The instantly recognisable rotary telephone has had a makeover for the 21st century
SagemCom's Sixty phone is a new take on a design classic
The classic rotary dial telephone has been given a makeover for the digital age. Gone is the coiled cable that was attached to the design that the Post Office distributed to customers around the country, although SagemCom’s reinterpretation is an otherwise affectionate tribute.
The original rotary dial telephones went through a number of incarnations after their introduction in the Thirties, but the design that became most famous was introduced in 1959. It was in part a response to public desire for a telephone similar to those seen in American films.
SagemCom’s new version is called the Sixty, and the company has replaced the traditional central dial where users could fill in their phone number with a touchscreen. Produced in lurid orange, it offers 10 hours of talk time. The design replaces the solid structure of the original with a single piece of plastic that is apparently folded in half to replicate the recognisable shape. Despite being significantly smaller and lighter, it also however includes an answering machine capable of storing 20 minutes of messages.
When distributed by the Post Office, original British telephones often came included in the cost of connection. The Sixty, however, will cost £99.99 when it is available from June.
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