Industrial Design Consultancy Unveils a Whole New Mobile Handset Concept

Europe UK : Alloy, one of the UK’s largest industrial design consultancies has created a new vision for future mobile communications aimed at delivering real convergence to users over the mobile network.

Named Couple-IT, the concept consists of two complementary mobile devices and a supporting network infrastructure. The two devices effectively act as one to address the communications needs of a modern generation.

Rather than trying to incorporate every single feature and function into one device, with the inevitable compromise on size and usability, Couple-IT uses two linked devices to provide suitable solutions for different scenarios. The user has the reassurance that their content is fully accessible at all times from both devices.

Each Couple-IT account would use twin SIMs and software which would establish intelligent synchronisation between the two devices. In this way data, such as contact and diary info, owned content, digital license permissions and preferential links remain coordinated across the two devices.

When on the move, a small device is the cornerstone of a user’s relationship with any mobile network, and this remains the case with Couple-IT. However, when the user wants the benefits of a larger screen or memory capacity (say to watch video content) or a reasonable sized keyboard, the user can switch to a laptop-sized smartphone with the same intuitive user interface and, thanks to the mobile network, fully co-ordinated content.

Gus Desbarats, Chairman of Alloy said: “Couple-IT shows what can be achieved when the user's experience and network relationship is managed in a more holistic way involving different device form factors for different tasks and situations, with a very high level of intelligent synchronisation of personal data across the devices.”

“The concept is inspired by Alloy's mix of deep user insight and understanding of the capabilities of IT-communications technologies gained from hundreds of design projects in this sector for clients like BT, HP, and Toshiba among other

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