In the race to sport the biggest screens on the thinnest phones, one Canadian research group has beaten everyone to the punch. And no, we aren't talking about Research in Motion.
What you see above is a working prototype of a paper thin phone, aptly named the "PaperPhone". It's about as thick as a laminated name badge. It uses e-Ink, similar to what is used in E-Readers like the Kindle. Sensors can detect various bends and flicks on the screen to interpret what the user is trying to do. Curl the page to make a phone call, or use a pen to write notes.
The working phone runs on the Android operating system and requires no hand assembly. It is essentially printed, meaning that manufacturing costs would be minimal and the phone would retail for much less than today's high end smartphones.
Roel Vertegaal, who is the director of the research group suggests that the technology is about 5 years away from actually being ready to go to market, but will be demonstrating the PaperPhone at a conference later this week.
While the typical wear and tear that affects today's smartphones, scratches and damage from drops, wouldn't be an issue with PaperPhones, a whole slew of other potential problems would exists. For example, the phone could get folded in half and creased, causing potential permanent damage.
The entire phone isn't paper thin though. There is a casing attached to the phone where the cell phone battery, processor and memory card go. But researches have 5 years to figure out a way to make those a little less unwieldy.
Wireless Emporium, Inc. (www.WirelessEmporium.com), a leading online retailer of cell phone accessories and unlocked cell phones, has once again been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in America by being named to the Inc. 5000 list for an outstanding third consecutive year. This year, Wireless Emporium was ranked #1818, with a three year growth rate of 151%. The company is one of the elite few who have been featured on this list multiple times and enjoys the distinction of continuing its growth in spite of the economic climate.
Many of the other companies who share this achievement have moved on to become national icons, and Wireless Emporium is poised to follow in their footsteps. Tony Lee, Co-Founder reflects on the growing success: 'We are extremely proud to be recognized in the Inc. 5000 for a 3rd consecutive year. This accomplishment, in lieu of the challenging retail environment, is a testament to the loyalty of our customers and the efforts of our dedicated team whose commitment to providing world-class service has enabled us to sustain this growth - this is only the beginning of our growth story.'
Cell phone accessories, a burgeoning market valued worldwide at over $3 billion growing over 15% annually continue to be in demand as competition from smartphone manufacturers such as Apple, BlackBerry, HTC, Motorola and more engage in an endless battle for market share. Niche retailers such as Wireless Emporium are positioned uniquely to benefit from consumer demand for newer phones with better features and functionality. 'As long as new phones continue to flood the marketplace we'll continue to provide the best in cell phone accessories at a tremendous value to our customers,' says Eugene Ku, Co-Founder. 'When customers buy or upgrade to one of the hot new phones, we're able to provide better accessories like cell phone covers at substantially reduced pricing than what they'll be sold on the spot by their carrier store or big-box retailer backed by service and extended warranties never included from these traditional sources.'
