I designed a Smartphone. What does MR think?

[TSE]

https://www.behance.net/gallery/46540739/Sony-Xperia-Walkman-Throwback-to-an-Iconic-Brand

This was just a fun three day project I thought you all would enjoy.

Some thoughts:

1. Smartphones have reached an innovation standstill, with not much differentiating between them. I decided to center the experience of this phone around music, something everybody on this world enjoys.

2. I've noticed some trends in the electronics & music industries, with bluetooth speakers being extremely popular and will continue to be popular, and bluetooth earbuds just recently really picking up steam. I feel as though the Airpods are the first real bluetooth earbuds that are without compromise, and these bluetooth earbuds integrated within the phone address some of the advantages the Airpods have. Additionally, wireless charging has been here for a long time, but hasn't really been "in" due to a few drawbacks. I wanted to create a system of products where wireless charging undoubtedly enhances the user experience.

3. I am a huge fan of Sony industrial design and wanted to create a throwback to the Walkman brand in a modern package, a brand many people were sad to see go. Nostalgia can sometimes be a very strong selling point (check out the Nintendo NES Classic System).

I'd like to get feedback and let me know if you enjoy it as well! Criticisms always welcome too!

Thanks all! Give the project a thumbs up at the bottom of the project if you enjoyed it, too!

 

[Retired Cat]

The integrated wireless earbud sockets/chargers are a nice idea. More convenient than having a separate charge case.

Not sure how it would feel in hand though with the wedge shape, but that is something which requires mock ups and actually physical testing.

 

[wargamer6]

How'd you make it? Looks nice.

 

[Talkingtoaster]

Boy got skills

 

[TSE]

The integrated wireless earbud sockets/chargers are a nice idea. More convenient than having a separate charge case.

Not sure how it would feel in hand though with the wedge shape, but that is something which requires mock ups and actually physical testing.

Thanks for the feedback, and that is definitely something that would need to be tested. While I was sketching out forms and ideas and how to include earbuds in the form of a phone, I studied how people hold their phone. You can try this for yourself. A lot of the weight and mass is centered in the palm; I suspect this design may be ergonomic with that in mind. You do sacrifice pocket comfort, and added thickness might not be for everyone, but I think for music lovers, subway-goers, and gymrats, the convenience of the built-in headphones may outweigh the cons. But you are definitely 100% correct, I would definitely have to test the design and comfort myself if I wanted to take this idea further!

How'd you make it? Looks nice.

Thank you so much. I sketched out a ton of ideas with the simple question in mind,"How can I make a smartphone that stands out?", got a general form I liked, and then sketched out that form until I got something I liked. Then I threw the design up in a CAD program called Solidworks. Next, I rendered the phone on Keyshot. Finally, I made a lot of improvements to the renderings and did the presentations in Photoshop.

Boy got skills

Thank you, many hours of studying and practice has gotten me this far, and I still have a TON to learn.

 

[DrewDaHilp1]

Looks great!

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Nice concept. I love how the bottom is thicker than the top.

 

[SigEp265]

I love it .. I just wish you made the corners more square like how they were on the z3. I always loved that about sony phones and tablets. Superb job though .. you should fwd this to sony! i would buy one haha

 

[SigEp265]

You should do a kickstarter

 

[Ulenspiegel]

Wonderful, creative design! Congratulations!

 

[m4v3r1ck]

Congrats! Looks amazing.

 

[JaySoul]

I like it... a lot!!

Huge fan of various Sony items over the years. Some of their products were just wow, and this is a well thought-out play on it.

Nice one!

 

[Phil A.]

When I first saw it, I thought it looked a bit weird but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it and I love the idea of stowing the earbuds in the phone itself. Great job!

 

[Tom G.]

Nice looking etc. one thing I noticed, right off the bat, is the button? roller wheel thing at the (bottom?) of the unit. It is an accident looking to happen.

 

[TSE]

Looks great!

Thank you!

Nice concept. I love how the bottom is thicker than the top.

Do you mean how it sticks out? I wanted to bring some of that classic Walkman feel back to a phone. I think Apple real nailed it with just having one physical button on the iPhone, so I wanted to bring that simplicity into being, but also act as a dial for improved functionality when the phone is docked or on a desk. Thank you for the appreciation!

I love it .. I just wish you made the corners more square like how they were on the z3. I always loved that about sony phones and tablets. Superb job though .. you should fwd this to sony! i would buy one haha

Thanks for the great feedback! May I ask why you prefer more squared corners? Honest question for an honest answer! I'd like to get your answer and I'll respond with why I rounded the corners. Don't want to influence your answer.

And... I actually did reach a senior Sony designer with this design. Very humble guy and basically wrote a book for me about his love and appreciation of the Walkman and advice for a young designer trying to break into the industry such as myself.

Wonderful, creative design! Congratulations!

Thanks!

Congrats! Looks amazing.

Thank you!

I like it... a lot!!

Huge fan of various Sony items over the years. Some of their products were just wow, and this is a well thought-out play on it.

Nice one!

Definitely! I have always been a huge fan of Sony! Did you know that iPhone 4 (and 4S, regarded by many as the best looking iPhone ever) were designed with Sony design language? http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/26/3189309/apple-sony-iphone-design-inspiration-iphone-4-looked-old

An underrated company in terms of design, for sure.

When I first saw it, I thought it looked a bit weird but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it and I love the idea of stowing the earbuds in the phone itself. Great job!

May I ask what specifically made you think it looked "weird" and why? Was it just the shock of having a phone in that shape? And thank you for the feedback!

Nice looking etc. one thing I noticed, right off the bat, is the button? roller wheel thing at the (bottom?) of the unit. It is an accident looking to happen.

You know, you may be right! And even if it is durable, if the consumer sees it as not, then it's a problem. Just one of thousands of design decisions that are made with every product.

 

[Phil A.]

May I ask what specifically made you think it looked "weird" and why? Was it just the shock of having a phone in that shape? And thank you for the feedback!

Yeah, It was really: I think we've been conditioned over the years to expect a certain shape for a smartphone and to see something so different was initially a bit jarring. However, as I said, the more I looked at it the more I liked it and I can definitely see the benefits of having a device that shape: as you said, the weight distribution and centre of gravity would be better and it also allows the storage of the ear buds.

The only slight negative I can see with that shape is that the screen is falling away from you if you put it flat on a table

Having said that, if it were smart enough to be able to rotate the screen 180 degrees when it was on a table so you could lay it down the other way round and it was angled towards you then it would be a brilliant way to use the device!

 

[lowendlinux]

I wonder why this ended up here and not in community where it started?

 

[NT1440]

Not a fan of the overall design, but man you did a fantastic job of creating mockups, really really really well done!

 

[Zaft]

Looks interesting, how big is the screen?

 

[SigEp265]

Thanks for the great feedback! May I ask why you prefer more squared corners? Honest question for an honest answer! I'd like to get your answer and I'll respond with why I rounded the corners. Don't want to influence your answer.

And... I actually did reach a senior Sony designer with this design. Very humble guy and basically wrote a book for me about his love and appreciation of the Walkman and advice for a young designer trying to break into the industry such as myself.

I just always loved the design of it. It was very different they any other mobile phone design. I assume its bad for durability if you drop the phone though. Even on my iphone I try and find cases that have squared corners.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Thank you!
Do you mean how it sticks out? I wanted to bring some of that classic Walkman feel back to a phone. I think Apple real nailed it with just having one physical button on the iPhone, so I wanted to bring that simplicity into being, but also act as a dial for improved functionality when the phone is docked or on a desk. Thank you for the appreciation!

Wasn't talking about the button/dial. I was speaking on how I like the thickness of the phone's body on the bottom, and how it's thinner on top. Seems like it will be less likely to slip out of a user's hand, and probably feels better in hand too.

 

[clauzzz203]

https://www.behance.net/gallery/46540739/Sony-Xperia-Walkman-Throwback-to-an-Iconic-Brand

This was just a fun three day project I thought you all would enjoy.

Some thoughts:

1. Smartphones have reached an innovation standstill, with not much differentiating between them. I decided to center the experience of this phone around music, something everybody on this world enjoys.

2. I've noticed some trends in the electronics & music industries, with bluetooth speakers being extremely popular and will continue to be popular, and bluetooth earbuds just recently really picking up steam. I feel as though the Airpods are the first real bluetooth earbuds that are without compromise, and these bluetooth earbuds integrated within the phone address some of the advantages the Airpods have. Additionally, wireless charging has been here for a long time, but hasn't really been "in" due to a few drawbacks. I wanted to create a system of products where wireless charging undoubtedly enhances the user experience.

3. I am a huge fan of Sony industrial design and wanted to create a throwback to the Walkman brand in a modern package, a brand many people were sad to see go. Nostalgia can sometimes be a very strong selling point (check out the Nintendo NES Classic System).

I'd like to get feedback and let me know if you enjoy it as well! Criticisms always welcome too!

Thanks all! Give the project a thumbs up at the bottom of the project if you enjoyed it, too!

This is so badass! If sony makes it I'll buy it. And you a beer (case)

 

[TSE]

Yeah, It was really: I think we've been conditioned over the years to expect a certain shape for a smartphone and to see something so different was initially a bit jarring. However, as I said, the more I looked at it the more I liked it and I can definitely see the benefits of having a device that shape: as you said, the weight distribution and centre of gravity would be better and it also allows the storage of the ear buds.

The only slight negative I can see with that shape is that the screen is falling away from you if you put it flat on a table

Having said that, if it were smart enough to be able to rotate the screen 180 degrees when it was on a table so you could lay it down the other way round and it was angled towards you then it would be a brilliant way to use the device!

That is a very good point and thank you for the great feedback. And the last idea you had is absolutely brilliant as well! You should consider becoming a designer.

I wonder why this ended up here and not in community where it started?

Eh, it's ok. I can see why the moderators put it here! I was really deliberating where to post this originally. Mods do a brilliant job here.

Not a fan of the overall design, but man you did a fantastic job of creating mockups, really really really well done!

Thank you for the complements on the mockups! What specifically don't you like about the design?

Looks interesting, how big is the screen?

You know, with the added thickness and focus on music and not productivity or video watching, it would only be natural to build it around a smaller screen. Probably 4.7". The most important part would probably be ergonomics and would be decided when physical models are tested by the designer. Thanks for the interest.

I just always loved the design of it. It was very different they any other mobile phone design. I assume its bad for durability if you drop the phone though. Even on my iphone I try and find cases that have squared corners.

Cool, and you are right. The sharp corners of Sony products is unique to that brand and perhaps if I was an official Sony designer and had a branding guidebook I would know better. What I tried to do when I designed this was make it feel like a modern Walkman, and I couldn't help put throw a touch of Playstation in there as well. When I decided on the wedge shape and went into detailing, the sharp corners made the piece look incredibly, incredibly aggressive. Almost like a PS4. I didn't think that communicated "music" experience enough, so I rounded the corners to alter the design language. Let me know what you think and thanks!

Wasn't talking about the button/dial. I was speaking on how I like the thickness of the phone's body on the bottom, and how it's thinner on top. Seems like it will be less likely to slip out of a user's hand, and probably feels better in hand too.

I think so too. One thing to consider though is consumer perception is almost just as important as fact itself. A previous commenter stated he felt the design might be uncomfortable. Of course that's one person, but if enough consumers feel that way then the designer may have been able to do a better job on design psychology.

This is so badass! If sony makes it I'll buy it. And you a beer (case)

I'll hold you to that. Corona 40 oz with lime please!

 

[NT1440]

Thank you for the complements on the mockups! What specifically don't you like about the design?

I think you nailed exactly what you were going for, I just personally wouldn't buy a wedge shaped phone like that (It doesn't look all that ergonomic to me).

But seriously, its a great design job all around.

 

[mrex]

[
This was just a fun three day project I thought you all would enjoy.

Njah.. you just designed a smart door stopper.