Philips' Xenium K700 doesn't look much like a phone

We can't put our finger on it, but for some reason, this Xenium K700 from Philips -- rumored last month and pictured here in clean press shots for the first time -- doesn't really scream "phone" to us. PMP we could see, possibly a low-end point and shoot camera, but not so much "I'm planning on holding this to my face and talking." Maybe it's the recessed lip below the screen? Anyhow, this should be an interesting one for anybody looking to eke a month of standby out of a full touchscreen phone, and the WQVGA resolution, 3.2 megapixel cam, and dedicated GPU are all pretty nice, too. What's amazing is that the incredible power management (a Xenium hallmark) comes from a mere 1,000mAh battery, but part of the explanation comes from the weaksauce triband EDGE radio. When are you gonna do up some global HSPA phones, guys?

[Thanks, Vlad]

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2009 3:42PM]

Doesn't scream phone?
Move the button to the middle and get rid of the recess... and isn't this basically the same as an iPhone?

[SoCoolCurt Posted Sep 24th 2009 4:31PM]

it's like a iPhone, Zune, PSP mash up. with that said, it does look more PMP than phone.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2009 5:13PM]

@swilson23

What a nonsense: move the button here or there , get rid of the recess or something else and every touch screen phone, PMP, and most point and shoot will look like each other.
Most touch screen smartphones actually look like each other without moving or getting rid of anything, and it does'nt bother me much, my external hd, or my USB keys, and all laptops and LCD screens or TVs, also look the same, but they are not the same: Some are god, some are bad, a few are even excellent.
When the form of an object is functional to its uses and to the interaction with the humans who have to handle it , it is beautiful per definition.
A classical statue can be beautiful, but a telephone shaped like that very same statue would not be beautiful, because its form (most probably) would not be functional to its use.
Moreover if this phone does'nt look like a phone (or better: like every other phone) and still look decent, for me it's a very positive thing: who decided what a phone must look like?

One of the reason I love my Hero (EU version, the one with recess/chin) is because its form factor is a bit different from the rest, but if it would have looked exactly like a 4 years old HTC Touch (btw a very functional and therefore beautiful form factor) but would have had the same spec's and same functionality, I would have bought it anyway and it would be beautiful too.
I can see that quite a few new ultrathin TVs look much nicer than my old 60" Kouro but in any case I would never change it with any of them, because once its switched on my old kouro still ismore beautyful, i.e. more functional

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2009 9:20PM]

@ Plexus While I don't necessarily agree with all your points, I have pre-ordered the US Hero so we at least have that in common. I didn't mind the chin but did question the 'in-pocket-comfort' factor.

[bigboy Posted Sep 25th 2009 12:17PM]

OK WTF.... I though the thing was to be different? We are knocking this phone because it doesn't look like the other touch screens? If it turns out to be a very functional usable phone I would like it..... OK not to be a hypocrite but I need a darker color, white gets dirty to quick.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2009 4:15PM]

That's a nice screen if you ask me D: