London Calling Mobile Phone makes us long to be British
By Darren Murph 
posted Jul 18th 2009 6:02PM
posted Jul 18th 2009 6:02PM
[Via Pocket-lint]
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There needs to be a Police Box version as well.
Looks like something Elton John would carry. This handset is downright unattractive so it's marginally uglier than even the HTC Hero with the Jay Leno chin.
I like the idea of a handset in the form of the Statue of Liberty as the arm and torch would make a mean antenna. Of course, the lady's crown with those spires wouldn't be very comfortable nestled in your front pocket.
I'm expecting the Japanese to come out with a handset that really is in the shape and colors of Hello Kitty. Such a horrid character.
That phone is uglier than a British smile.
Hey, thats not ... oh, yeah NHS.
ill just pop over to my private dentist.. ;)
But yeah... this phone is waaay more awesome than my iphone.
How could anyone have a mobile without it saying "telephone" on the back?
to Nikesh I laughed my pants out... LOL very very nice joke %)
Where did the stereotype of British people having bad teeth even come from? And why do people think it's true?
@namgorf
Beat me to it. That was the first thing I thought of.
Though I suppose I could get one and dye it blue...
Cute. Call me when they make one like a blue police box.
My thoughts exactly.
I agree but i think there can only be one ring tone for that version, and maybe come with a sonic screwdriver blue tooth headset.
HIVEMIND!
Those old phoneboxes used to be all over the UK now there are very few phoneboxes left at all !
That phone should be in crapgadget.
Perfect for my baby cousin.
Almost every American I've ever met is guilty of this.
BRITAIN DOES NOT MEAN ENGLAND.
Okay, to be fair that's pretty similar to calling people from the US "Americans" or "North Americans" as those titles include South and Central America and/ or Canada.
errrr... where did they get this wrong?
sure london is in england - it's also in britain. and 'god save the queen' is actually the UK national anthem, not just england's. and red phone boxes used to be found all over the UK (except Hull).
incidentally, wtf are they doing trying to sell this phone actually in britain (or england, for that matter) - surely nobody who lives here would be stupid enough to buy it? they should make it a bit cheaper (I mean in price not in quality, pretty sure there's no further to go there) and sell it at airports to just-arrived foreign visitors who need a GSM phone to use while they're in london, england, or britain.
You mean Britain does not mean London. Assuming Enlgand = London is just as bad as assuming Britain = England. Mr Pot, meet Mr Kettle.
Calling them a (North) American is less specific which is valid as that includes the USA, unlike England which is more specific and doesn't cover Scotland etc but Britain does.
Hull - Cream phone boxes ftw
ah, sad for you!
my English friend once thought Catalina Island (the island 20 miles off from LA) was Hawaii.
so it's not just us yanks that are mistaken
@ilh:
But if they didn't call us Americans, what would they call us? United Statesians?
Chris Are; you are wrong. The term 'American' applies specifically to people from the USA. All others are referred to as Brazilian, Canadian, Venezuelan etc.
"makes us long to be British"... Darren aren't you from Britain?
Unfortuantly you hardly ever see one of these classic phoneboxes anymore. The usual site is this http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2228/2054948887_36d7d3d89f.jpg?v=0
Ugly BT phonebox, smashed and covered in graffiti. Thats what youl usually see.
To be honest, I can count on one hand the number of occasions I've noticed a phonebox anywhere in the UK in the last few years.
I see them quite often ..
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2158/2091991850_eb57f2a31d_b.jpg
why isn't this tagged as one of those "crapgadgets"
Irish
There's still plenty of red phoneboxes around if you know where to look, although granted they are a lot rarer these days.
People used to literally pass out due to lack of oxygen if they stayed inside them too long without opening the door. It's true.
There's one at Widdecombe-in-the-moor on Dartmoor.
WTF.......this belongs to CrapGadgets
My fear is this will spawn a whole series of craptastic handsets shaped like all kinds of other objects.
This will be the iPhone killer
what's an iphone
What about a green one for all the green phone boxes like this one at Seven Sisters in East Sussex: http://www.flickr.com/photos/melita666/3211377336/
Those are bootleg Phone Boxes!
You can tell who are British. They will be calling it shit while everyone will love it. Being a Brit I also hate it.
If you were a Brit shouldn't you have called it a "shite" instead of "shit"
absolutely, the only people who love tacky crap like this aren't from that country.
already done in Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels
This is pretty cool, mind the gap!
That is one expensive hunk of cheese... however I might consider it if the version of "God Save the Queen" was the one done by the Sex Pistols. I know a few fascist regimes where this would then be right at home.
Like the UK, you mean? And I'm not even joking.
I presume "C&D Wireless" stands for Cease and Desist Wireless because if this is the kind of phone they make, that's what they ought to do.
it looks like a great crapgadget item the build quality does not look good
Errr, no thanks, if I want to see a red phone box I'll just look out the window!
Got to agree with the person who said sell it at airports, cos the public probably will think that's a little tacky.
clearly looks like a child's toy.
I would prefer one in the shape of a Walls footcicle.
Red phone boxes are found all over the United Kingdom - why write an article claiming them to be something exclusive to London?
Because many Americans think the only place on this island *is* London an that we all know the queen personally.
I wonder if it will stink of piss and come pre-loaded with the numbers for local prostitutes, like the real thing.
Its a mini Tardis!!!!!!
Finally someone posts that! Dr. Who FTW!
except it's not.
This is a public phone box. The TARDIS is a police call box.
PEZ dispenser!
That is actually the most genius thing ive ever heard, a phone with a pez dispenser.
Vommit...
Oh, that reminds me of my childhood (must be the same plant that still spills out that crappy kind of plastic casings).
Infering from that it also contains a little hidden spring loaded gun that can shoot little orange-red plastic projectiles.
(But I might be wrong and it actually features a handy flashlight and burglar alarm with a splint pin on a cord...)
I'm British and I hate this. Its tacky and nasty. Imagine someone making a phone out of a plasticky Statue of Liberty. It just wouldn't be any good. And the British certainly wouldn't be swooning over it.
I don't think I've seen a whole lot of novelty cellphones, I hope it doesn't become a continuing trend.
That thing costs more than my Blackberry. LOL.
Where are the phone numbers for prostitutes? Very inaccurate.
this is definitly hardcore ... i hope they also have the queen's voice for your mailbox so that if you don't pick up her majesty can let your caller know that you're busy
Selling my iPhone 3gs, cancellingmy htc hero pre order, this phone is what I have been waiting for.
Needs to have a smashed screen and smell of urine to be authentic.
Dont worry. 10 mins in your average chavs possession will soon have it smelling and cracked
"whipping out the plastic to make it happen?" NO way. That red plastic mess is the ugliest phone I've seen in a while.
I love it! It's totally awesome!
As an industrial designer, this makes my eyes bleed.