The New Cobalto Transparent Mobile Phone

These days, Science Fiction is no longer science fiction – it has been transformed into reality. Imagine watching those early James Bond movies and marveling at those gadgets; Those very similar gadgets are now part of our day-to-day lives. One such very popular device is the mobile phone. There was a time when one household had one telephone connection. In today’s times every member of the family has one phone of his or her; in fact in many cases the number of mobile phones in a house outnumber the number of family members. The world has shrunk beyond imagination. Moreover, with video calling now it is even possible to see the caller on the other side of the line.



Let us take things a little further. Take for instance the gadgets used in the movie Minority Report starring Tom Cruise. Though still a part of fiction it won’t be long before it creeps in to the real world – the possibility of seeing a 3D image of the person on the other side of the line. This could soon be made possible if the ‘Cobalto’ concept is given shape.
The Cobalto is an idea by Mac Funamizu of a mobile phone produced using the most translucent or transparent materials possible. Made with ‘deformable’ metal it could either use the touch screen feature or the usual number buttons. However the most interesting and exciting feature is the concept of having pictures popping up from the phone to form a 3D image. Imagine talking to a dear friend miles away and yet being able to see him/her right in front of you.


Close on the heels of the Cobalto is the Zafiro. Once again making use of a transparent material and ‘deformable’ metal the Zafiro is a desktop PC made of glass with a round rim. Transparent disks can be inserted on the screen similarly as it was made to appear in the 2002 Hollywood film Minority Report. Another fascinating thing to be noticed in the PC is the keys that get flattened when not in use. This again, is a concept yet to be explored further but we can never challenge the possibilities of technology. One fine day we might ‘feel’ the Zafiro taking concrete shape.


When producing science fiction movies decades ago all the gadgets imagined then must have given the illusion of a fantasy, but now the line between fantasy and reality has almost been erased. Times are changing and the unimaginable is now very much within reach.