Neonode launches touch screen phone at 3GSM
Neonode N2
(Credit: Neonode)We still haven't bought into Steve Jobs' "buttons are bad on cell phone" theory, but other manufacturers seem to agree, as Apple's iPhone is far from the only handset with a screen-only interface. In fact, Neonode claims in a press release that Apple is following its lead in creating a button-lacking phone. The Swedish company is showing one of its newest models, the Neonode N2, at 3GSM in Barcelona. The petite (and admittedly cute) handset features onscreen navigation controls and an onscreen keypad. Sweeping your finger across the 65,000-color display opens menus, activates applications, and accepts or rejects calls. We won't begin to explain how it works, but according to the company the N2 uses a grid of invisible light beams that detects your finger's position on the screen.
Features include Bluetooth, USB compatibility, messaging, a 2-megapixel camera, a MiniSD card slot and an MP3 player. The N2 also is a quad-band GSM world phone, so while it will work in the United States, we're not confident that it will land at a U.S. carrier. The N2 has an open-software platform that encourages users to add and develop their own software. As we all know, U.S. carriers aren't big fans of customer choice. We're not sure about pricing but it comes in black, silver, and pink.
Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not testing the newest handsets on the market, he's blogging about cell phone news for Crave. In his On Call column, he answers reader questions and gives his take on the rapidly changing mobile industry. E-mail Kent. 
