Nokia reveals Morph touch phone concept

Nokia on Monday veered from its tradition of unveiling shipping products by introducing the Morph, a long-term concept phone developed in tandem with the University of Cambridge. The handset is based on nanotechnology developments that may be realistic for future products and is split into two devices: a detachable speaker either clips to the ear as a headset or to the main phone as a speaker; the phone itself would use nanotechnology to provide a touch-sensitive display that is at once flexible and translucent. Future developments could even see a phone like the Morph clean itself and eliminate the fingerprints that plague most touchscreen devices, Nokia says.

The bendable nature could let the phone either extend to full size as a tablet for media playback, text messaging, or web browsing. However, it could also shrink to smaller sizes, including a traditional candybar phone shape with a dialing pad or a minimal bracelet design. The earpiece itself would also have a display, according to the Finnish handset maker.

While not yet a real product, Nokia is careful note that at least some components of the technology in Morph are authentic and should be available in shipping products within the next seven years, though most if not all of the advancements will first appear in high-end phones rather than mainstream devices.

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