As I now know, the winding road to starting a family makes many stops at Ikea. Not for the meatballs, but for the functional furniture that doesn’t burn a hole in your wallet. Ikea sells more than cheap chairs and sofas. Wireless speakers and smart home kits are now part of the company’s growing technology portfolio, and I wonder what will come next.

What if Ikea made a phone? On a scale of one to Järvfjället, how crazy does that sound? I’m not imagining an iPhone killer, but a good, affordable phone. A phone developed jointly with an experienced partner like HMD/Nokia could be a hit with a niche audience and reflect Ikea’s values ​​brightly.

Ikea is more than a furniture company

Using modern technology to become a lifestyle brand

What is Ikea anyway? Of course, it’s the world’s largest furniture retailer, but a transition to something bigger could be underway. Since 2018, the company has been breaking new ground with new product lines, including:

• Frekvens: A crazy range of speakers developed together with Teenage Engineering.
• Symfonisk: A range of home speakers produced in collaboration with Sonos.
• Smart home devices: LED lights, sockets and curtains.

These products are far from typical for the brand. Nevertheless, they make sense in an increasingly connected world and have been generally well received. No less importantly, they show that Ikea wants more technology in its stores. The company can deliver while staying true to its design language.

A hypothetical Ikea phone might be more complex than an LED lightbulb, but it wouldn’t be a rival to the iPhone. That wouldn’t be consistent with Ikea’s mission to make products that everyone can afford. A simple phone, on the other hand, is, and demand for it remains stable.

What would an Ikea phone look like?

And do you have to assemble it yourself?

Source: Light

Smartphones aren’t going away anytime soon, but the downsides of constantly having to stare at a screen are starting to show. That’s why there’s now a word called “doomscrolling” and your phone has a digital wellbeing page in the settings menu.

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Sometimes too much of a good thing can be distracting

Cheap, simple phones are ideal for children, seniors and anyone who needs a spare phone for vacations. However, they also seem to be good for digital detoxification, so interest in distraction-free phones is expected to remain stable.

If you want a simple phone to get away from social media, the options are neither vast nor numerous. Of course, there’s the Light Phone. It’s a compact handset with a simple camera and a minimalist interface. But at $400, it’s expensive.

If there is ever a minimalist Ikea phone, I would expect it to have a double-digit price tag, putting it in the same category as the Nokia 2780, which costs $90 at Best Buy. Perhaps Ikea’s offering would have more in common with HMD’s flip phone.

Nokia 2780 Flip

The Nokia 2780 offers a hassle-free mobile experience with its 4G LTE connectivity and is ideal for basic needs like calling and texting. Its simple functionality and limited app performance make it a good option for parents looking for a distraction-free phone.

A Nokia from Ikea

Hey, that even rhymes!

Ikea is no stranger to product partnerships, and a potential Ikea phone could be a collaboration too. HMD, the company that makes Nokias, could be the ideal partner. It has a lot of experience making affordable, simple phones.

Plus, the once-popular Nokia brand could use the attention. Putting a product on Ikea’s shelves could help. The retailer has 473 stores worldwide and enjoys billions of visitors annually. While HMD takes care of the internals, Ikea could use its design and cost-cutting expertise to produce the ultimate basic phone.

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The ultimate basic phone

With only the essentials and nothing more

I would expect a theoretical Ikea phone to be minimalist but sturdy, functional but no frills, and affordable but able to do the job. It would be better if it was easy to repair and improved Nokia’s clunky D-pad controls. Then throw in a decent flashlight (one that feels like an Android phone’s flashlight) and I’m sold.

I think the chances of seeing one are slim, but it was fun to consider the possibility. I hope you’re convinced the idea doesn’t sound as ridiculous as it did at first. It’s still ridiculous, but if Lego and Adidas could team up to make running shoes, no collaboration seems impossible. If it ever sees the light of day, I believe a collaboration between Ikea and Nokia could produce a great, simple phone, and I’d love to get one for days spent at the beach or to throw in the glove compartment of my car in case of emergency.