I first discovered phone rings in China. Phone rings are little attachments you stick to the back of your smartphone and put your finger through it to have a better grip on your phone.
They were everywhere in China.
It got me thinking about where iPhones started, and the user’s need for them as physical objects.
When iPhones were first created, they were designed so that a user could comfortably reach all corners of the screen whilst holding the phone in one hand. Since then, phones have gotten bigger and bigger. It is no longer possible to comfortably hold many smartphones with one hand whilst still feeling secure in your hand.
Some enterprising people then designed the phone ring to address users’ fear that a phone might fall out of their hands. Causing annoying and expensive damage to a prized possession.
Until four or so years ago, there was no need for the phone ring to exist.