 1st 2008 6:52AM]

They told us at the booth that it was S60.

[manimal @ Oct 1st 2008 5:14AM]

I agree, this is a bad idea. I don't see the benefit of this at all. Good to think different, but really, with all the small slim touch screen phones and slider phones out, why not focus on small scale bluetooth keyboards as accessories.

what do I know though.. I've never own a cell phone company before

[Jay Shah @ Oct 1st 2008 5:38AM]

Lets not forget that the magnets holding this thing together will probably end up wiping any magnetic strip on credit cards or the such... so you would have to remember not to put this thing in the same pocket...

[rwfu666 @ Oct 1st 2008 8:40AM]

YES
finally I can talk AND save a phone number!

[G @ Oct 1st 2008 9:29AM]

great idea, it doesn't look like anyone else thought of that. I remember when camera phones came out everyone was like "what's the point? we don't need cameras in our phones bla bla" this could be another one of those moments.

[XenoX101 @ Oct 1st 2008 8:43AM]

So what's there to gain from this video that wasn't already shown in the pictures? He doesn't even show how they come together.

[taike @ Oct 1st 2008 9:27AM]

BT link should allow one unit to alert you by beep/vibrate when you left the other unit and walked away by e.g. 10 feet - just like BT watch can remind me of my cell phone I left on the table. I'd guess the intended usage is not to seperate all the time - split it if you need to. Otherwise it's not practical in terms of battery consumption.

[TheCow5 @ Oct 1st 2008 10:43AM]

did I mention how dumb this is.
so you will have a bluetooth bit in your ear, the top half in one had and the bottom half in the other.

this was an Idea but simply a bad idea.

[Bayard @ Oct 1st 2008 12:11PM]

Lot's of simple minded posters here calling this a stupid idea...
For me, this is a good idea that maybe not in the exact form I like.
I am getting kinda tired of lugging around the bulk of my Tilt and kinda wish the keyboard was a separate unit connected with bluetooth, or put differently, I would love to have a bluetooth keyboard the size of the Tilt's that worked with my phone and desktop and anything else, then when my phone is a TouchHD and I want to type a lot... there is the keyboard, or when I want to sit on the couch and control my desktop [/media pc], well, there ya go.
If you are so lame that you loose everything, well, that is your issue, but does not mean the rest of the world should be all design restricted to accommodate you. Here is an idea, ever see the kid's mittens with the string through the sleeve so they don't loose them? Well, your a lame geek, so doing that with your phone, wallet, keys etc won't damage your social standing....

[dcuccia @ Oct 1st 2008 8:23PM]

Exactly. Or maybe a beefier MID with a larger battery that's always in your pocket, and a superslime lightweight multitouch screen for everything...

[Kayne001 @ Oct 1st 2008 11:05PM]

remember the guy said they are attached magnetically, and also (this is just a guess) the developer probably has some sort of notification if one half is lost.

[Tuananh @ Oct 1st 2008 9:47PM]

How bout stereo speakers on the back of one the or using one of them as a gaming controller

[Atlas @ Oct 2nd 2008 6:42PM]

i hope they plan to incorporate touch screen functionality into the screen. if you lose the keypad, and the screen is touch-capable, it wouldnt be nearly as big of a loss