If a viral video is to be believed, the latest gizmo from California is a fully transparent smartphone.
TikTok user @askcatgpt posted a clip of herself ‘using’ the completely clear handset while standing in a shop in San Francisco.
As the content creator stands in line, she scrolls idly on the devoce before looking into the camera.
The caption says: ‘Completely clear phone spotted in San Francisco on May 14…?!? Wft??????’
Social media users have been left baffled by the short clip, with one saying: ‘she’s on a mission from the future.’
Someone else replied ‘This could be a Black Mirror promo’, while another said ‘oh that’s Nokia transparent phone’.
Yet another joked: ‘I can’t even find my phone now. I’ll never find it when it’s translucent.’
Although it really is a product for sale, the TikTok video – which got 3.5 million likes and more than 17,000 comments – is not all it seems.
TikTok user @askcatgpt posted a video of herself ‘using’ the transparent rectangle while standing in a shop queue (left) but later clarified the truth in a follow-up (right)
In a follow-up video a day later, @askcatgpt – real name Catherine Goetze – revealed the truth.
The clear rectangle – which is now sold-out online – is just a slab of acrylic in the shape of an iPhone, she explained.
Unsurprisingly, due to its complete lack of interior components, it doesn’t do anything a smartphone does such as send messages or order a takeaway.
Apparently, Goetze was given it by a friend to see if just having a object of similar size and shape could reduce her smartphone usage.
‘He told me what he wanted to test if we’re all so addicted to our phones,’ she said in the follow-up clip.
‘Could you potentially curb someone’s addiction by replacing the feeling of having a phone in your pocket with something that feels exactly the same?’
The TikToker said the object ‘feels so empowering’, although she admitted she it probably hasn’t made her use her real phone any less.
The acrylic slab – listed on mindless-toys.com for $25 – has been dubbed the ‘methaphone’ which is a reference to methadone, the drug that’s used medically to treat chronic pain and opioid use.
The acrylic slab, called the ‘methaphone’, is being sold for $25 on mindless-toys.com – although it’s already sold out
‘For 50 years, heroin addicts have used methadone to help break their addiction,’ the product description says.
‘Now you can step down your dependency on your mobile device with this: methaphone. Leave your phone without the cravings or withdrawal.’
The methaphone is currently sold out, but anyone interested in buying it can leave their email address and get an update when it’s back in stock.
TikTok users commented on @askcatgpt’s follow-up video, with one simply posting: ‘Soooo it’s a piece of glasss.’
Another posted: ‘so this is not a real phone, it’s just glass and they’re trying to make it sound deeper than what it is.’
A third said: ‘Nobody’s addicted to holding phones, they’re addicted to the apps’, while a fourth said: ‘Just leave your phone at home and pretend it’s the 90’s.’
Yet another posted: ‘I’m addicted to TikTok, not my phone.’
Catherine Goetze, who has a science and tech degree from Stanford University, claims to offer ‘non-pretentious, non-patronizing AI education’ for businesses.
According to her LinkedIn page, Catherine Goetze offers ‘non-pretentious, non-patronizing AI education’
While the idea of a clear smartphone may sound radical, some companies are indeed planning to introduce more glass into their designs.
Apple is working on a ‘mostly glass’ iPhone, according to a recent report from renowned tipster Mark Gurman.
Apple has also previously filed a patent for an all-glass smartphone with a continuous display across the front, back and sides.
Dubbed ‘a single slab of glass’, the patent shows a device with displays on both its front and back, as well as touchscreen buttons on its curved edges.
Korean rival Samsung also filed patents for a transparent phone in 2020, Android Authority reported.
Samsung unveils thinnest model EVER with Galaxy S25 device measuring just 5.8mm thick – but there’s a catch
Samsung has unveiled its thinnest smartphone model ever, with a device measuring just 5.8 millimetres thick.
After months of waiting, the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was finally launched at the Galaxy Unpacked event on May 12.
Weighing just 163 grams, this flagship model is 32 per cent lighter and 34 per cent thinner than the already skinny iPhone 16 Pro Max.
MailOnline got an early look at the S25 Edge at the Mobile World Congress in March 2025. Now, the device is officially going on sale on May 30
And with Samsung claiming the battery can offer 24 hours of video playback, you might not need to sacrifice too much power for the weight difference.
Measuring 6.7 inches diagonally, this sits between the 6.9-inch top-of-the-line S25 Ultra and the 6.2-inch regular S25 model.
However, getting less phone doesn’t mean a slimmer price tag – the Edge starts at £1,099 ($1,099.99).
