Cell Phones as Henshin Trinkets
 

It's somewhat hard to find a Kamen Rider series where there isn't some kind of cell phone accessory, be it a Stag Phone, Faiz Phone or the cellphones that every seemed to use to check the news in Ryuki. But as we're moving forward with technology, the traditional chunky flip-phone design that we're so used to seeing is being phased out by slim, slick, touchscreen-based bodies. Now, seeing Fourze flip out his N/S Magphone or Captain Marvelous flip open his Mobirates to answer a call is comical. Point is, it's not gonna be long before kids will have no idea why their favorite superheroes are answering calls on two-part colorful swivel bricks.
Question is, what do you think Toei is going to do to about this change? Will they replace the ever-popular cellphone as a henshin trinket with more gimmicks like Medals and Switches? Will they adopt the newer style of cellphone which is becoming prevalent, with touchscreen items like the K-Touch? Or will they pull a classic Toei and continue using traditional cellphone designs like the N/S Magphone?

These are the questions that define who we are.

I think it comes down to how far they're willing to take their toys.
A touch screen toy has 2 options, really. An actual touch screen to closer match a show item (And be more expensive) or a flat surface with obvious buttons that wouldn't look very good.

Also, I think the flip phone is used more because it's more aesthetically interesting. A rider pulling out a black square, tapping the screen, and putting it in their back pocket just doesn't hold the gravitas of Fourze's "SPLIT AND INSERT!" with the magphone or Stag Trigger Maximum Drive.

They could make special smart phone apps to match the show.

This is what I think too.

They give a new Rider an iPhone looking thing, where each app does something to give him power. Or call some weapon. And they give people real apps that match what's in the show. Wouldn't take much, and it's excellent marketing.

they could just do wat they did with k touch even further, u could have a touchpad, and u get new powers by using another slip and then typing in a code, and the phone would know which slip is which using the ryuki method of holes at the top of the card

I hope we don't see any more cell phone devices for Kamen Rider. It's bad enough that they've become the standard for Sentai. For Rider, just leave it at Faiz (where it works) and Fourze (where it kinda works).

Yes: but you need to take into account how tech-obsessed Japan is. And how much everyone there uses cell phones.

OOO I think was cell phone free...and you would have to shoe horn it into the Wizard theme it seems...
But a cell is also easy to sell as a role play toy...

ankhs iphone

Well, you have to remember things like the K-Taros. If anything, Climax form should have been triggered by a watch, considering the time theme, but Toei just seems to love their cell phones.

he had a smart phone yes...but it wasn't randomly used as an accessory like the beetle phone in W

well he used ryuki everyone using one to look at the news so i thought it counted.



plus that one time ankh henshined with it.

Asthetic appeal is the answer you are looking for, hell, even with cell phones proper in Wizard they are stupid flip phones. Although, if someond remakes Faiz, I'd love to see how they do the smartphone aspect of the belt.

I think the flip-phone thing has something to do with the popularity of flip-phones in Japan. I'm not an expert, but I did read one of the "Did You Know?" facts in one of ZeronXepher's reviews that stated that they are still popular in Japan.

Personally, I like the flip-phone Henshin Trinkets. They just feel… efficient. Also, they'd make for a great conversation stopper.

"My Appledroid can do 245,354 things at once and makes free calls to Kazakhstan."

"My Andr has a copious amount of apps I don't need."

"My flip-phone turns me into a superhero."

Not to mention Japan is more low-tech than you'd expect. What with their still using fax machines and such.

Japan is still it's one country with it's own culture and customs. If they want to use flip phones to make superheroes, they can and most likely will.

Make the next rider iphone hero, drawing power from apps with limited batteries and a guy to create the apps :lol

And then give him no upgrades without having to purchase an entirely new phone.

I hate phones as transformation devices. It's so unimpressive. With the more abstract drivers you get the idea that it's either mystical technology or super-advanced technology. The W driver being greebly and technical like it's unfinished, experimental technology. Fourze's driver being a miniature control panel with switches and levers all over like you really need to know how to use it. The OOO driver is not even really comparable and looks like something unknown and advanced. Phones are just phones. They may secretly hide power or whatever, but they look like phones. And it's lame. Phones are used to talk to other people and text our homies all up in this.

A phone should be a tool, not the key to a rider's power. Stag phone is about as far as I want transforming phones in KR or any Toku. Just keep them as accesories.