Mobile Technology

Sleek 'HTC 1' mobile phone design concept

Sleek 'HTC 1' mobile phone design concept
Andrew Kim's design for the HTC 1 combines minimalism with high end tech and results in a concept just begging to be made real
Andrew Kim's design for the HTC 1 combines minimalism with high end tech and results in a concept just begging to be made real
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The concept features stereo speakers and a channeling system to send the sound through to the face of the phone during a call
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The concept features stereo speakers and a channeling system to send the sound through to the face of the phone during a call
Inspiration comes in many forms, in this case a Leica M8, universal shelving system and a Braun radio designed by Dieter Rams, some Illy ground coffee tins and an Ikepod Solaris watch
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Inspiration comes in many forms, in this case a Leica M8, universal shelving system and a Braun radio designed by Dieter Rams, some Illy ground coffee tins and an Ikepod Solaris watch
The modified mono edition Sense UI would include include full screen widgets, a single stream messaging application and social networking widget, an application drawer and a notification tab
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The modified mono edition Sense UI would include include full screen widgets, a single stream messaging application and social networking widget, an application drawer and a notification tab
the HTC 1's music player will just "works as it should"
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the HTC 1's music player will just "works as it should"
Objective 2: create a harmonized hardware and software design
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Objective 2: create a harmonized hardware and software design
Objective 1: create a premium HTC product that clearly differentiates itself from lower models
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Objective 1: create a premium HTC product that clearly differentiates itself from lower models
Although it will do little for greasy finger marks, the in-built UV LCD surface cleaner fires while the phone is charging to clear the HTC 1 of nasty micro-organisms
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Although it will do little for greasy finger marks, the in-built UV LCD surface cleaner fires while the phone is charging to clear the HTC 1 of nasty micro-organisms
Single stream messaging
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Single stream messaging
Andrew Kim's design for the HTC 1 combines minimalism with high end tech and results in a concept just begging to be made real
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Andrew Kim's design for the HTC 1 combines minimalism with high end tech and results in a concept just begging to be made real
One end of the phone is pivoted to provide a built-in display stand
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One end of the phone is pivoted to provide a built-in display stand
Cameras to the front and rear, a curved touchscreen display and simple home button - stylish and simple
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Cameras to the front and rear, a curved touchscreen display and simple home button - stylish and simple
The HTC 1 sports a simple home button on the front of the device but the designer sees no reason why functions like optical tracking couldn't be added in
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The HTC 1 sports a simple home button on the front of the device but the designer sees no reason why functions like optical tracking couldn't be added in
Development sketches
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Development sketches
The sum of all parts
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The sum of all parts
Folding down the kickstand provides the perfect in-phone alarm clock or media player viewing angle
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Folding down the kickstand provides the perfect in-phone alarm clock or media player viewing angle
An overhauled Sense user interface
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An overhauled Sense user interface
View gallery - 16 images

What do get when you combine a Leica M8, a universal shelving system and a Braun radio designed by Dieter Rams, some Illy ground coffee tins and an Ikepod Solaris watch? Probably not much but thankfully 18-year-old Andrew Seunghyun Kim has used design influences from those very items to produce a gorgeous mobile phone concept he's decided to call the "HTC 1" (though he has no affiliation with HTC). From the slight curve to the touchscreen display to its metallic construction and simple but functional user interface – it's a pretty slick design.

A product design student who has just completed his freshman year at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Kim is a self-confessed geek and a big fan of tech with lots of buttons, switches and touchscreen interaction. But he took a minimalist path for his HTC 1 design, the front having just a home button, camera and touchscreen display.

Kim sees the capacitive touchscreen at around 3.7 inches diagonally across and to a certain extent will be self-cleaning. Although it will do little for greasy finger marks, the in-built UV LCD surface cleaner fires while the phone is charging to clear the HTC 1 of nasty micro-organisms. There's a slight curve to the display too, not enough to interfere with a user's visual enjoyment but enough to make it stand out from the crowd.

Although it will do little for greasy finger marks, the in-built UV LCD surface cleaner fires while the phone is charging to clear the HTC 1 of nasty micro-organisms
Although it will do little for greasy finger marks, the in-built UV LCD surface cleaner fires while the phone is charging to clear the HTC 1 of nasty micro-organisms

The device would be wrapped up in strong machined brass with a silver finish with a speaker at each end for media audio and a channeling system to send the sound through to the face of the phone during a call. One end of the phone is pivoted to act as an integrated kickstand which allows the HTC 1 to sit on a bedside table as an alarm clock or stood at the perfect angle as a media device.

Folding down the kickstand provides the perfect in-phone alarm clock or media player viewing angle
Folding down the kickstand provides the perfect in-phone alarm clock or media player viewing angle

Underneath the display Kim has placed a simple home button, telling Gizmag that he "made this phone to be very minimal." Functions like optical tracking could "easily be implemented," he adds.

The HTC 1 sports a simple home button on the front of the device but the designer sees no reason why functions like optical tracking couldn't be added in
The HTC 1 sports a simple home button on the front of the device but the designer sees no reason why functions like optical tracking couldn't be added in

Kim sees is design running the Android operating system with an overhaul of the Sense user interface to include full screen widgets, a single stream messaging application and social networking widget, an application drawer and a notification tab.

Moving away from the somewhat "dull and technical" look of current Android players, the music player becomes simple, functional yet attractive - and just "works as it should."

the HTC 1's music player will just "works as it should"
the HTC 1's music player will just "works as it should"

Sadly, the HTC 1 is unlikely to reach production as is. Kim has no connection with the company and created his renderings as a personal project. Kim did tell Gizmag that interest in his designs has led to a number of job offers and the opportunity of contracting with Google in the very near future. So, who knows? Perhaps aspects of his creativity may well appear in yet-to-be-produced real-world gadgets.

But the design student's immediate future involves a to transfer to Art Center in Pasadena for his sophomore year.

View gallery - 16 images
4 comments
4 comments
the_urban_group
B & O will definitely love this - as do I! Beautiful!
hcrejazz
Great look...problem is it basically looks like a iphone
TC Lai
Sleek, but is boring. Looks like a perfume bottle. But this design is driven by what considerations? Function? Style? Demographic? A good size though. That said, phones need to break out more from their four-sided looks. The technology is mature enough to play around with shapes.
Terry Penrose
I quite like the understated look, but I would like to see a more seamless intergration between the black (screen) and the grey/silver (ends) parts, that gap between the two, just makes it look like a cheap manufacturing process. Also the case seems slightly to thick by todays standards. Good design effort though.