The idea was simply put into the “gentle shape.” The designer, Hideo Kambara, imagined just such a product. PLY is a mobile phone born of the fresh idea of multiple layering, one layer stacked upon another. Of the five layers that compose the body of this mobile phone, each layer is a different color, which, combined with an exquisite balance, achieves a single distinctive hue. The secret to this effect is contained in the plywood, which is composed of thin layers of wood glued together, and in the combination of the strength of the wood and the lateral beauty of the layering. The warm texture and naturally soft feel of the coloring imparts a unique, soft ambience to PLY. Furthermore, the mobile phone’s distinctiveness lies in the details. PLY’s original font is adopted for the key buttons and letter display in the LCD. Each time you hold it, you can sense a world of intelligence—a world of pop culture. It has a design that anyone who has glanced at it can recall right away and a light appearance that unconsciously makes you want to reach out and touch it. PLY holds the potential to completely transform the relationship between you and your mobile phone.

The concept of layering has further expanded the freedom of the mobile phone. PLY positions all of the side keys on one lateral face. You can smoothly perform daily operations with one hand using tab keys that remind one of topical folders and schedule book indices. The tab keys represent an innovation that has transformed the mobile phone into a tool that can be used even more intuitively. With the advent of PLY, the mobile phone is just setting out on its next evolutionary step!