smartphone sizes seem to be on the rise as of late. they continue to grow physically, as their stimulations grow in significance to modern life. but is this growth intrusive? some would suggest that these big screens are interfering with our ability to live healthy lifestyles.

minima
images © pierrick romeuf 

 

 

french designer pierrick romeuf asks the timeless question for smart phone designers — does size really matter? perhaps a phone doesn’t require such a large part of our attention, nor such a large amount of space in our pockets. romeuf designed ‘minima’. as the name suggests, it’s a miniature smart phone that makes the nokia look cumbersome. it has a screen size of just 3 inches and rethinks a smartphone’s use — yet, the size isn’t just symbolic. ‘minima’ is too small for netflix binging, or obsessive social media scrolling. the smartphone becomes a tool for the user, rather than a portal to a virtual reality or a detrimental distraction. 

minima

 

 

the phone’s discreet minimalist design makes it an effective communication tool in 2018 and perhaps marks a trend for the next decade. minima works with a hybrid OS, a mix between a smartwatch OS and a smartphone OS in order to fit any apps available on the market, thanks to its 18:9 ratio screen. it reintroduces buttons as part of its intention to turn the phone back into a tool. there are three buttons on the side of the design, each representing an essential function (back, home and camera). on this platform, you’re not required to do any fancy tricks or navigations, it simply requires a click of the button. we’ll see if romeuf’s design comes to fruition.  

minima

minima

minima

minima

minima

minima

minima

minima

rob reuland I designboom
jun 08, 2018

have something to add? share your thoughts in our comments section below.

comments policy
LOG IN
designboom's comment policy guidelines
generally speaking, if we publish something, it's because we're genuinely interested in the subject. we hope you'll share this interest and if you know even more about it, please share! our goal in the discussion threads is to have good conversation and we prefer constructive opinions. we and our readers have fun with entertaining ones. designboom welcomes alerts about typos, incorrect names, and the like.
the correction is at the discretion of the post editor and may not happen immediately.

what if you disagree with what we or another commenter has to say?
let's hear it! but please understand that offensive, inappropriate, or just plain annoying comments may be deleted or shortened.

- please do not make racist, sexist, anti-semitic, homophobic or otherwise offensive comments.
- please don't personally insult the writers or your fellow commenters.
- please avoid using offensive words, replacing a few letters with asterisks is not a valid workaround.
- please don't include your website or e-mail address in your comments for the purpose of self-promotion.
- please respect jury verdicts and do not discuss offensively on the competition results
(there is only one fist prize, and designboom usually asks renown professionals to help us to promote talent.
in addition to the awarded designs, we do feel that almost all deserve our attention, that is why we publish
the best 100-200 entries too.)

a link is allowed in comments as long as they add value in the form of information, images, humor, etc. (links to the front page of your personal blog or website are not okay). unwelcome links (to commercial products or services of others, offensive material etc. ) will be redacted. and, ... yes, spam gets banned. no, we do not post fake comments.

forgot password

(196 articles)

PRODUCT LIBRARY

a diverse digital database that acts as a valuable guide in gaining insight and information about a product directly from the manufacturer, and serves as a rich reference point in developing a project or scheme.

technology news

all technology news