How is this “phone” successful when it does literally nothing?

The NoPhone was released last year as an alternative to an actual smartphone. It gives users the satisfaction of having a hunk of smartphone-shaped plastic in their pocket without having to deal with the useful and oftentimes essential features that we all hate, like calling people. Obviously I’m not serious, and neither is the NoPhone, it’s a joke. Even so, that hasn’t stopped it from turning into a surprising success.

It started as a joke. Then it became a mini-crowd-funded phenomenon. Now NoPhone, LLC is an on-going concern based in New York City, and the company is hitting the market with a sale on its product for a limited time. Last summer, the NoPhone was just a gag idea, give someone a partial sensory satisfaction of holding a piece of plastic in their hands, or keep something in a pocket. It could serve as a decoy for would-be thieves, but in reality, the NoPhone does nothing, but it makes a great gag gift. Sensing they were on to something, the guys behind NoPhone decided to capitalize on the idea and crowd fund a batch of these plastic bricks. They blew through their goal, and shipped thousands for the holidays.