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Brick concept phone: Cool idea, horrible name

Designers Shaocheng Huang and Yuyin Huang imagine a transparent phone that can translate, magnify, and much more, but might we suggest changing the name?

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Bonnie Cha Former Editor
Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
Bonnie Cha
Yanko Design

We love our concept phones here at Crave, and you can now add the stunning Brick concept to that list.

Created by designers Shaocheng Huang and Yuyin Huang, the Brick's main attraction is a large transparent display that acts as the gateway to the phone's many functions. This includes some things we can already do on today's smartphones, such as taking pictures and connecting wirelessly to TVs, as well as some new ideas.

In the video below, you can see how Huang and Huang imagine using the Brick as a magnifying glass, and my favorite, as a translation tool.

Much like Samsung's see-through tablet concept, the Brick looks like it has a ways to go before it becomes a reality. However, if it ever does, might we offer one tiny suggestion to the designers? Change the name.

Given that in some parts of the world, including the U.S., having a bricked phone means having a non-working phone, some customers might not be too keen on picking one up. Also, when someone asks you what kind of phone you have, I'm pretty sure answering "a brick" will elicit more laughter than admiration.

Do you guys have any better ideas for names?

(Via Ubergizmo)