Earlier this week, TikTok user CatGPT posted a video of a woman in line at a store seemingly scrolling on a completely transparent phone. The caption reads “I'm sorry, WTF IS THAT???” Check it out:
The video quickly took off, with over 52 million people having viewed it on TikTok in only four days.
So WTF is it? A techie casually breaking an NDA by openly rocking a prototype transparent phone? The new “Plex from Nokia” (as the top comment suggests)? A casual time-traveler caught in the act?
The real story behind the “transparent phone”
Sorry, it's none of the above. It's exactly what it looks like: a transparent piece of acrylic shaped like a phone. Specifically, it's a “Methaphone.” The idea is that people who are dependent upon their devices might be placated by a phone-like slab.
“If we're all so addicted to our phones,” CatGPT says in a follow-up video, “then could you potentially curb somebody's addiction by replacing the feeling of having a phone in your pocket with something that feels exactly the same?”
If you're thinking, “well, no,” you're not alone. The general consensus is “this is dumb,” and CatGPT herself confirms in her video: “Have I used my phone less in the entire week I've been carrying this around? Probably not.”
She goes on to say it's empowering anyway, and that the device is currently sold out. If you want your own Methaphone for some reason, here's the link,
What do you think so far?
Will we ever have real transparent phones?
Although CatGPT categorizes the views on her video as evidence that people feel alienated by their devices, I think the real reason it went viral is that people think a transparent phone would be pretty cool. It would have some interesting uses too, particularly in terms of augmented reality, but clear phones seem unlikely to be a thing any time soon.
You can buy a transparent television already. The last CES featured more than one transparent display screen. Transparent batteries exist. Samsung has been registering patents related to transparent phones for at least the last decade. But bringing a transparent phone to market would mean making all the components transparent, which is probably impossible, and if it isn't, it would be very expensive: That glass TV is $60,000.
Also, you'd lose it the first day and never find it again.
How to replace your cellphone without paying $25
If you're intrigued by the idea of replacing your handset with something that's like a handset, here are a few suggestions that are better than a Methaphone:
-
An old cellphone: I'm sure you have some older handsets in your house that are permanently dark. Just carry that with you.
-
A battery: Many charging batteries are roughly the size of a phone, and you can use them to charge your phone when you're done pretending you don't care about your phone.
-
A notebook: When paired with a pen, a small notebook can be used for writing and drawing.
-
A deck of cards: Unlike a Methaphone, cards have games built-in, both solo and multiplayer, and even have a built-in photo on the front.
