Nokia's research team is working on flexible displays and UIs. We got a chance to test it out ourselves — just bend the screen to select, zoom, move between UI elements, and change the volume of music. It's crazy, wild, and as awesome as it looks to play with.
Comments
This looks so incredibly weird. I don’t see how I as a consumer would want to have that in a phone though.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 5:37 AM EDT reply Recommend (5) Flag actions
I agree. Really strange demo.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 5:59 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Think about more unorthodox situations. Such as if you’re in a really cold environment and can only operate a device with really rough physical gestures. This won’t break any text-input speed records, but it has more potential than you may think.
Also, it feels awesome to just play around with.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 6:09 AM EDT reply Recommend (3) Flag actions
I suppose it really only works well in extreme situations, then.. Making it really not the average-consumer type phone. I still love the flexible phone concept though (this being the primary example). Nokia’s implementation of it just doesn’t feel right in my opinion.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 6:17 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
I love the tech from a pure geek out perspective.
But from a UI perspective, perhaps the zoom in/out feature is intuitive, but the twisting the corners to scroll or change volume is far from intuitive and looked (and sounds) weird. Plus, there’s a finite number of gestures you can do with “bending” a device before it will become to specific/picky and/or the learning curve will be too steep.
Nice concept though…
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 5:10 PM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Vlad I agree with you about the physical gestures and that this is a really cool technology. But don’t you think that by then we would have such an advanced speech to text technology that we won’t really need that?
But I think that we could use that flexibility to improve on the ruggedness of our future phones.
Posted on Nov 02, 2011 | 4:22 PM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
2 handed nav on a phone, seems like a step backwards though, doesn’t it?
Posted on Nov 02, 2011 | 10:08 PM EDT reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
If it also supported touch it would make for an awesome flexible phone device. It would not break like the iPhone, and you can fold the larger 7 inch tablet/ phone in half to fit in your pocket. Just using folding as input is kinda dumb in my opinion.
Posted on Nov 03, 2011 | 12:04 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
This is really interesting. I wonder how they’ll innovate this into the market…
On a separate note, I’m really impressed with the Motion Graphics of The Verge, although I wish I had gotten to help in them… I can’t be mad. Whoever worked on them did a good job.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 6:30 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Ugh. The “full screen” link launches some kind of horrible pop-up. That is not what I was looking for.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 6:38 AM EDT reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Weird, it doesn’t do that for every video.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 11:41 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
It’s a chrome bug that we’re working to fix right now!
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 12:39 PM EDT reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
The flexible part of the phone is much more appealing than the gestures. That device looks like it will never crack from dropping it.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 6:45 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Looks great cant wait for the first device to utilise this tech, I would love to see this type of product get thinner and thinner, game on
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 6:49 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
This looks awesome, but in Nokia’s hands, can we really expect to see this anytime soon, if ever. I worry that by the time this sees the light of day in any practical implementation, it won’t matter anymore.
Blast. This looks so cool.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 7:05 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Actually, Nokia says they could have this tech ready in 2-3 years.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 12:39 PM EDT reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Well then, that would be sweet.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 2:22 PM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
but why
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 7:06 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Admin. Just a head’s up. Video doesn’t seem to play in chrome… Works for me in firefox though…
To all those questioning the point… Flexibles screens = Less likely to break / crack!
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 7:44 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Weirdly, it plays on my OSX Lion MPB, but not my works OSX Snow leopard iMac…
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 8:52 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
I’m unsure about this concept, it would feel weird to bend the device.
I would be scared of snapping the device.
Trying out this product then going to my iPhone 4 would feel trippy.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 9:22 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
I can’t see this selling by the millions, but it is a very innovative idea. That’s what we need more of….ideas. At least Nokia tried it out. Whether or not people would buy a flexible screen, we’ll have to wait and see.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 10:16 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
I kept reading the title as “Kinect” instead of Kinetic, it wasn’t until I heard Vlad say the word that I realised. Either way, pretty cool stuff. I like the bend to zoom in and out, that seems very natural. Not to sure about the twist to scroll though.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 12:02 PM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
I love the music and branding of the video intro. You guys really have done an amazing job with The Verge! 3 thumbs up
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 12:21 PM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Thank you!
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 12:41 PM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
http://goo.gl/js7cE Don’t really know what is Kryptonite + Unicorn Tears, but it still sounds great :)
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 7:01 PM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Think of this type of future gesture as a replacement for the home button. Or even a way to pop into notifications you might recieve on a phone. Email comes in, then you flex the device to quickly flip over to the email client and respond. Then you flex straight back into the app you were in before. I think it’s genius.
Posted on Nov 01, 2011 | 10:04 PM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
Anyone else having trouble getting video play back using chromium on Ubuntu?
Posted on Nov 02, 2011 | 5:27 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
That’s pretty damn impressive. I wonder what the picture quality of the screen is. Hard to tell in the video.
Posted on Nov 02, 2011 | 8:41 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
One day we will be folding our tablets like paper and stick em in our pockets
Posted on Nov 02, 2011 | 10:33 AM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
The concept is so futuristic. Think about it. We could have screens like these twisting around bus’, buildings, walls. Eventually they’ll fold like pieces of paper.
Posted on Nov 02, 2011 | 10:30 PM EDT reply Recommend Flag actions
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