Yes, because batteries are for losers!

Design without practical thinking. For one imagine trying to read the display with a background that is not uniform (this image of a hand behing half of the phone illustrates the point) or with light shining through it. The concept design does not have any electronics in it nor does it have a battery, all which don't exist in transparent versions. The designers of these types of concepts should put some though into what they are actually designing rather than only a nice exterior.

I'm all for concepting, but what is the point of this? Assuming somewhere in the future phones don't need any visible components to operate, will the best we do for interface to make it look wet?

Otherwise this is a piece of plastic with a screenshot mockup decal. Go fire up the grant-writing machine.

Obvious design flaws aside...it's kind of a cool concept, you have to admit.

It's definitely a cool concept. Who knows, it may be something to add to future phones. I don't see how it'll be possible to have a translucent screen on a hardware but I'm sure some of the features from this concept will eventually find itself in other smartphones. http://ziggytek.com/

cool concept, anyone notice the altruistic plans of the owner of this concept phone? meeting with mom at 10:30 and then going to unicef at two.

So i'm guessing that we're already at the point of creating invisible components like processors and batteries?

This is insane.. more like something you'd see in Star Trek.

It will be very easy to lose too - or it will have to keep the picture up all the time, which will drain the (invisible) battery. Then again, producers want us to lose headsets so we keep buying new ones.

guys, it could run off our electricity in our body. just holding it could run it. what would make it better was if we had like glasses or something that if we looked at the glass, it would show us information. so when others look at it, itll just be glass. think outside the box people. just like the designer. always negative.

By the time this thing comes to fruition, the iPhone might actually have Flash (you will still have to load it through iTunes, though.)

Are you guys serious about these complaints??? Emerging technology COMES from futuristic fantasy. One day people will laugh at how impossible we techneanderthals thought their everyday throwaway gadgets are to us...

Well, the display could be a color eInk (or whatever its called now) so it wouldnt necessarily drain battery power.
Plus, as far as future concepts go...all the circuits and the battery could be located at the top black bar in the image (thats not see-thru).
I mean, if this is a concept, then all that jazz could be super tiny (nano-circuitry).
Recharging could use that wireless electricity that PopSci has articles on too.

I think its pretty cool and not all that far off in our ability.

they could prolly be solar and the basis of it being clear is like those calculators that teachers use on projectors theyre clear and they have wires
y dont u think things through before u say them
concepts that actually make news usaully have backing behind them
so dont think they dont think about jus wuts on the outside

For all the people babbling about batteries having to be in the top bar: No..

http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20070326/flexible-transparent-battery-in-the-works/

Printable flexible batteries have been in the works for years. This stuff will come and *can* look like this!

Same with printable transparent circuits, it will all be here in no-time

Can someone explain were the mic and speaker is ? cause what's a phone without that ?...

"...in a form factor relatively similar to the iPhone's. "
So every rectangle is now iPhone inspired?

on topic: very nice design. me wants.

Scientists are working on transparent electronics ( http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/300/5623/1245 ) and there is transparent battery ( http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20070326/flexible-transparent-battery-in-the-works/ ). So, it will be possible to make prototype in next, say, 5 years. But ergonomics of such device is questionable...

This is not a cool design, it's not an original design, and it's not a good design. Programs can already determine local weather conditions, from THE INTERNET. There is nothing good at all about this, it is horrible.

It's not a stupid idea. This blog is filled with thoughtless comments. Why can't the phone have a see thru battery? Why can't it's electronics, camera, mike etc be clear?
And as for not being able to see the display with a busy background- well, it's not actually beyond our abilities now to be able to make the glass opaque with liquid crystal technology.
It's a futuristic phone. It's theoretical. Why can't it be possible at some time?
Open your minds, guys.

Let me help you I'll just put my phone down... oh no wait where did i put it... damnin I can't see it...

no thanks

7 years ago, you would have been laugh right in your face if you went up to someone and told them that there was going to be a phone that is less than an inch thick, has a touch-screen interface, a built-in mp3 player, wireless connectivity, and a video/picture camera. But now we have the iPhone! Is it really that ridiculous to believe that something like this is possible? I have two final word for you all: nano technology!

I think it's awesome and I can't wait for it to come out.

at first it looks like a pipe dream. but so did the comunicator first comunicator in star trek then i got a motorolla star teck phone 26 years later who knows.saw a report on transparant aluminum the other day

You're not seeing the whole phone, the translucent screen is only the interface. All of the inner workings of the phone are contained in the prosthetic hand that you have to carry around with you. Comes in a male and female version by the way.

A lot of you guys aren't thinking straight if our scientist can make micro chip smaller then our nails what makes you think that this idea isn't possible. There are scientist right trying to figure out a way to put micro chips into contact lens so you can through the internet or check other stuff just by popping your contacts in your eyes. You should learn more about this stuff before you put it down when you don't really know what's going on. There are a lot of good websites that offer information about future and scientist are working on, you just have to look for them. Try going to http://www.theukproject.com/ and go into their technology section. There are videos there that talk about this stuff and I suggest you watch them all because they contain some very interesting information. :-)

Wow, just what I want to stand in line for!!! The latest hotness!! A phone that costs $2000 so when I try to make a call, I can hardly see what I'm touching on the screen because it displays fake droplets of rain!! What'll they think of next?? A phone that actually starts to stink when you have to go to the bathroom?!?! Sign me up!!!

Why the hell would I ever WANT the surface of my phone to LOOK like it is completely covered in droplets of rain? Riiiiiiiiight, that's just what I was thinking -- when I want to make a call or read a text message, what I really want in life is to be holding a phone that OBSCURES MY VISION EVEN MORE (insert mocking eye roll here).

Not to mention, everyone is right. It's not like we have transparent or invisible components to actually manufacture this thing, so the bottom line is that it is off the charts for wishful thinking. So if we're going to go that route and allow ourselves to be THAT fanciful, why don't we just say that we've invented teleportation. Then I won't even need a phone anymore and I can just instantly go talk to the other person!

Hey, I am an electrical engineer. I have seen some of the nano-circuitry that is being used today. I have seen it printed on a piece of plastic and placed in a shoe. Then wirelessly, this piece of plastic was able to beam to a computer accelerations, pressures, the yaw and tilt of the foot as someone walked down a stage. It was completely clear. You couldn't see the circuitry. I saw this first hand at an IEEE seminar I attended a year and a half ago. Coupled with some of the emerging battery technology, this design really wouldn't be that far away.

Personally, I wouldn't like this design. I think it would be much more useful to use neural implants which work off of internal electrical signals to control basically a computer that is seen simply by a neural interface with the optic nerve. That also isn't too far away. Looking at some of the advances made in the way of reducing the effects of Parkinson's by using nano-tech, "simply" making a new nano wire bridge over the bad brain section. The person's brain was able to relearn how to properly use the functions of the arm in mere minutes and with therapy was able to regain almost all functionality.

Don't be too quick to dismiss new ideas. Many, many advances have been made but are not publicized.

The "phone" pictured is NOT translucent. It is transparent. Translucency diffuses light. The hand behind the phone is in focus.

so i take it this slim glass like phone would be made of a super hard plastic so it would not be broken in the normal persons pocket as they go through out the day

I think tech is leading to this. LG has a version of the Shine with a see through keypad (that's behind the sliding screen). You can barely see the curcuits, but I think as tech advances, we will see (or not see) clear phones such as this, just as Dr. Lemongary pointed out- tech advances.

i think i phone like this is coolalso i would personally think that we will have this phone in the futer. its soooooooooo coooollll!!!!

i also think we will have this awsome cool phone in the futer. exept i dont care for it being glass...but i could handle it. its sooooo cooooooool!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!