In the interest of automoblie safey, hands-free devices are a critical innovation. Unfortunately, I keep losing mine, or breaking it, or getting it hopelessly tangled, or accidently removing it from my car and forgetting to return it. Why not have a retractable hands-free device built into the phone? It shouldn't have to be too large; a little disk with a spring to wind it back, or even with a manual wind, would work just fine. A little switch or a button on the side would enable the user to switch between hands-free and normal modes.
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If you have a Bluetooth phone, you can get wireless headsets.
You can also get hands-free systems you install as part of the vehicle (with various states of complexity).
A retratibla corded ear/mouthpiece is doable though.
I think this is an excellent idea for safety, the wireless connection is probably superior and will end up being the method for the attachments, but until then the retractable method should be standard. And for the wireless method the item should "store" with the phone, so you don't leave it behind or lose it or can't find it.
Rather than the lead of the device being retractable, it would be cheaper and less bulky to construct the lead such that it could attach to itself. This would allow it to be quickly coiled or bunched up without the need for tying it off. Refer to idea Tangle Free Cords.
I like this idea as well, and I must admit to having thought of it myself and even suggesting it to Vodafone when I did consulting work for them.
I have used a bluetooth-attached hands-free device, and it did eliminate the wire tangle and worked OK. But your idea also addresses the problem of not remembering to bring the earpiece along with you.
What about building the retractable earpiece into the car charger? Snapping on the charger would also make the earpiece connection. Or it could connect to a charging cradle.
I say that the wristwatch should only have the caller ID and minimum hard buttons (the ignore/snooze-answer buttons, arrows to navigate through a phone book...)The snooze-answer button is another igenius idea that came to me. It makes your phone ring an extra number of times, so that your answering system doesn't pick up. That way you can give yourself an extra 30 seconds to prepare to answer (to dry your wet hands, or to go to another room, etc.)
Obviously bluetooth will communicate through all your cell communication components. You can replace/upgrade them as needed.
The actual phone with the battery should be your belt or maybe some holster-type set-up. Then, very importantly, the belt should also have a snap-in head-set. It fits flush into the buckly or where ever seems convenient.
When you get a call, you feel the vibration/hear the ringer. You look at your watch to see who's calling (I usually screen most calls). If you want to ignore, you press the button on your wristwatch. You also could hit the snooze button, and turn down the volume of the car stereo. If you choose to answer, then you pull out of your belt the headset, and press the answer button which is on all bluetooth headsets.What do you think about that idea?
For a marketing class project, our prof. asked us to come up with a "why not" idea, centered on some sort of handheld device. This is exactly the idea I thought of. I have a bluetooth earpiece and a couple plug-in earpieces for my phone but I usually have none with me. And even though I have bluetooth in my car, there are times when I'm out of the car that I would like to switch over to hands-free quickly, and this would solve that problem.
I forgot to add, there is already a patent for this, but it seems too simple to patent.