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What? No I can’t hear you very well, there’s people here rustling crisp packets. What’s that? Future phones could use your face as an amplifier? Clever stuff!
Japanese tech giant and phone manufacturer Kyocera is showing off a new technology that vibrates the bones and flesh of your head to make a call sound crystal clear.
Current phones have a small speaker which is aimed at your ear and pipes the noise of the caller’s speech directly into your lughole. Kyocera’s idea is to make the screen of the phone vibrate, sending sound waves into the tissue of your face. It’s called tissue conduction and it’s a derivative of bone conduction, which was developed to help people with hearing difficulties.
Engadget reports that phones equipped with tissue conduction do sound noticeably better, even in noisy environments — and without creating a noticeable vibrating sensation in your face.
Gorgeous call quality would certainly be some comfort for those of us of the jowlier persuasion. I’ve fallen off the exercise plan a bit lately, so while I’m out shopping for new trousers in the oversized section at least I’ll be able to hear phone calls clearly. I’m assuming call quality is directly linked to the amount of tissue that can be set all a-quiver — in which case, after the number of pies I’ve been through lately it’ll be like having the caller standing right next to me.
Other future phone tech includes wireless charging, which offers the prospect of juicing your phone just by dumping it on a coffee table or in the glovebox of your car.
Is this cheeky idea well fleshed-out or just bone-headed? Throw me a bone in the comments or on our Facebook page.
