Core77

The BiasharaPhone: a hybrid mobile phone and POS terminal

By Niti Bhan - December 18, 2007

in Object Culture | Design Business

Sure, its not the snazziest looking mobile phone on the market but its unique. Its a mobile phone and a Point of Sale terminal that accepts credit and debit card payments - not for airtime minutes but regular payments to a merchant. Its been launched in Kenya and meant for 'on the go' merchants like taxi drivers, salesmen etc to accept credit card payments for their business. From the news article,

In its ability to transform and become anything - is there any stopping the mobile phone? "Not yet," said Tomi Paastila, a man who has designed mobile phones for a leading manufacturer during the most dynamic years in its history."This gadget has metamorphosed into almost anything we can want it to be. There truly is no stopping the mobile phone."

First, the mobile phone became your camera. Then, it was your music player and radio. It's currently considering posing a serious threat by becoming your television.

Now, it wants to pay your bills too.

o

Favorite This
Q
6

Comment

Comments

sivan

17 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I'm looking for a device like the Biashara and couldn't find it n the Siemens website. Where in the US can I get this device?
!Report as spam
Makalo

17 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Now in the end there wont be a need to carry cash around..Life is really good with technology!
!Report as spam
jak

17 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Why would they need a second, almost identical keypad for it to do POS? Can't the phone keypad convert functions like it would for a calculator function? At least one Nextel phone does POS fine with the card swipe and their stock keypad. Seems like very inefficient design.
!Report as spam
mckenzee

17 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

PayPal needs to licence these for Cons and flea markets.
!Report as spam
Frequenter of Taxi's

17 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

most taxi's i've been in include a cell phone jabbering driver...do they really want to get off the phone to swipe your card or can they have bluetooth going and allow you to pay via credit simultaneously?
!Report as spam
Prof Prague

17 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

This is a perfect example of social design. This product is going to help people in depressed regions of the world (Africa) to more easily earn revenue. The more people with access to easy money the better. Hopefully the success of some will lead to the success of the majority. This product will help them achieve this scenario
!Report as spam