Star Trek Communicator Phone

The Star Trek Communicator Phone is incredibly disappointing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'll buy a new cell phone the instant they make one that actually looks like a TOS communicator. This is a black square with a sticker on it.
 
Quite so...I've often wondered why someone hasn't made a great cell phone that looks exactly like the TOS communicator. It certainly would be easy enough.
 
I thought I saw some decent looking one before, but it was probably just the one from the original post, and that one's really cheaply done and poorly replicated.
 
Sorry - think I've missed something here:
Why is it trying to look like a ST:TOS communicator, and the interface is something from ST:TNG?
 
If they just had the traditional chirp or the beam me up scotty coming out instead of Worf then they might have something. Do they really have to have it as a normal cellphone shape too? What company authorized the production of this...
ChrisReid said:
... really really poor quality job.
 
I like modern Star Trek a lot more than is e-hip these days, but Paramount does have some serious problems with licensing.

They've been far too defensive about licensing errata, and it's hurt the overall perception of the brand -- ten years ago people could legitimately license Star Trek action figures, comic books, video games, etc... and now it's so unprofitable as to keep quality companies far away from the concept.
 
I don't know the exact details but I suspect the makers of this phone faced a problem. Technical and cost limitations probably prevented them from making a Star Trek Next Generation style communicator badge. The original Star Trek communicator had a smartphone friendly shape but wasn't fancy enough. Market research may also have shown that the Next Generation fanbase was substantial. So the makers may have compromised, using an original Star Trek style communicator with Next Generation design elements and character voices to go after both markets.
 
I don't think it's the LCARS that bothers me -- it's the shape. It doesn't look like a TOS communicator, it looks like a cell phone somebody painted black. I wouldn't mind the screen graphics if it meant I could have something that looked just like a TOS communicator to use as a phone.
 
Back
Top