phone designers need to start thinking about phones as fidget toys first. if you look at where people see value and innovation, it's in tangible, analogue human interface.
teenage engineering has understood this for a while. their TP-7 is a US$1500 voice recorder that has a spinny little turntable that spins while you record and play which you can interrupt to pause recording or scratch it around like a DJ. it's sensational.
this flat seamless slab of glass stuff was only impressive while touchscreens were expensive and rare. now they're literally everywhere on everything, cheaper than buttons, and feel cheaper than buttons. people are craving, and paying waaay outside the median for physical controls with feedback controlling purposeful devices.
#iphone #teenageengineering #industrialdesign