A perfectly round 'anti-smartphone' is coming out later this year

Later this year, a small company called Monohm will release the Runcible, the world's first perfectly round smartphone, in Japan.

But it's not just a smartphone. The company is marketing it as an "heirloom" smartphone - it even calls it an "anti-smartphone." It's meant for people who want to be more focused on their surroundings, not constantly glued to their phones as they beep and vibrate.

It's going to run the Firefox OS and will have some custom-built apps for its round screen.

The company sent along some photos of the device. As befits the company's approach, the photos are mostly in natural surroundings, and don't show much of what is going on with the screen. But it'll give you an idea of what kind of vibe Monohm is aiming for.