Hands off

Product group PSD Associates and Swatch have once again collaborated to create a cordless phone, the Dect 3 (digital European cordless telecommunications). This curvaceous, brightly coloured phone is an update on the previous Dect 1 and Dect 2 models, designed by PSD in 1996 and 1998, respectively. Following the current craze for candy-looking plastics, Dect 3 is made of injection moulded, translucent and opaque polycarbonate/ ABS alloy in four colourways – blueberry blue, ‘apelsin’ red, buttercup yellow and ’emeraldiño’ green, with contrasting or complementary coloured rear-face screen windows and silicon keypads. PSD also developed the colour study for the product.

The Dect phones are intended as an extension of the Swatch watch brand into the telecommunications sector. The design of Dect 3 is an evolution of the previous ones, having integrated an answering machine into the base unit. The pebble-like shape of the base aims to convey a fresh, youthful feel to the product. ‘Dect 3 has an integrated charger to allows Swatch to rationalise and simplify the product,’ says Chris Woodward, senior designer at PSD. ‘A satellite charger is available to the customer as an optional extra. The design of the base unit and the way it contains the phone has been inspired by a menu/ paper device known as ‘Page up’.’ The new range consists of two tiers of handsets – one comfort range with a full range of features (baby monitoring, voice activated dialling, three-way, phone-call facility) and a standard model.

Design: PSD Associates – Nathan Burke Steve Hughes, Dave Summerfield, Chris Woodward. Manufacturer: Swatch

Dect 3 launches in Europe at the end of April. Price from around £80

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