Instant connection
Could the perfect gift for the modern married couple be this novel reminder of the value of two-way communication? It’s probably the most straightforward product I’ve ever tested for HTSI. Plug the POP phone into a USB-C port on a smartphone or other device and you can use it to make or take voice calls, retro-style. There’s nothing more to it than that – it just works. Its appeal, however, is more fascinating. “People aren’t just buying it for a joke, or to put it on a coffee table because it’s a nice object,” says Native Union co-founder Igor Duc. “Most customers are actually using it, and enjoying having a different type of conversation – one where they really focus on that conversation.”
Native Union POP phone
Price: £34.99
Duc came up with the idea in 2009 after buying an old telephone at a flea market and wiring the handset to a 3.5mm headphone jack. An acquaintance asked to use it to make calls on his Blackberry, and loved it; shortly afterwards the two men would form a company to put the device into production. “It went crazy,” says Duc. “We sold three million pieces in two years.” Production eventually wound down (“there were more counterfeits out there than real ones”), but last year Duc’s team suggested that it should be given a second life. “People are looking to reconnect with the past – vinyl, Polaroids, wired headphones, mechanical keyboards and so on,” he says. “Kids have seen this kind of handset in films, but never used one. So we redesigned it, re-engineered the electronics and gave it a USB-C plug.”
