Runcible Is An Audacious, Circular ‘Anti Smartphone’

Runcible, a circular ‘anti-smartphone’ by Monohm is now up for pre-order. What the hell is an ‘Anti-Smartphone’ you ask? Well, it’s a device born out of intense dislike for smartphones or their overwhelming nature to be precise.

Yes, we all live in a world where we need to stay connected, but using Runcible means to stay connected on your own terms. You get to avail internet connectivity, Bluetooth and WiFi, but there are no speakers. It will never buzz or ping on you, and you will need to connect to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones if you want to make or attend calls.

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This audacious smartphone has a 2.5 inch, circular display, which makes it look more like a pocket watch. It also acts as a retro compass.

So, how tough was it for Monohm to come up with something this peculiar? Very. The journey so far has been rough.

“I think we hit probably every possible obstacle that you can hit,” Monohm co-founder and CEO Aubrey Anderson tells The Verge. “Indie hardware is really damn hard, but I think we’ve had it pretty rough even in that context.

The $399 variant will have a recycled ocean plastic rear cover and the $499 one offers “sustainably harvested”  madrone wood. Monohm wants Runcible to be extremely customizable and modular. The customers should be able to replace and update hardware on their devices, and stick with the primary unit for years to come (See, Anti-Smartphone).

When you pop the outward shell, you will find input-output end points for audio, USB host, SPI (serial peripheral interface) and UART (universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter).

Can a quotidian smartphone junkie detoxify with a Runcible? That’s easier said than done. Since it’s a circular display, the Google Play Store won’t be supported. Nor will your social media apps work. That’s not a compromise perhaps anyone, save for early adopters and tinkerers, will be willing to make.

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Monohm Runcible Specifications

In case you are interested, the pre-order window closes on June 30^th, 2016.