Flip over your phone: Cell phones with swivel designs

August 25, 2005

Cell phones with slider designs have been a major design theme this year, and manufacturers haven't stopped there in getting away from the traditional flip-phone and candy bar form factors. In the past year, we've also seen an increase in mobiles with eye-catching swivel designs. With a swivel mobile, the screen rotates 180 degrees to expose the keypad. Thus, you can see the display at all times, and the keypad is hidden to avoid misdials. You also can make calls when the phone is closed, and the flipping action is sure to raise a few eyebrows. The Sony Ericsson S710a for Cingular and the Kyocera KX2 Koi for Verizon both have megapixel cameras and speakerphones, while the S710a adds Bluetooth as well. T-Mobile's Samsung SGH-P735 camera phone and the full-featured Nokia N90 multimedia phone take the swivel design a step further with displays that rotate 180 degrees, then fold down. All that movement can get a little complicated, though, so make sure you practice before using.

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