Japanese concept phone sports three screens

And you thought a phone with two alphabets was over the top. Here we have a somewhat mysterious concept device crafted by KDDI which features no fewer than three screens to keep your eyes (and hands) quite occupied. Reportedly, the screens would morph depending on what command your fingertips direct, but we've no idea how you'd keep all three displays from getting scratched up beyond recognition. Check out a few more glimpses after the jump.

[Via GearFuse]

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 31st 2007 3:48PM]

Talk time: 1 minute. Standby time: 2 minutes.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 31st 2007 4:07PM]

Sounds like a sweet project to me. I dont know about internal and external huge displays like that, though. Seems like the rigidity and structure of the phone would suffer. But inside, replacing a keypad with a touchscreen is ingenious. Makes a whole new door open for intuitive user input, customizable "today" screens, and all sorts of user-related goodies. Of course the drawback is going to be whoever writes the software. Even the best interfaces can be completely ruined by crappy software running it. /$.02

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 31st 2007 4:17PM]

I'm having mixed feelings.

Are so many screens really necessary?

[derX Posted Jul 31st 2007 6:45PM]

Are so many screens necessary?

C'mon we're on Engadget, since when have we been a stick-to-the-necessities type people? Is it necessary to have a 10 MP camera on a cell phone (Think: Samsung) or to have one with a pedometer (Think: Sony Ericsson and Nokia)? Answer: nope. But is it nice: hell yeah!

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The difference between a Japanese concept phone and one dreamed up else where is eventually Japanese concept phones become, you know, KDDI phones.....nice.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 1st 2007 12:03PM]

I don't think that many screens are neccessary, but I think that it would make an interesting idea for a touchscreen clamshell. I've noticed that most (if not all) touchscreen phones are candybars. I think that this would make a nice alternative (if it didn't have the 3rd screen on the outside) since the displays would remain protected when closed. Other than that, since there doesn't seem to be much information about the phone, I'm keeping my mind open about the project and hope that something good (and hopefully useful) comes out of it.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 1st 2007 11:17AM]

Kinda looks like an imitation of that iphone concept video that was floating around a long time ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K-y5MuxMbA

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 2nd 2007 8:17PM]

Looks nice. I would want one. But shouldn't the hinge be on the long side? Then we can read an ebook on both side of the screen. Just like opening a book! It also makes the implementation of the virtual-english-keyboard easier. Even not for reading/typing, at least it feels more robust this way...