Fujitsu today unveiled a concept phone they have been working on with DoCoMo called the “Separate Keitai”. The phone can be split into two parts, allowing the screen to be held in one hand and the keyboard in the other. The separating magnetic hinge allows for greater flexibility such as being able to take a call on the keyboard half while looking something up on the screen half.

The concept is on display at the 2008 CEATEC Conference in Japan which began today. The Separate Keitai’s hinge is a simple magnet that can be pulled apart with gentle force. All communication between the two modules is handled wirelessly over Bluetooth. See video below for the magnets in action.

The two pieces can be joined on their ends – much like a traditional clamshell, or they can be joined on their sides for typing or gaming applications. The screen features all the software and video functions, while the keyboard half houses the communications gear like network connectivity and radio functions.

I think this is brilliant thinking on the part of Fujitsu and DoCoMo. There have been so many occasions where I’ve been talking on my phone and need a piece of information like a number, but can’t get to it without first ending the call. Quite simple to message the information after the call, but not very efficient is it? This break-away concept could trigger a whole new way of thinking about how we interact with our phones. The next killer-feature might be true “mobile-multitasking”.

Sources:
Akihabara and TechOn