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New transparent mobile phone
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Every now and again, TikTok serves up a mystery so bizarre, so inexplicable, it sends the internet spiralling into a collective obsession. Some clips simply demand answers — and this is one of them.
A recent viral video, which has now racked up a staggering 52 million views, shows a woman calmly swiping through what appears to be… an invisible phone. Or, more accurately, a clear, glass-like device that looks straight out of a sci-fi film.
The on-screen caption summed up what everyone was thinking: "I’m sorry, wtf is that???"
Inevitably, confusion took over the comments.
Some users were convinced it was a top-secret Nokia concept. Others joked she was clearly "on a mission from the future," while one person summed it up perfectly: "Losing that would be a nightmare to find."
But now, the truth is finally out.
The TikToker behind the viral moment, @askcatgpt, has broken her silence and revealed exactly what the mystery ‘device’ really was —and it might not be what you expect.
@askcatgpt Completely clear phone spotted in San Francisco on May 14…?!? Wtf?????? 🤭🤫 Link in bio for more deets. (NOT SPONSORED)
In a clip titled 'The true story behind the 'glass phone' going viral,' which garnered a further 23 million views, Cat explained that the 'device' is dubbed a 'methaphone' designed to curb smartphone addiction.
"This little piece of acrylic feels like a physical artefact that directly responds to this collective tension we all feel about how our devices, which are meant to make us more connected, are actually having the exact opposite effect," Cat shared.
@askcatgpt I’m sending out a batch of methaphones to people who have ideas for (safe) social experiments they’d like to run with them— break it out on the subway? Show it to a 5 year old? Replace your phone for a week? The only catch is that you have to write or document your experience in a post online (e.g. blog post, medium, substack, YouTube, tikTok, Ig, etc) The goal is to keep the conversation going. If you’re interested, fill out the super short survey at the link in my bio! Let’s keep the conversation going! #tech #methaphone
Viewers were left disheartened by the underwhelming explanation, with one chiming in: "So you just stood there and swiped some glass?? GIRL…"
Another wrote: "So this is not a real phone, it's just glass and they're trying to make it sound deeper than what it is."
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