It's bad enough that American handsets lag behind their overseas counterparts when it comes to technology, but now Softband and TV Tokyo have introduced a mobile phone that puts the US to shame when it comes to sheer geeky fun, too. The Toshiba-made SoftBank 815T PB is a mobile phone that transforms into a robot, Transformers-style.
According to Akihaabara News, the phone is part of a new Japanese TV show for teens, "Ketai Sousakan 7," and actually comes as a handset and separate glue-on robot kit. The phone is capable of displaying multiple expressions on its display in robot mode, and also features something called Buddy Talk that allows "owners to converse" with the handset, according to I4U News.
Admittedly I've never been a big Transformers fan, but the 815T PB makes one thing crystal clear (as if it weren't already): Japan owns the world when it comes to cool, weird artifacts of pop culture.
Check out Akihabara News' photo gallery of the SoftBank 815T PB Robot cellphone.
And read more about the phone on I4 U News.