Yesterday in Los Angeles, California, ROK Mobile International (ROK) and Human Health Organization (H2O) have announced their newfound partnership. The two companies have decided to join forces in order to create a new smartphone that would go along with ROK’s unique mobile services, and interestingly enough the handset will be built using NASA technologies designed “to improve the well-being of cellular users”.
According to the official press release, the smartphone created by ROK and H2O is part of a new family of devices called the ROKiT Series. So far the first and only smartphone from the series to be mentioned in the press release is the ROKiT 1 (or ROKiT ONE judging by the logo), which is described as the “world’s first low radiation smartphone”. There’s a good reason for this, and that is because the smartphone will make use of electromagnetic radiation shielding material originally developed by NASA for space applications. The idea behind using these types of materials in the smartphone’s construction is to “minimize potentially dangerous radiation exposure that recent studies indicate may cause harmful lasting effects”. The press release calls the ROKiT Series “a revolutionary new smartphone ecosystem that will redefine the mobile experience”, and both ROK and H2O believe that they can utilize NASA’s technologies “to truly impact” the large majority of cellular users. As expected, the smartphone will be available along with ROK Mobile’s unique services for talk, text, and 4G LTE data, which include life and burial insurance, roadside assistance, and telemedicine services. “We are entering the convergence of devices, services, and big data. Now we can finally protect and connect” said ROK Co-Founder Jonathan Kendrick, adding that “Networked together, these technologies can effortlessly manage our health, communication, transportation, entertainment, and recreation, everyone should have access to this resource”.
Unfortunately, as yet there’s no information to go by in regards to the smartphone’s hardware specifications, so it remains to be seen which market segment the device will fit in. Judging by the press image, the handset seems to borrow a few design cues from Samsung’s Galaxy S Edge series, including the metal frame surrounding it. Pricing details are missing as well, but the official press release does mention that ROK will launch the ROKiT 1 nationwide across its entire network of 15,000 retail locations.