The phone booths were always there when we needed them, but we have turned our backs on them. Now they want to reclaim the streets.
If CDs or vinyl are back… why can’t phone booths do it? In the largest city in China, Shanghaithey have begun to install smart phone booths. And they have not forgotten to include andl old landline phone with metal cable. Mythical!
It is true that telephone booths, as a device for making telephone calls, are no longer useful. but they can offer new services that adapt to modern lifeas shown by the new smart phone booths developed by 100Architects, which are already being installed in Shanghai, China,
As we have mentioned, they include the classic landline With cable, which is also fully operational. In fact it offers 3 minutes of free calls, to all users. You can see it in the opening video of the news.
The telephone booths of the 21st century
Are shanghai smart cabinsits official name, have solar panels that are capable of covering all energy needs, in the summer months.
they also have a panic button to ask for helpand a camera “for seniors”, with facial recognition, to identify them if they do not remember their name, or call because they are lost, or do not know how to return home. It is a frequent problem in a city of 26 million inhabitants like Shanghai.
100Architects
The cabin is equipped with free WiFi, and works like a 5G antenna to amplify the signal. It does not accept coins, since all services are activated with the NFC of the mobile.
A large touch screen allows access to interactive city mapsas well as different taxi services, food, and others. There are also advertising and information screens outside, to make the device profitable.
It also has wireless mobile chargersas well as a “selfie wall” where users stick their faces in a circle with different objects, such as headphones or glasses, to take funny photos.
Those look like interesting functions, especially all the ones that reference citizen security and care for the elderly: the panic button, the 3 minutes of free calls, the camera with facial identification to recognize disoriented people, etc.
Are smart phone booths they are already being installed in Shanghai, although we doubt they will be profitable. But they have practical functions, and the simple use as 5G amplifier antennacan justify its installation in other cities.