Core77

Though we don't think about it often, cell phones are revolutionary in that 20 years ago few of us had them, and now everyone's got one. Like many products, their designs currently suffer from a "hit" mentality, where a new design becomes a must-have for an ever-shrinking amount of time; anyone remember the Razr, or the Star-TAC?

A Forbes article takes a look at different approaches to cell phone design, from Neonode--the most innovative cell manufacturer you've never heard of--to the big dogs, like Nokia with their $4 billion R&D department, and Sony-Ericsson with their "Clamshell Center of Excellence." Motorola's messing with alternative energy sources while carrier T-Mobile is looking to students at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute of Design, who are in turn "staking out their local Starbucks" in a bid to see what well-caffeinated cell users do. Click here to witness the amusing scramble of all the players trying to knock one out of the park.