You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby! The ’80s Brick Phone, Now With Bluetooth

It seems we can’t get enough of the ’80s. Neon, remakes of classic movies, skinny jeans, leg-warmers … okay, can we please skip the leg-warmers? Just when we thought we were done with revisiting the decade, we spot a product that reminds us the ’80s are back in force.

At least, that’s what Shisa Labs is hoping, with their Retro Brick Bluetooth handset, launching tomorrow, July 13, on Kickstarter. If you weren’t old enough or wealthy enough to have that ultimate ’80s status symbol, the Motorola DynaTAC, this $85 accessory gives you a second chance. But no matter how gung-ho you are to rep your retro cred, don’t ditch that smartphone — the Retro Brick only operates in conjunction with a Bluetooth-enabled handset. And don’t forget your man-bag; this 13-inch whopper won’t be going in your pocket anytime soon.

Shisa Labs’ Vanessa Wright is hopeful that prospective backers will see the practical side of the brick phone, as a more comfortable alternative to long chats on tiny phones. (Even the new breed of larger handsets, like the Galaxy Note, aren’t terribly easy to position near your ear and mouth.)
“It’s kind of a functional product, but it’s also a fun novelty product as well, the best of two worlds,” Wright says. She has at least one vote on that front: Brad Helmink designed a similar brick, and launched it on Kickstarter competitor Indiegogo last month.

What do you think of the old-school obsession? Too much fun, not enough function? Just the right balance of ’80s kitsch and 21st century tech? Let us know in the comments.

Source : wired.com