The Birth of John’s Phone.

In 2005 John Doe Amsterdam launched the brand From The Supermarket. From The Supermarket is a no-nonsense brand, it doesn’t pretend to be anything more: it’s a good and honest product packed in a stylish and contemporary design. The attractiveness of the products is based on their quality and fresh appearance.
The first of a range of products was Water From The Supermarket; it enjoyed national and international popularity.

Soon we extending with new products like T-shirt From The Supermarket, Juice From The Supermarket all had the same promise: back to the basics.

The From The Supermarket products got the ball rolling. We thought, you know what, let’s challenge ourselves. Let’s make the most basic phone ever.

We have many years of experience working for telecom companies. Our strengths, our skills, our experience and our unique perspective will see us through this challenge.

We’ve always wondered why most affordable phone looks so dull and boring.
All cell phones are great high-tech product we like to use every day. Why not spend more time in designing. It’s the things we don’t see that are the most essential to creating a great design. A great design is a present.Why not make yourself happy with a present everyday in your pocket.

When we started designing our phone the smart phone market grew impressive. Mobile phones are more than just convenient communication tools: They allow you to sync with the calendar on your PC, dial a number by the sound of your voice, look up breaking news on the Internet, take photos, play games, send text messages, listen to music, and more.

The first design did not have a display for energy reasons.

A sample of our design from 2005. Phone without display but with led lights.

But not everybody wants to be in contact all the time. And sifting through the sea of features and cool extra aspects can be difficult to just do what you want do with a phone to make a call. For those needing a break break from today’s technology , John’s Phone is  ideal. True, you won’t get your email or text messages, you won’t be able to find out where you are, there is no gps, or play the latest games… but you know what? It feels good to go without sometimes.

John’s Phone in museum.

John’s Phone in Museum of Ideas and Inventions in Barcelona. miBa, the Museum of ideas and inventions of Barcelona miBa, which opened last week, was a great success. miBa is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds, and provides great ideas. This innovative scenario was born by the hand of the media inventor Pep Torres. Pep is like the Lady Gaga of the idea world: a constant wave of ideas and energy who is nearly impossible to ignore. Pep immediately felt in love with the invention of John’s Phone. At the opening Pep and Hein Mevissen, the inventor of John’s Phone, were interviewed together for several TV broadcasters and radio. John’s phone is part of the permanent collections of the museum and is also for sale in the shop at miBa. MiBa is located at the centric street of Barcelona, Ciutat nº7, near the famous Plaça Sant Jaume.

John's Phone on display in MIBA exhibition.

Pep Torres (Director of MIBA) and Hein Mevissen (Inventor John's Phone) talk to the Spanish tv.

Diederiekje Bok (Inventor John's Phone) interviewed by Spanish tv.

The opening of the exhibition in the MIBA.

John’s Phone in the US

Hurray, John’s Phone goes to the USA.

John’s Phone will be available for purchase starting March 1, 2011 in the US. We will announce the price on this launch date.

12 of the Year’s Best Ideas in Interface Design.

John’s Phone made it to Fast Company’s Co.Design list of best ideas in Interface.

Suzanne Labarre (Fast Company):
‘John Doe Amsterdam, the designers of John’s Phone, take the opposite, less-is-more approach to phones. To that end, their cell device — which they bill as “the world’s simplest” — does just two things: It takes and receives calls anywhere around the globe. Nothing else. The idea here is to do away with all the useless special features that make cell technology wasteful and inaccessible to many users. Appropriately, the interface is stripped down to its most basic parts — an oversized number pad and graphic call and hangup keys that even a toddler could figure out.’

Read full article here: Fast Company

John’s Christmas wallpapers for you.

As always we like to give all the iPhone users longing for a John’s Phone a gift. This time a few Retina wallpapers for all the iPhone 4 users. So you still have a little John’s Phone on your home screen. Don’t forget to move a few icons on your homescreen so it is visible.

Merry christmas.

For more updates follow the designers of John’s Phone on Twitter: @johndoeams

John's Phone / John Doe Amsterdam 2010 © | Designed by Hein Mevissen

John’s Phone / John
Doe amsterdam 2010 © | Designed by Hein Mevissen

John’s Phone / John Doe amsterdam 2010 © |
Designed by Hein Mevissen

John’s Phone / John Doe Amsterdam 2010 © |
Designed by Hein Mevissen

John’s Phone / John Doe amsterdam 2010 © |
Designed by Hein Mevissen

John’s Phone / John Doe amsterdam 2010 © |
Designed by Hein Mevissen

John’s Phone / John Doe Amsterdam 2010 © |
Designed by Hein Mevissen

The unboxing video of this week.

It’s an emotional unboxing video this time;-)

A great review of John’s Phone.

What else is there to say?

Some presents for iPhone users…

It seems that a lot of  iPhone users secretly long for a John’s Phone. To make the process of switching to John’s phone easier we’d like to give those iPhone users some John’s wallpapers to get used to the idea of having a John’s phone. Or as we always say: ‘Buy your second Phone first’.

Enjoy;-)

The launch of the Golden John’s.

Today  is the day John’s launches it’s Golden Phone.

This limited edition is available through our webstore and at department store de Bijenkorf. Tonight between 6 and 7 there will be a launch in de Bijenkorf on the 3th floor. Everybody is welcome to attend. From 7 this limited Golden John’s phone will be available for purchase in the store.

Some photos of the launch:

Win a Golden John’s Phone.

The Golden John’s Phone is special designed by John Doe Amsterdam for all your golden moments. The Golden John’s Phone is good for unexpected celebration moments to wish good fortune, wisdom, and a successful future. To have a Golden John’s Phone is the best guarantee for a bright future.

You can be the lucky one and become one of the first callers with the limited edition Golden John’s Phone. Just take part in this contest:

Win a Golden John’s Phone.
How to win the golden John’s:

1. Follow @johndoeams and send this tweet from your Twitter account:

I WANNA HAVE A GOLDEN JOHN’S PHONE.
See it here: www.johnsphones.wordpress.com
#goldenphone #johndoeams

2. Retweet this message from @johndoeams.

3. Do both; tweet and retweet. (option 1 and 2) but you have to follow @johndoeams in order to win.

But remember there are only 10 winners and if you are not one of them don’t be sad you can still have a Golden John’s Phone later. Buy one and it’s yours! Good to remember it is not important how you become a winner, but how you get a Golden John’s Phone.

Or (NEW):

4. Tweet an original message about John’s Phone and hashtag it with: #goldenphone #johndoeamsterdam

Other requirements for this contest.

You must send the tweet from an account that is not protected. If we can’t see the tweet because it is deleted or protected, you can’t win.

The winners will be announced weekly on Twitter by @johndoeams. So every week 1 or 2 winners.

The exact date of the contest will be announced on Twitter by @johndoeams.

So start following John doe Amsterdam to win the Golden John’s Phone.

Maybe you will get lucky.

UPDATE [27th Oct]:
Friday 29, we announce the first winner of one of the 10 golden John’s Phones on Twitter.
Stay Tuned.

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UPDATE [30th Oct]:
First winner of the first Golden John’s phone is announced on Twitter. 9 more phones to go. NOTE! Twitter message will change next week!

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UPDATE [Nov. 4]:
Two more winnersof the Golden John’s phone announced on Twitter. 7 more phones to go.
NOTE! NEW EXTRA RULE ADDED!

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UPDATE [Nov. 15]:
3 more golden phones to win! Be original…

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COMPETITION IS CLOSED. WE’VE GOT 10 WINNERS OF A GOLDEN JOHN’S PHONE. THANK YOU ALL AND SAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT COMPETITION.

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John's golden phone is about the color gold and not the metal. John's Phone is designed by John Doe Amsterdam and assembled in China. Copyright John’s Phone. A trade name of Phone from the Supermarket BV.